Inexpensive Places to Register Domain Names
About a year ago if you wanted to register a domain name there
was only one place to go: "Network Solutions". For $70.00 (for
the first two years) you could register a name of your very own.
Today that's no longer the case. Now that the Internic no longer
has the stranglehold on domain registration, there are a variety
of websites that will register a domain for you with varying
prices.
One word of advice: Don't pay $70.00, but don't go with the
cheapest you can find, either. The old adage, "you get what you
pay for," rings very true here. I have been using Registrars,
which charges $60.00 for 2 years. Although I have seen
registration advertised for less, I like the nice password
protection control panel that Registrars gives you. This control
panel makes it easy for you to go in and alter the IP addresses
anytime you wish in case you switch web hosts. For more on
Registrars go to their site at http://www.merlesworld.com
k.cgi?registrars
Make sure that you read the fine print before committing to some
of the less expensive services. I have heard stories of
companies that lock you into hosting on their servers for the
first one or two years, or some other unusual demand. While I
haven't confirmed any of these tales, it always pays to be
careful.
Some other registration sites with good prices are:
http://www.budgetregister.com 14.99 per year
http://www.dnscentral.com 15.00 per year
http://www.123domains.com 13.99 per year
http://www.000domains.com 13.50 per year
http://www.domaininvestigator.com 20.00 per year
http://www.joker.com 12.00 per year
For a complete list of alternatives go to
http://www.newregistrars.com/registrars.html
If you have someone else register the name for you, like your
host, make your name is put down as the owner and administrative
contact. The only place the host's name should go is under the
"technical contact." If they set themselves up as the owner they
will then have complete control of your domain, which could be a
nightmare down the road if you ever decide to change hosts.
Trust me on this, I've seen it happen.
For help choosing a name try NameBoy http://www.nameboy.com It
works great for generating new ideas.
Registering a domain is not difficult. When you're ready to do
it, make sure you shop around and compare prices and features.
You'll be glad you did!