Purchasing a domain name is an exciting thing for a new business, but there’s much more to it than simply finding the ideal name. Before you begin, there are a few things you ought to know.
Not all businesses who sell domains (known as domain registrars) will be the same. Some use tactics like hiding fees or promoting your data to earn more cash, which may have an enduring influence on your enterprise.
1. Look out for hidden charges
As with any purchase choice, cost can be a big element. It is easy to be tempted into purchasing a domain at a really low cost. But don’t be fooled: a few domain registrars provide promotional pricing at an extremely low price but then hide a lot of fees in the contract, lock you in, and charge high renewal prices. Generally, be aware that registrars offering rock-bottom domains may have additional, less-than-ethical techniques to make money. These strategies include:
Adding in hidden prices Many registrars rely on the fact that most individuals do not read the fine print. Before you make a domain purchase, review the Buyer’s “Terms of Service” for any questionable terms, duties, or fees. Be sure to check what the renewal rates will be, and be certain you are buying just what you need and want.
Making you cover to edit your WHOIS or RDAP listing Watch out for registrars that charge an “administration fee” when you need to edit your WHOIS or RDAP records.
Registrars will often try to “upsell” or “cross-sell” you items you don’t require. For example, they might recommend you purchase extra domain endings that are extraneous instead of helpful (for instance, .info or.Co). Or, they might provide to package your domain with a bunch of other services that you might never use.
Charging transfer charges Make sure that the “Conditions of Service” doesn’t have “transfer-out” charges for moving your domain name to another registrar. These fees could be exorbitant and they violate ICANN policy (ICANN is the non-profit corporation that oversees the use of Internet domains). Beyond the cost, a few registrars make it nearly impossible to perform a transfer, by making the transport procedure cumbersome and hard to navigate. It’s a fantastic idea to check into how easy the transfer process is before deciding upon a registrar. Protect your privacy
Unprotected data is vulnerable to being mined by spammers and scammers. Start looking for domain registrars that offer privacy protection for free. Tired of registrars that charge a premium for “privacy solutions,” particularly any who offer to place their details on these registries instead of yours, which covertly gives them possession of the domain.
3. Guard your info
Beyond failing to protect your personal data from public records, some registrars really sell your information to third parties like marketing associations. Some registrars even mine that the WHOIS database and then send false renewal invoices, getting visitors to unknowingly transfer their domains. Be certain to find a registrar that promises never to sell or misuse your client information for marketing purposes.
4. Focus on transparency
Look for registrars that offer transparency in their own pricing and clinics. By way of instance, you should be able to readily find your renewal prices, and the processes for transferring or cancelling your domain name registration. Some registrars offer cheap registration to your initial purchase, but then charge you flat-rate costs to renew your domain the following calendar year. They also might make it very difficult to cancel your order. Start looking for a registrar with upfront pricing info and terms of service to avoid surprises later on.
5. Differentiate support from sales
Some registrars don’t have support staff but instead have salespeople that are trained for you to purchase add-on services that you may not need, while pretending to supply customer support. You want a registrar that offers courteous and professional support and help, not one that sees you as a cash register they keep trying to ring.
Buying a domain name should be fun and exciting
With careful study before you opt for a domain, you can side-step some unfortunate traps and make sure your domain name — and your business–are in good hands for many years to come.
Purchasing a Domain
At Google, transparency, privacy, and security are part of our mission. Clients who utilize Google Domains get a complete package of free services, such as privacy protection, and no hidden charges. If you are seeking to compare your choices, we invite you to have a look at the Google Domains Conditions of Service.
Ready to get started using a registrar you can trust?