A web domain is a fantastic addition to your business. It reflects and promotes your brand, and helps your communications look more professional. But many people still think a web domain is unnecessary and expensive, or they should get one only if they have a website. Others don't know where you can get one or how it works.

Don't let these issues hold you back from getting a web domain for your company. Whether you own a business or want to enhance your professional brand, here are three things to know that will help you get a domain.

How do domains work?

A web domain is an address that directs us to a specific website or email address. Domains are the written equivalent of IP addresses, which are codes that computers use to find each other on networks. The internet is a giant collection of networks, and it uses IP addresses to find things such as websites. But instead of us bashing out strings of numbers, we associate domains with those IP addresses. So, when you type in 'www.google.co.za', you're telling your computer what IP number to reach.

A domain has three specific sections. Working backwards with the Google example, '.za' is the top-level domain (in this case, the country code for South Africa; Britain's code is .uk). The '.co' is the second-level domain (this can also be .gov for government or .ac for academic), 'google' is the third-level (this is where your unique brand name goes), and 'www' is the subdomain.

It can be confusing with top-level domains such as .com, .net and .org because they don't use the 'co' part. That's because these domains first appeared before country domains existed. But it's still the same idea.

Do you need a website to own a domain?

We rightly associate domains with websites, but that is not their only purpose. As the first point explains, domains are substitutes for numbers that computers use to find each other. This means any communication between computers could involve a domain. The most common domain use is not for websites but email. Even if you don't want a website, using a unique domain for your business emails is a good idea. It looks more professional and ensures someone else can't take your brand for their website or email. Some companies get a domain simply to ensure nobody else can.

You rent a domain for a small annual fee and can always cancel the ownership if you no longer need the domain. Costs vary depending on the top-level domain: a .com or .net is much more expensive than a co.za domain. Companies where you can register domains (called registrars) often offer specials, such as steep discounts if you pay for several years. Many website hosts offer domains as a free perk if you use their services. You can learn more from Vodacom Business.

Every domain name is unique - only one party can control google.com. But google.com and google.net are different domains. Domains are not case-sensitive: google.com, Google.com and GOOGLE.com are the same domain. But you can't use most special characters such as %, &, #, $, @, / and *, or accented letters such as à or ô. 

What can you do with a domain?

In the context of your business, you'd use a domain for a website or email. Websites can be intimidating and costly to make, and we won't cover them in this article. If you want a website for your business, enlist the help of a designer or learn to build one yourself with services such as Wix, WordPress or Squarespace (many of these services have easy-to-understand visual tools). You can also check with your internet service provider (ISP) if they have website building and hosting services.

But let's focus on email because it is so easy and affordable to get a decent business email that uses your domain. You can talk to your ISP about an email service, but know that this will likely be a least-effort product that isn't very secure and can have other issues. The better choice is to subscribe to an online email service such as Microsoft Office365 or Google Workplace. Such services have several benefits:

• The application runs in your browser, so you don't need to download and store your email.
• All the email stays in the provider's cloud; you never need to archive or make backups.
• You can use the service's search to find an email, no matter how old it is.
• You can access your email from anywhere through an internet connection.
• You can access the same email through multiple devices, such as your laptop and phone.

These services typically cost less than R100 per month per email account, and a small business won't need more than one account. They let you use your registered domain and can even register a domain on your behalf.

Admittedly, adding a domain to these services can seem a little technical. But there are excellent resources (Microsoft, Google) to guide you through the steps. If that's too much (or you simply don't have the time), you can enlist the help of a provider that offers these services as an agent. Vodacom Business are expert at getting your business domain working for you. They can make it happen whether you want Office365, Workplace, or something else. These services include great collaboration, remote working and online storage features - without paying more!

But regardless if you use a third party or explore this on your own: a domain is a smart investment for your brand and business.

Vodacom Business domain services 

Choose from a range of domain-related offerings, and get local and international domain support starting at R100 per annum for .co.za