My “3” Go To Choices for Domain Registrars

.Those of us who design websites for a living, registering for a domain name is old hat. We’ve done it so many times we don’t think anything of it. But for those who have never done it, especially those who feel they are not tech savvy, it can be a daunting task. It needn’t be. I basically use one of 3 registrars, and my decision usually comes down to who is offering the best deal or discounts.

Sure, there are those of you who swear by this registrar or that one. But quite honestly, as far as I’m concerned, they’re all basically the same. They do what they’re supposed to do. They register your domain so you can point it to your hosting company’s nameservers. Now there are nuances between each of them. Some are easier to use. Some try a lot more upselling. Some are cheaper. But at the end of the day, you tell them where you want your domain to point and they point it there. Easy peasy.

Here is a quick breakdown of the registrars I use and why.

Name Silo

This is my new preferred registrar choice when I can’t find a deal at the other ones. On a day-to-day basis, this one is the cheapest (and you can use the coupon code DiviDudeWeb16 to take an extra $1.00 off … hey, every buck counts, right?). It comes with free WHOIS privacy (but be sure to toggle down the box when registering to get it).  Get one of the lowest prices in domain registering here.

Typical cost for a .com domain: $8.99 (other extensions vary in price)

Name Cheap

The word “cheap” is in the title, so one would expect it to be inexpensive. And it is. Not quite as cheap as Name Silo, but pretty decent. Before I started using Name Silo, Name Cheap was my go to registrar. I still have more personal and client domains registered with them than any other registrar, and when it comes time to renew them I will probably stay with them (doesn’t seem worth the hassle of transferring them off to save a buck or two).  It comes with free WHOIS privacy.  Get one of the top, easiest to use domain registrars here.

Typical cost for a .com domain: $10.98 (other extensions vary in price)

Go Daddy

They are by far the most famous of all registrars. Tasteless SuperBowl commercials for a number of years will do that for you. So will videos of Big Game Hunting (you know, elephants). I very rarely use them, but still have clients who do. You can usually find a good deal with them for first time registrations, but it seems like the constant upselling on the site gets really tiresome. Plus, I have a difficult time navigating the admin section. If I register a client on GoDaddy, I seem to transfer them off the next time it’s time to renew. But hey, some people want to go with the biggest or most famous, and who am I to argue with them. They are a rock steady registrar and every domain I’ve ever registered on them (even my clients’ current ones) have always been correctly configured. So there’s that. They offer WHOIS privacy for an extra $7.99 to $9.99 per year.

Typical cost for a .com domain: $14.99 ($11.99 first year) (other extensions vary in price)