Choosing your domain registrar.

When it comes to finding a good domain registrar there are so many choices available. Many offer different features and services, some of which you may or may not need.

Most of my domains are scattered across different registrars on the web, this wasn't my intention originally, but it took a bit of time and trial and error to find a few that i was comfortable with. The majority (just over half or 50 domains) of my domains are registered with an Australian registrar, Crazy Domains. They have great customer service and technical support, and always respond promptly to any concerns i have regarding my domain names.

The rest of my domains are at GoDaddy, who i didn't originally like...but GoDaddy has grown on me in recent months. While i don't like the hard sell and having 'extras' and superfluous products pushed on me at the Checkout point, the interface for managing your domain names is really easy to use and navigate. I also find there is a lot of control given to the user (sometimes not always a good thing, but its great to have the option for the day it does come in handy). Its also really easy if you need to transfer a Domain Name to another person.

I also like the fact there are discount coupons for purchasing GoDaddy products, including domain registrations. I often find myself hunting around for 'discount codes' to punch in at the Checkout to get 10% off the purchase or a $7.00 domain registration. At least it feels like you're saving money, in reality most of the US-based Domain registrars are pretty close in price when it comes to registering a dotcom. The Australian registrars actually seem to cost more, even taking into account currency conversions etc

Here are a couple of articles comparing the big domain registrars and what they charge for their services.
http://www.regselect.com/marketshare.html
http://www.regselect.com/dotcomtable.html
http://www.2ya.com/compare.php

An important feature, some registrars are starting to offer, is a free web hosting included with your domain registration. This is often just a starter page or a mini-site (2-5 pages) but it does help you get started and off the ground, without having to use a third-party web hosting provider (eg HostGator).

GoDaddy offers a free starter page with every domain registered. If you want more than that, they do offer another free economy hosting package. Or if you need more pages/bigger hosting they have another 'free' hosting package called Free WebSite Tonight. The only catch is GoDaddy display ads at the top of your page.....so if you want something a little more professional try one of the paid hosting plans. They're pretty cheap and start at about $4.99/mth.

For more information on Web Hosting, here are a few links to review articles listing the Top 20 Web Hosts out there and a review of each. I've used both Hostgator and GoDaddy.

http://www.freehostreview.com/site/godaddy.html
http://www.freehostreview.com/site/hostgator.html
http://www.freehostreview.com/site/bluehost.html
Digg It! Add to del.icio.us Stumble This