Doing business online requires a domain name. In the initial stages of establishing an online presence, it is important to research the best domain name registration options. You have enough on your plate managing your business or brand. The wrong domain registrar can cost you a lot of time and headache.
Selecting a domain name registrar
In order to get a domain name, you need a domain registrar. The market is flooded with registrars, each offering different features and pricing. Which the best option is among them depends on your specific needs. Are you willing to pay a higher base rate for a free email feature? Or, are you willing to get a customized email through Google Apps and go for the best base price? It’ll take a little bit longer to set up, but for most businesses, the cost savings wins out. It all depends on your requirements. Definitely make note of the free features each registrar offers and take into account whether you even need them or not. There are some factors that are universal.
The factors you use to determine the best domain name registration service may vary from person to person. But, dependability, trustworthy practices and ease of use applies to everyone. Do your research and see what others are saying about the registrar you’re considering. Does it take fifteen minutes just to even access the screen to change your password, because they’re offering you all their latest deals? Do they have a reputation of purchasing people’s domains out from under them? Are their prices all over the place and too confusing to figure out what you’re going to be paying year to year? If so, move on. There are more reliable options out there.
Selecting a domain name registrar
In order to get a domain name, you need a domain registrar. The market is flooded with registrars, each offering different features and pricing. Which the best option is among them depends on your specific needs. Are you willing to pay a higher base rate for a free email feature? Or, are you willing to get a customized email through Google Apps and go for the best base price? It’ll take a little bit longer to set up, but for most businesses, the cost savings wins out. It all depends on your requirements. Definitely make note of the free features each registrar offers and take into account whether you even need them or not. There are some factors that are universal.
- Certification: Look for an ICANN accredited registrar. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulates the DNS (domain name system). They are charged with making sure accredited registrars adhere to certain regulations and do not assign more than one person the same domain name. Although there are many practices not under their jurisdiction, at the very least your domain registrar should be held to these minimum standards.
- Price: Being a free market, there’s a huge variation in domain name pricing structures followed by different registrars. After short listing a few that you want to research, scan through their general pricing structure. Don’t just look at the first year’s price or the coupons their currently offering. When I registered my first domain, I immediately went to the biggest name in domain registrars. The one that everyone knows, because I saw a coupon for a 0.99 domain. I signed up for an account and went to purchase my domain. All of a sudden it was $15 in my cart for one year. It turns out the coupon was only for the “first purchase, from first time customers.” Because I had created an account before buying, they did not consider me a first time customer. I couldn’t get the 0.99 price! I was flabbergasted. Take the time to look in detail what the second and third year price will be. Some registrars offer rock bottom promotional rates for the first year, then the next year jack up the price to their “regular rates” which are insanely high. Others are pretty straightforward and just keep their price the same year to year, in the middle of the pack in terms of price range. The only registrar I’ve ever seen that actually lowers their price if you purchase for more than one year is Cosmotown.com. (Seems logical, right?) Plus, their regular rate is the lowest I’ve found, without using a special coupon. Personally, I like to do a lot of research and shopping around in the beginning and then set it and forget it. With Cosmotown, it’s a pretty safe bet you’re going to be paying a lot less than anyone else.
- Contract: When registering a domain name, you have to sign a contract with your registrar. Carefully go through all the terms and conditions of the document. Are you being charged fees you don’t know about it? Do they actually charge you a fee to transfer? Did you know that you have to get your current registrars authorization to transfer to a different registrar. Google other customers’ experiences trying to transfer. If they have shady practices, where they make up reasons to deny customer requests, steer clear. Those types of registrars are the exact same ones that set your contract to auto-renew at outrageous prices the next year. It took me twenty minutes, going through that big registrar’s user menus trying to figure out how to cancel the auto renew option. There’s plenty of offers and pop ups you have to click through to buy more of their products. But, only confusing information about how to cancel the auto renew option.
- Duration: The contracts go in year intervals. So, the shortest period you can register for is 1 year, the longest 10 years. You can always renew, as long as you don’t allow your domain to expire. If you’re not sure about the registrar, choose the shortest contract term (1 year). This allows the freedom to switch to a better one at the end of the contract if you’re not satisfied. If you have a great relationship with your registrar, think they have great customer service, their user interface is easy to use, and you can live with the price go ahead and do the 10 year registration. You don’t want to accidentally let your domain expire and lose control over your domain name.
The factors you use to determine the best domain name registration service may vary from person to person. But, dependability, trustworthy practices and ease of use applies to everyone. Do your research and see what others are saying about the registrar you’re considering. Does it take fifteen minutes just to even access the screen to change your password, because they’re offering you all their latest deals? Do they have a reputation of purchasing people’s domains out from under them? Are their prices all over the place and too confusing to figure out what you’re going to be paying year to year? If so, move on. There are more reliable options out there.
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