So this week has been a crazy week because of trying to help potential clients with their domain name registrar issues. I got phone calls from people whose registrar were charging them large fees to renew their names, or to reinstate their names because they forgot to pay their bill. Some of my client's had issues with trying to transfer their names to a new register and the frustration level was high. So I decided to write this blog first explaining what a domain name registrar is and why you as a business need to understand the process and the pricing to help your business move in the right direction. The first part below may be a bit boring but it is a must understand for you in business. Most of the content below is taken from https://whois.icann.org/en.
Domain Name Registration Process
In order to reserve a domain name in a gTLD (.net, .com, .net and .org), a domain name registrant (That Would be The Business Owner) must register it with an ICANN-accredited registrar. (Companies like Directnic.com which i highly recommend, or others which I do not such as Godaddy, Network Solutions, etc....)
The registrar will check if the domain name is available and create a WHOIS record with the domain name registrant's information. It is also possible to register domain names through a registrar's resellers.
The diagram below illustrates the main functions of the parties that are usually involved in the process.
Image above courtesy of ICANN
Registrars are organizations accredited by ICANN and certified by the registries to sell domain names. They are bound by the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) with ICANN, and by their agreements with the registries. The RAA sets out responsibilities for the registrar including maintenance of WHOIS data, submission of data to registries, facilitating public WHOIS queries, ensuring domain name registrants details are escrowed, and complying with RAA conditions relating to the conclusion of the domain name registration period.
Some domain name registrants may opt to register through a Reseller. These organizations are affiliated or under contract with registrars, and usually offer other services such as web hosting, email mailboxes etc. Resellers are bound by their agreements with the registrar(s) whose services they sell; they are not accredited by ICANN. However, the registrar for whom they are re-selling will still be the sponsor for the domain name registration and accountable for the domain names sold by the reseller.
Ok Now that the process is explained I will tell you why I recommend the Registrar I use, Directnic.com
The standard fee for a domain name is $15.00. No hidden fees, no reinstatement fees that is it.
You create an account, you search for your domain name and you purchase it. they will send you reminders for when you have to renew at the end of the year, and if you forget you have one month to pay your $15.00.
Many companies will charge you a reinstatement fee of ridiculous amounts, and I won't name them here because of liability issues but many of my calls this week came from companies like this. Once your name has expired you have 30 days to claim it back but companies at that point can charge you whatever they want which makes me so mad!!!!!!
So my advice to all of you is to have control of your business, ownership of your name (do not let people or companies register your names for you!) and your budget. Look and research the best registrars and then make the plunge to purchase your domain name.
In conclusion, I get no commission or affiliate fee for recommending Directnic.com. I am a happy customer, a happy web designer and every client I have moved to them has had no complaints and their business model is straightforward. Pay your $15.00 every year to renew your name and you are good. I also use them for my email services because I love the ease but also the customer service.