23 July
New .co domains now available
2 Comments, written by Liane, News
So you missed out on the big .com boom and had to settle with an alternative domain name. Well, now you have a second chance to get your business connected to an international domain name, as RSAWEB announces the availability of .co domain extensions.
Domain extensions are the categories of Internet domain names, and selecting one used to be relatively easy. If you were a business, you’d prefer a .com domain name because it is a highly recognised symbol for having a business presence on the Internet. .co.za is the country code for South Africa, and the .co portion indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes (similar to the .com extension). And if you were a Non-Profit Organisation or a trade association, you’d generally use the .org extension. Simple right?
Well, at RSAWEB we like to give you an abundance of choices, and offer you domain extensions from .net to .tv and so much more! Our extensive list of domain extensions now includes: .co and .fm.
If you’re unsure of which extension would suite your needs best, here’s a breakdown of what we offer, what it means and what it’ll cost you:
| Domain Extension | Definition | *Cost (p/annum) |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Represents the word “commercial,” as the most widely used extension. | R 150 |
| .sa.com .za.com |
The .sa and .za portions are the country code for South Africa, and the .com portion indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes. | R 599 |
| .co | Represents the “commercial” – Same as the .com domain extension. | R 295 |
| .co.za | .za is the country code for South Africa, and the .co portion indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes. | R 50 |
| .co.uk | .uk is the country code for the United Kingdom, and the .co portion indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes. | R 495 |
| .org | Represents the word “organisation,” and is primarly used by Non-Profit Organisations or trade associations. | R 150 |
| .org.za .za.org |
.za is the country code for South Africa, and the .org portion indicates the domain name is for an organisation. | R 295 (once off) |
| .net | Represents the word “network,” and is most commonly used by businesses that are directly involved in the infrastructure of the Internet. Some businesses may also choose this extension for their Intranet websites. | R 150 |
| .za.net | .za is the country code for South Africa, and the .net portion represents the word “network.” This is generally used by Internet infrastructure providers. | free |
| .info | Significes a “resoucre” website and is for credibly resource websites. It’s the most popular extension beyond .com, .net and .org. | R 150 |
| .biz | Generally used for small business websites. | R 150 |
| .mobi | This is reserved for websites built for easy viewing on mobile devices. | R 295 |
| .tv | This is for rich content/multi-media websites. | R 295 |
| .fm | .fm is the country code for Federated States of Micronesia. It is also commonly used for FM radio. | R 865 |
| .co.zw | .zw is the country code for Zimbabwe, and the .co portion indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes (similar to the .com extension). | R 450 |
Please note: In order to purchase a domain, you need to have it hosted somewhere, which means you need to apply for a hosting package when you purchase a domain.
*Excludes hosting fee of R25.00 per annum
Applying for a domain name is easy through RSAWEB’s advanced domain search. It enables you to check whether a specific domain is available for registration. If it’s available, we’ll guide you through the whole process of owning your own domain, using our online registration system.
2 Comments
David Fraser
July 29, 2010 4:37 pm
Hmmm, but officially .co represents Columbia doesn’t it, though you can use it for whatever? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.co
Liane
July 30 2010 10:18 am
Hi David,
You're correct.
.co is the country code for Colombia, but it is also universally associated with "company," "commerce" and "corporation," hence it holds great commercial value. Other country specific domains have successfully crossed over, for example .tv for the islands of Tuvalu, which has now become globally recognised as a site for rich content/multi-media websites. So, to answer your question, .co registrations are open globally giving, even small businesses, the chance to get the name they always wanted.
Google has said that the .co domain is still assigned to Colombia at the moment, but that would soon change. They are quoted in saying that they "will rank .co domains appropriately if the content is globally targeted. Webmasters will soon have the functionality to be able to specify this by using the geotargeting options in Google Webmaster Tools."