Registering a Domain Name

I have more domain names than the average person, for several reasons.  For one, I like to have a good name when I need it for a project, and I try to think ahead of all the future projects I may want to do and register a name while they may be less expensive or easier to obtain.   I also have a bunch of domains that I used for thin affiliate sites but still have a trickle of traffic and I keep for nostalgia’s sake.  Still others I have because I was drunk or tired when I bought them.

If you have a portfolio of names, large or small, it’s never a bad time to re-evaluate your registrar.

If you have more than 10 names, you probably want to have 2 registrars.  It’s sort of like keeping your money in two different banks. Just remember, there is no FDIC for Domain Names

Know who your registrar is.    Are they a reseller?  If so be careful.  Resellers can be decent, but for the most part they are operating on thin margin, and don’t have the capital requirements of a normal registar.  Often you can just find out who they are reselling names for (godaddy and enom both have reseller programs) and become your own ‘reseller’.   Resellers come in good (enom reseller) and bad bad flavors, but in general I’d avoid them.

Are they a cookie-cutter registrar using DirectI interface? DirectI provides ‘registrar in a box’ type of functionality that many “in-it-for-the-drops” registrars used. I think it’s a great service, but I put their customers into the same category as website owners who use a yahoo store — there is nothing fundamentally wrong with them, but although I’d be willing to buy an inkjet cartridge from them, I’m not likely to want them to hold my assets.

Are they mainly in the business of reselling drop catching?   Most registrars are registrars simply so they have more ‘threads’ — connections to the main database for registering domains.  This helps them register domains as they expire, and resell them.   The founders of Moniker, for example, started 11 other registrars. Why?  Threads.    Typically a registrar in business just to catch drops is not going to provide much customer service, or help you transfer your domains out (Moniker is the exception in this case, I keep some names there).

If you are the suspicious cloak and dagger type, you may also want to consider who partners with your registrar.   If you are trying to hide who owns the registrar for SEO purposes (don’t bother).

Most registrars allow you to create an account before actually registering a domain.  I recommend you do this, and look around.  Can you easily find your ‘auth-info’, or do they make it difficult to transfer domains out.

I register domains for several different companies, so I like to have some flexibility in whois data.   My clients generally don’t like it if I accidentally put THEIR name using my WHOIS data… so that is another thing to look out for.

Recently, Kentucky has started to claim domain names that operate legally everywhere else.  So avoid Kentucky registrars whenever possible. Much like parking your money, you could opt to choose a registrar based in another country. Ultimately, you are still susceptable to reverse domain hijacking.

What we need is a registrar that is on our side.   Good luck with that.

This post originated at the Online Marketer blog, home to marketing consultant John Coronella.