What is a domain name registrar?
Also referred to as domain name sellers and domain name providers, a domain name registrar, is a company that sells domains to individuals or companies and manages the reservation of domain names from domain registries.
Basically, they let you buy a pretty-looking, rememberable domain name for a period of time and make sure it matches up with the forgettable IP address made up of numbers.
The best domain registrars should be ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Number) accredited to ensure that they are offering legitimate services.
What are domain brokers?
Domain Registrars and sellers are not to be confused with Domain Brokers. Domain Brokers aren’t typically registrars. Their purpose is to facilitate a sale of a domain between someone who owns a domain you want to buy and yourself, looking to get a good price and profit.
You’ll find these services on websites like GoDaddy, where their brokers negotiate with domain owners to try and get you the lowest price without giving your details.
Some of the domain registrars listed above offer this service, but not all.
Does it matter which registrar I use?
It doesn’t matter which domain provider you buy your domain names from, but not all offer the same services or pricing. Cheap registrars might not provide some of the more advanced features like domain privacy and domain security when you buy a domain from them.
Even though nearly all domains sellers are ICANN accredited, it doesn’t harm to do a quick check.
Top Tip: Be sure to check out the renewal costs of domains after the initial first-year cost, as the prices tend to be quite a bit higher. It pays to shop around and read reviews of domain name providers to ensure you get the best deal for your budget now and in the future.
Can I switch domain registrars?
If you’re after a better price or have found a new domain registrar you’d like to try, then you can switch your domains to another registrar.
You’ll have to wait 60 days after you first registered, changed details on, or transferred a domain though to be able to make the switch, as your domain will be subject to an ICANN registrant lock for this period.
After this period, you’re free to transfer domains to whichever domain provider allows transfers. There’s sometimes a price to use the service.
Domain ownership and features
Once you’ve found a domain for your small business, you can purchase that domain for a time. The minimum time is 1 year, the maximum being 10 years. You are essentially making sure that you reserve the domain name and its associated domain name server address.
You can then use this domain to host a website or web application online, or you could just buy it and park it for future business ideas.
Depending on the type of domain extension your domain name has, at the time of buying a domain, some providers give you the option to add Domain Privacy Protection which hides the personal information from the public who owns the domain.
On top of that if the providers offer extra services you might be able to get:
- SSL certificates to secure a website you use with your domain
- Associated email hosting for your domain
- Premium DNS which resolves faster than standard and can have build in DDoS protection
Pick from hundreds of domain extensions
If you’re running an online business picking the right domain extension could help build your reputation and customers.
For instance, if your business is primarily in the UK and you don’t intend for international sales, purchasing a .co.uk could bring more authority to your UK customers than a .com or .net.
Domain name extensions can also represent the kind of business you provide, like .app for applications, .info for informational websites, and .online for whatever you want to do online.
Others include: .org, .io, .in, .beer, .business, .ceo, .cheap, .christmas, .cloud , .education, .games, .jobs, .law, .movie. There are hundreds to pick from all suitable for different industries and applications.
Can I be my own domain registrar?
You can apply to ICANN to be a provider of domain names; however, it does come at a price, as ICANN charges a yearly accreditation fee of US$4,000. There are also transaction-based fees of US$0.18 per transaction.
Aside from the cost, you’ll have to pass the qualification criteria, plus there’s lots of paperwork that comes with applying to be a registrar to make sure you can provide a reliable service.
Being a reseller of domains where you sign up with an existing domain registrar and sell their products as your own at an often higher price is a more straightforward process and can be a profitable business model.
