Registering a domain name can seem daunting especially if it is the first time you are going to be doing it. There are so many choices of registrar (company that registers and manages the domain name for you) out there that it can seem like an impossible decision.
Picking the right registrar is very important, in my opinion, only surpassed by choosing the right web host (company to host your website). Through the course of this article we’ll look at some important things to consider when registering a domain. Let’s begin.
How does domain registration work?
The registrar you choose will register the domain name you choose with the Network Information Center (NIC) or Domain Authoritiy that keeps the database record of the domain ownership and the Name Servers that maintain domain’s IP record. This means that the registrar’s servers tell the NIC who owns the domain and what name servers (servers that will point to your web host) the domain points to. Because of the communication between the registrar and the NIC there is usually a delay, upto 24 hours, in updating any changes you make to your domain name.
How much should I pay for my domain name?
Money is always an important factor in almost every decision we make in life. We don’t want to possible pay any more than absolutely necessary but when it comes to domains you don’t want to go cheap and wish you hadn’t.
There are lots of companies offering domains at ridiculously cheap prices (as low as $3 per year) while others seem to be charging upto 10 times as much (as high as $30 - $50 per year). Why? The amount a company charges, almost always, is in direct corolation to the quality of the service that goes along with that domain.
Some ways to measure the quality of service that a company provides can be measured in a few ways
- What is their uptime garuantee? Like all machines, server do go down occasionally. The frequency and duration of the downtime depend on the systems and infrastructure the registrar has in place (one guy with a couple servers in his basement or a large corporation with thousands of servers and a fulltime IT staff).
- Support. What kind of help can you expect when you have problems or your domain does go down? This is a huge factor in seperating the exceptional from the average. Most people are willing to pay more for the piece of mind that help is there if they need it.
- Control. What are you able to do with your domain? Do you have full DNS control (repoint name servers/IP addresses, point email records, setup subdomains, etc) and how easy is the control panel to use?
- Track record. How long has the company been in business and what do their customers say? Be sure to search the Internet for company reviews on independant sites to see what customers, former and current, really think of the service.
Personally I don’t choose the absolute cheapest registrar but I also don’t pick the most expensive. I usually go with a company in the $10 - $15 per year range that has been around for a while and has excellent reviews.
What extention should I choose (.com, .net, .org, etc)?
Just as there are lots of choice of companies there is also lots of choice when picking the extension of your domain.
.com is by far the most desired extension but it also can be hard to find a good name in that extension. There really isn’t any extension that is better than another when considering the standard extensions like .com, .net, .org, .info. There are newer extensions that have emerged that try to discribe the purpose of the domain like .tv (TV show) or .mobi (website for mobile devices) but these uses are not enforced.
There are, however, some extensions that you cannot register unless you meet some guidelines. Some examples are .edu. You have to be an educational organiztion or institution to be able to get a .edu domain. Also, a lot of country specific (.ca Canada) require you to be a citizen or entity within that country.
Summary
We looked at some things that you should consider when registering a domain name. Be sure to choose a reputable company with quality service not necessarily the cheapest company. Don’t spend too much time contemplating what extension to choose. Consentrate more on getting a domain that is easy for people to remember like yourname.com or a name that is a play on the extension like asp.net or scandelo.us.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
“The amount a company charges, almost always, is in direct corolation to the quality of the service that goes along with that domain.”
I’ve used a handful of different registrars and I’ve found the opposite to be true. Generally, the more expensive registrars take advantage of the naivety of their customers by charging outrageous prices and providing terrible quality service.
I’ve transferred all of my own (20+) domain names and other domain names that I manage to a company that provides top-notch support for only about $9/domain/year.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
The .tv domain is actually the national domain Tuvalu… it’s been co-opted as “television” for marketing reasons, but it still truly belongs to that country.
Although there may be little technical difference between .com domains and others, the market recognition of .com is still a strong reason to choose a longer .com name over a shorter name with a less-recognized TLD.
If you come up with a unique name that can be trademarked, there’s a better chance that the .com name will be available. I’ve even go so far as to choose a product/service name because the domain name was available! Be creative! “Xerox” and “Kleenex” weren’t in the dictionary until someone invented the name.
November 30th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
There will always be shady companies looking to take advantage but there are some strong companies like Network Solutions that charge top dollar and provide a great service. It is also true that there are high quality companies at decent prices also.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:01 am
Network Solutions? Please! I didn’t want to mention any names in my original post, but since you brought it up, I consider them the biggest rip-off of all. If we’re going to make specific recommendations, mine is for www.GoDaddy.com … the registrar the currently holds all of my 20+ domains.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:24 am
Your’re entitle to your opinion. I personally have not been happy with Godaddy. I admit I have never used Network Solutions but have heard from friend who uses them for all his clients and says they offer very good service.