How do you choose the right domain name registrar? The good news is that, for the most part, registrars are just about equal in terms of providing adequate administration of domain names. Customer service and pricing are usually the main differentiating factors.

Most registrars now provide plenty of add-on services such as web hosting, email, privacy, and marketing. Since it is rare that you will ever need to order all those different types of services, you should plan your site and get a good feel for just exactly which services you will actually need, such as SSL to handle ecommerce transactions or some of the services outlined below.

Needed Services

Registration for 1 year Domain Name .INFO US $0.79 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Sep-05-2010 1:59:27 PDT   | Watch this Item

3 pg web site, 1 yr domain registration & basic hosting US $400.00 Auction Ends: Sunday Sep-05-2010 8:04:03 PDT   | Watch this Item

Registrar.Name Perfect Domain Name Registration Usage US $49.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Sep-05-2010 20:09:59 PDT   | Watch this Item

Some registrars may support certain TLDs to a greater extent than other registrars do; Dotster has been a serious supporter of the .tel domain for example. Otherwise, here are some areas where it may make a difference which registrar you choose.

Bulk Checkers. These software programs allowing you to check the availability of a long list of potential domain names. Godaddy has a good bulk checker, but then again so do Fabulous and Moniker to name a few more.

301 redirect. The 301 permanent redirect is useful for pointing a domain to another site. This may not be a big deal if you are developing a site around the domain, but if you are parking the domain then it’s good to have choice of using either 302 or 301 redirects when needed.

Ease of Use. As highly functional as Godaddy’s software is, using the system has become quite cumbersome due to slow load times and screens with massive amounts of obtrusive advertising. Whichever registrar you pick , you should feel comfortable using that registrar’s system.

The Best Domain Name Registrar

In my case it was Godaddy. They are competitively priced, offer private registration services and 301 redirects, and a decent bulk checker. The system can be slow sometimes (usually on the weekends for me) but they have not disappointed me yet with any mistakes or anything.

JORGAR . COM - Great Domain Name US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday Sep-04-2010 23:34:01 PDT   | Watch this Item

KIWAP . COM & KEWAP . COM - Two Domain Names for Sale US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday Sep-04-2010 23:38:18 PDT   | Watch this Item

PhiladelphiaTrips.com Philadelphia Trips Domain Name US $9.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday Sep-04-2010 23:42:02 PDT   | Watch this Item

Also, in all situations there is either a reserve price or there isn’t a reserve price. The reserve price is important because it is a firm price that a buyer can accept in order to win the auction immediately.

See what you can learn about the seller. Are they receiving positive feedback from previous auctions? Where is the seller located and what is the currency for this auction?

If you do not want to deal with these multiple accounts that’s okay too, especially when you are just starting out. But if you interview any seasoned domainer, they probably have accounts set up with at least three different registrars so that they are ready to take advantage of new buying oportunities right away.

Auction Success!
If you follow these tips you should have success buying names on eBay and other auction sites. Although I haven’t bought any expensive domains this way myself, I have had success buying cheap domains and then developing them into small websites. A little extra attention to the auctions each week can be a rewarding experience for both seasoned and new domainers.