What should domainers look for when choosing a registrar

In the early days, Network Solutions was the only place to register domain names, each time having to shell out an outrageous $100 for two years of registration. Once the monopoly was lifted, the introduction of alternate registrars brought ample competition to the field of domain registration and prices dropped dramatically.

Today, there are hundreds of ICANN accredited registrars that cater to different TLDs, geographical regions and offering a variety of both standard features and additional perks. Although there are several large and well-known registrars that manage the majority of the domains worldwide, not all of them are necessarily suitable for domainers that differ from end-users in the sheer bulk number of registrations, renewals and transfers.

Primarily, cost appears to be a deciding factor when choosing a registrar for the basic three TLDs, com/net/org. These registrars that offer pricing very close to the fee that the Registries keep, make a small profit but attract hundreds of thousands of domain registrations, some even millions. Beware of registrars that make promotional offers below the cost of the Registry fee; by operating at a loss, they attempt to attract a large customer base, at the cost of features and quality of support.

When choosing a registrar, another important factor is their control panel or user interface and its ease of use. It should offer the ability to modify domains easily, lock/unlock them and obtain transfer (“auth”) codes without many hoops and ideally, make all these features available to bulk modifications. A good registrar should also have a streamlined method of transferring domains away from it, without hiding the process or preventing it via a maze of options.

Interface design does not seem to be the best element for the majority of registrars, that seem to cram options together and often fail to provide a comprehensive navigation throughout their menus. The best registrars, however, offer a lightweight, well-thought user interface that is easy on the eyes, contains the necessary graphics to visually separate options in sections, loads fast and maintains the same experience each time an option is accessed.

Some registrars offer specialized perks – features that set them aside from the rest of the competition. For example, some provide the user with the option to firmly lock a domain down via the use of a secret code or process, thus preventing domain theft via the standard transfer method. Others offer free WHOIS protection, email and URL forwarding or even basic web hosting. One has to weigh their needs carefully before going for these registrars that appear to offer a lot of features but lack in one specific sector: support.

And that’s the final and equally important element. When something goes wrong and you cannot access your account or a domain transfer does not seem to go through, a registrar must have in place a number of communication means, from a phone number to a support ticket system and to ensure there is a fast response to emergencies.  For registrars that are located in non-English speaking countries, such support can be crucial when dealing with a frustrated customer that needs a prompt resolution to their problems.

To summarize: Using a registrar must be a pleasant, seamless experience that offers speed, a variety of useful features for managing the entire domain portfolio easily, competitive pricing and solid support.

Currently, I recommend Fabulous.com based on my personal domain management needs.