co.za or .com for online store?

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chopsky

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Hey guys

If you were creating an online store (selling physical goods) and owned both the co.za and .com domains, would you build the site on the .co.za or .com?
Target audience is primarily South Africans, but would like the option of selling to prospective international buyers too, particularly in the future.

Thanks!
 
HavocXphere said:
Re-direct the coza to com and build on com
Click to expand...

Any reasoning for this?
If the co.za is redirecting, I'm aware the co.za won't be indexed by Google. My concern is there seems to be a tendency amongst South Africans to want to shop on a co.za before a .com, presumably because they know from the get-go that it's a South African business.
 
chopsky said:
Any reasoning for this?
If the co.za is redirecting, I'm aware the co.za won't be indexed by Google. My concern is there seems to be a tendency amongst South Africans to want to shop on a co.za before a .com, presumably because they know from the get-go that it's a South African business.
Click to expand...

I've run online stores before and had this question. and came to a similar answer :

If you are selling to South Africans , you have to scream "This is LOCAL"

The .co.za domain is just a start. On the site , putting the South African flag up somewhere (even if tiny) , putting up a local phone number , or a live chat that is online during SA business hours will help people instantly get a feeling of familiarity with the site.

If you put up logos of your shipping partners that are recognizably SA (like the post office , RAM couriers , speed services etc) this will assist in making it familiar and customers will feel comfortable that you will deliver in a way which they already know.

In addition , you will get a huge boost from Google if customers within South Africa are looking for your .co.za domain vs a .com domain. Also , hosting it on a South African IP assists with ranking.

If your customers are international - then a separate .com is needed with world recognized symbols (such as a US phone number , DHL or UPS shipping logos etc).

Hope that helps
 
chopsky said:
Hey guys

If you were creating an online store (selling physical goods) and owned both the co.za and .com domains, would you build the site on the .co.za or .com?
Target audience is primarily South Africans, but would like the option of selling to prospective international buyers too, particularly in the future.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Go with .co.za. When people are glossing over Google results after searching for an item they want to order locally, it's the .co.za's that stand out.
 
Bryn said:
Go with .co.za. When people are glossing over Google results after searching for an item they want to order locally, it's the .co.za's that stand out.
Click to expand...

+1 it's what I do when I shop online.
 
For some reason Google doesn't give me local results anymore. I now add "site:co.za" to most of my shopping searches.
 
Tacet said:
For some reason Google doesn't give me local results anymore. I now add "site:co.za" to most of my shopping searches.
Click to expand...

Or site:.za

Oh and definitely .co. za for local online store.
 
Can you not point both the .co.za and .com to the same instance?
 
Doesn't really make a difference.

Just point both domains to the same hosting - problem solved.
 
Not good for SEO, and Google Analytics will complain.

Stick with co.za as primary, and redirect the .com to it.
 
Thanks guys! That helps tremendously.

co.za as primary seems the way to go.

Gezza said:
Can you not point both the .co.za and .com to the same instance?
Click to expand...

Nope. One will need to act as the primary domain, the other a redirect.
 
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