It would not be wrong to say a domain name is your gateway to the World Wide Web. If you have an amazing idea for a blog or website, then you might be looking for an equally amazing domain name as well. However, for that, you will need to work with a domain name registrar.

Domain name registrars are accountable for registering domain names and managing them for different websites across the globe. Sadly, not all domain name registrars are equal in terms of services, support, and trustworthiness.

And for that reason, it is necessary that you look for a provider that has years of experience and good reputation in the market.

In this article, we have put together some tips following which you can find the right domain name provider for you. That being said, let’s take a look at those tips.

Take a Look at Pricing & Registration Period

Don’t forget to take a look at the domain name pricing. There are many domain name registrars that offer a lower price for the first year registration, however, when you will renew it you will notice a significant increase in the price.

There are many domain name providers that offer special discounts when you buy domain name for more than a year.

For example, at Hostinger you can buy a ‘.com’ domain name at the cost of $8.99 for a month when you register it for a long time. In order to check their pricing, you may visit=hostinger.com/domain-tool

With any domain name provider, you shouldn’t forget to check for additional fees for domain renewal, domain transfer, etc.

Domain Transfer

Many website owners don’t know but they can move their domain names to another registrar.

Generally, you would not need to transfer your domain name right away, but in case if you are not happy with the services you are being offered by your provider, you can do this.

Keep in mind, you can’t transfer your domain name during the first 60 days of the registration. This period has been decided by ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).

Though with most domain registrars, it is easy to transfer domain names without any additional charges, some may make it complicated or charge an extra fee.

Domain Expiration Policies

Remember, you can register a domain name for a specific duration. You can renew it before its expiration but if you have forgotten to do that anyone can register it. In order to prevent this situation, you should set an automatic renewal for your domain name.

It is advisable to check the expiration policy of your domain registrars even if you have set up the automatic renewal feature for a domain name.

Over the internet, you can read hundreds of horror stories of business owners who have lost their domain names just because their credit card had got expired before the renewal date and their registrar didn’t provide grace period. Such incidents make it more important to choose the right domain name registrar.

Add-on Services

You should also review other services offered by your domain name registrar even if you don’t need those services right now. These add-on services can be domain parking, domain name privacy, extended expiration protection, etc.

Things you should watch out when choosing a domain name registrar

As many domain name providers are competing in the market, you will easily come across the companies offering attractive offers. But there may be some downsides of these offers.

Look for the following things when buying a domain name.

Bad User Experience

There are a few domain name providers available in the market you will often find it difficult to work with them. With such providers, you will not be able to change your domain name settings and transfer a domain to a new host easily.

You can prevent such providers by checking the reviews of domain name providers on different review websites.

Hidden Fees

This is one more thing that you need to do in advance. Check for all the possible hidden costs when choosing a domain registrar. Don’t hesitate to ask for domain renewal cost and any other service that can put additional fee.

Customer Support

No one likes to wait for support when something goes wrong with a website. Therefore, choosing a provider that offers responsive and reliable customer support should be your top priority.

Don’t forget to read reviews from past as well current customers. You may also put in a fake support request to know how fast they provide answers to your queries.

ICANN Accreditation

We doubt if you have ever thought about it before but it is crucial that the domain name registrar you choose is ICANN accredited. Though the majority of domain name providers across the world are accredited yet chances are you may encounter non-accredited ones. It may be an issue especially if you want to register top-level domain names.

It is important to know not all domain registrars can sell all domain extensions. For instance, some registrars are only allowed to sell country-specific domain name extensions such as ‘.io’, ‘.in’, etc.

Final Words

A domain name can make or break your online business. So, go for a domain name provider that is reliable and has a good reputation in the market. If you want to share your domain purchasing experience with us, we would love to hear from you.