Choosing the right domain registrar is crucial if you're planning to buy your own domain name. You can't just trust random companies, as many disreputable domain registrars offer seemingly good, cost-efficient packages to rob newbie business owners of their money.
Unfortunately, differentiating between the good and bad service providers is not as easy as most think it is. There are dozens of domain registrars and web hosting companies on the market. Going through all of them will be quite time-consuming, especially if you're not even sure where to start looking.
Fortunately, we're here to help. Keep reading to learn more about what domain names are, how to register for one, and who can assist you with the entire process.
Are you in the market for the best domain registrar? Head over to PageKits! We have multiple buyer guides and articles curated to assist readers who are building a business website for the first time.
Domain registrars are companies that primarily assist with the domain name purchase, domain registration process, and domain management. Simply put, they're the ones you turn to for domain name extensions (e.g. .com, .org, .net, etc.). Some of the most popular domain registrar options include:
Selling Point: Best Overall Option for SMBs
GoDaddy arguably trumps all the best domain name registrars worldwide. They offer high-quality domain name services and clients can count on them for continuous customer support. This is beneficial for first-timers and startups.
A wide range of brands from small business owners to large corporate entities chooses to register a domain name with GoDaddy. The company reports that there are currently more than 20 million domains on their server.
Perhaps the only downside to using GoDaddy is their high pricing plan. Their services and system are world-class, but keep in mind that you'd have to be willing to pay a pricey fee per year.
Selling Point: Fast Website Load Time Globally
If your priority is to create a fast-loading website, we suggest investing in a Bluehost hosting plan. According to a speed check test by Bitchatcha, Bluehost's server is the fastest to load websites in various countries all around the world. They are the ideal domain name registrar for bloggers or e-commerce store owners that target readers and customers from another country or region.
Selling Point: Get a Free Domain Privacy and Protection Plan
As their name suggests, Namecheap offers some of the cheapest top-level domains on the market. Their domain name registration rates can go as low as under $9, and this is already for their .com domains. You can also take advantage of the free domain privacy service plans they offer.
The only issue with Namecheap is there are other higher quality domains available. Yes, alternatives such as Bluehost and GoDaddy might not be able to match the cost-efficient Google domains name cheap offers, but they more than make up for it in other aspects.
Remember: When choosing a domain, blindly trusting the cheapest options is never a good idea.
Selling Point: Ideal for E-Commerce Stores
Shopify is one of the largest e-commerce top-level domain providers. Reports say that there are currently more than 218 million seller accounts—not unique individuals—on Shopify.
Entrepreneurs continue to use Shopify because their database and platform were designed specifically for e-commerce. They even have credit card processing servers so clients can accept payments globally.
The only downside is that Shopify does not automatically generate an email address along with their domain names. Although, you can easily resolve-this with a third-party brand such as Office365 or Google Workspace.
Selling Point: High Storage
For large companies that process dozens of orders and generate high-volume traffic, we suggest HostGator. They offer unmetered bandwidth and unlimited storage, so there's no limit to how many visitors your website gets per day.
Perhaps the only disadvantage of working with HostGator is their domain names come at a steep price. In the first year, clients will only be charged around $13 for registration. However, domain name renewal in the subsequent years will be priced at around $17, depending on your existing package.
Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing a domain name registrar to work with:
Make sure you only buy a domain name from a reputable, trusted registrar. Never work with a company that refuses to show the necessary domain name registry paperwork or is not transparent with their fees, no matter how low their rates are.
Confidential information such as payment records, client information, and business transaction details will pass through your website, so you need a domain name registrar that you can fully trust. Privacy protection should be prioritized.
Having a domain name is merely the first step. For a credible website that generates traffic and converts prospects into paying clients, you need to improve your website interface to support a great customer user experience, and you can do so with add ons.
Consider options such as:
It's crucial to assess the entire pricing model of your registrar, but one of the most important points to focus on are the transfer fees. Essentially, newly-established domains can be transferred to a new registrar after 60 days.
When a client switches registrars, however, their current provider loses profits. That's why some brands attempt to limit domain transfers by restricting their subscribers to insanely high transfer fees. This is a frowned-upon practice.
Having your own company domain is crucial to building credibility and creating a strong online presence. Customers are more likely to trust a business website that has a .com domain rather than those with free blog-provided domain options.
However, this does not mean you should rush and ignore all reason just to secure your own domain extensions as quickly as possible. You need to be discerning with the registrar you work with. Choose the best domain registrar that offers features and benefits your business website would specifically benefit from. Also, make sure their domain name service rates are within budget.
Most popular domain extensions
Choose a domain name extension that's recognized globally. They might cost a bit more, but trust us, a company with a .com or .net domain is more reliable than a poorly done site with a randomly generated domain
Best domain registrars worldwide
A 2018 survey reveals that the best domain registrars—according to user popularity—on the market are GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Alibaba Cloud Computing Ltd.
Struggling to get your own domain name? Page Kits strives to help business owners learn more about their domain and web hosting options through multiple guides, articles, and product reviews. Check Page Kits out today!
