For companies ranging from startups to established corporations, having a website is important for communicating with customers and advertising to large audiences. As technology continues to progress, keeping a website up to date is more important than ever. The first step in building a website is purchasing a domain name. Domain name registrars are responsible for managing domain names. There are many different registrars to choose from and pitfalls to avoid. While purchasing a domain name seems straightforward, it is easy to overpay or enter into an agreement with an unreliable registrar. For example, many domain name registrars will make their customers pay exorbitant fees to simply keep their information private. Therefore, it is important to do your research to find the best fit for your needs. Read on to learn more about your best options.
Top 5 Domain Registrars:
- Hostwinds
- GoDaddy
- SnapNames
- Sedo
- Flippa
Hostwinds
This company remains one of the few user-friendly choices for both registering and hosting a domain name. This service is easy to use even if you wish to transfer your registration from one registrar to another. Hostwinds is beneficial because it lists all of the extensions required to create a domain name. Next to each extension is a clearly listed price. The transparency sounds obvious but many websites will conceal this information until the end. Finally, it requires only a few seconds to determine if a domain name is available. Their customer service is fantastic.
Highlights:
- Transparent prices are an important feature that this registrar provides.
- Hostwinds provides live chat, email, and phone customer support both before and after purchase.
- It requires only a few clicks to check domain name availability.
GoDaddy
When people think of GoDaddy, most think of Danica Patrick and other eye-opening commercials. Most people don’t realize that this company is a legitimate domain name registrar. In the past few years, GoDaddy has made remarkable improvements to their services. By searching keywords they will actually recommend domain names for you to use. Furthermore, they have a wide variety of hosting options. They continue to offer email services that some people find useful. Their customer support is quick to respond to email requests. This is among the best domain name registrars that has remained popular for many years.
Highlights:
- They use keywords to recommend domain names if a first choice is taken.
- They have responsive customer support that assists with a wide variety of needs.
- They offer email services to clients that they host.
SnapNames
This is less of a domain name registrar and more of a domain name marketplace. While the difference is small, this distinction is important. SnapNames only handles domain names that are owned by somebody else. SnapNames offers a variety of listing options for those looking to buy or sell a domain name. They hold auctions, premium actions, private domain brokers, and buy-it-now domain name prices. There are over 30 million domain names listed on this site. Surely one of these domain names both pertains to that company and comes at a fair price. They have sold to over 3 million customers, including small businesses.
Highlights:
- A large number of domain names are available for purchase.
- This company only deals wth domain names that are already owned.
- This company caters to many small businesses.
Sedo
This is a global domain name marketplace where people will sell, purchase, and park domain names. They have over 18 million different domain names for sale, but this company is a large, reputable, and experienced company. When making expensive purchases, it is important to buy from an experienced and known entity. For people who are nervous about spending a large amount of money, Sedo walks customers through every step.
Highlights:
- This company has responsive and knowledgeable customer service to assist in a domain name purchase.
- This company has a long track record of satisfied customers.
- This company has over 18 million domain names for sale.
Flippa
This is another marketplace for domain names. For people looking for cheap domain names, this is the place to look. Many domain names are being sold for only a dollar. People can also find mobile apps and existing websites for sale on Flippa. This makes it easy to get a small business started.
Highlights:
- This marketplace has the cheapest domain names on the market.
- People can find fully websites and mobile apps for sale.
- Individuals that need a quick online presence will be happy with Flippa.
Conclusion
Buying a quality domain is the first step toward a website and a valuable online presence. Compare prices when shopping for domains and don’t forget to check out online auctions in addition to what’s available brand new. Also, compare website hosting rates as well as available tools for building and editing a website. With the right domain company, you could possibly save money and bypass the need for a Web designer.