Your domain name and its registration are arguably the most important part of any website. I mean, without a domain name, you don’t have a website - at least not one that people could easily find.

So why would you leave this very important item in the hands of someone who might be unscrupulous or even incapable? Would you entrust the keys to your business to just anyone? It seems quite a few businesses do just that with their domain name registration.

Registrars

Choosing a good domain name registrar should not be based solely on price even though few registrars charge more than $20 per year. First, you should make sure that the registrar you intend on using is ICAAN accredited.

There are literally thousands of domain registrars on the Internet and we have dealt with most of them in one form or another. GoDaddy is the registrar we have chosen because they offer a great service at a reasonable price. They are not the cheapest and they are not the most expensive. GoDaddy provides a easy to use interface to manage your domains and provides systems that help ensure that your domains do not expire. There are other good companies like HostWay and Network Solutions that provide comparable service. HostWay is a little less and Network Solutions is a little more.

Make Sure You Own It

Make sure that you own the domain you are purchasing as well. This may sound like a given, but you don’t want to find out years from now that you don’t own your own domain name. It never ceases to amaze me how many businesses have no idea how to get access to their domain. Many more have left the registration process up to the web designer that developed their website and their domain name ended up in the web designer’s name. That can pose some serious problems when the web designer goes AWOL. If you are unsure, check it out. The WHOIS record for most domains is public. You can check the ownership of a publicly registered domain with online search tools like DomainTools.com.

Good Names Can Be Hard To Find

I remember the days when practically any domain I could think up was available. (I wish I would have registered some of them!) Today, it takes some time to find a domain name that will make sense, is memorable and is available. Sometimes it takes less than an hour - sometimes it takes days. The important thing is to have a knowledgeable and trustworthy company working for you. If they aren’t willing to provide some references you might want to look elsewhere.

Your domain name is your address on the Internet. Protect it and make sure you know it is yours and how to access the registration account. Otherwise, you might just find it up for sale one day - by someone else.

Filed under: Staff Blogs

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