Buying Domain Names
July 30th, 2008Someone asked about all the ins and outs of buying a domain name. Here are some of my answers to their questions.
Registrar, Registry, Registrant?
Registrant is the person who ‘owns’ the domain name. Example: Chris Wood is the registrant of the the domain name, “HANDSOMEWEB.COM.” Registrar is the company that registers the domain name. The registrar sells a domain name registrations to the public. If you want to register a domain name go to a place like Handsome Web Services. A registry is where all the domain registration information for a top level domain (like .com or .org or .cn) is managed. Registrars purchase domains to sell to you from the registries. Verisign maintains the registry for .com and .net, but you can’t register a name at Verisign, only a registrar can get a name from Verisign. Some registries do sell domains.
Are all registrars the same, and does it matter where I buy it?
No, registrars are not all the same, but most are. There have been instances where registrars went bankrupt, but other regsitrars were anxious to take over the domains. It is difficult to start up a domain registrar business in your basement (although this is easy for a hosting business).
Do I have to use my real contact information?
Yes, or you may have trouble. You must verify your contact information with your registrar annually, so you don’t want to miss their notice. But, you don’t have to use your personal email address. I use ‘noreply @ handsomeweb . com’ as my email address and filter that email into a specific folder. And yes the email address in your domain registration will be SPAMMED.
Should I buy ‘Private Registrations?’
Privacy with your registrations (like is sold at HandsomeWebServices.com) is a service provided so you don’t have to attach your own email address in the public registry. Convenient if you are registering only a few domain names. Be sure you keep up with the information you get when buying privacy.
Should I let someone else register my domain name for me?
NO, not even me. I do for several clients, but I recommend you always manage your on domain and take the time to understand how to change and transfer it. If someone registers your domain name, you will have big problems getting control of it (It may be impossible.) if you ever have a dispute with that person or if that person is hit by a bus and moves on.
There are a lot of companies that sell websites and register your domain name for you and provide hosting for you. Some make it nearly impossible to quit their service because they control your domain name. And when they do tell you how to transfer your domain name, they close your website. So, your website is down for several days.
Where do you recommend I buy domain name registrations?
Handsome Web Services, of course.
