Finding the best domain registrar is a lot like dating. Sometimes it takes experiences with other registrars to learn what is important to you. You should pick your domain registrar like you would pick your significant other. It’s not about finding your “Dream Registrar”. We all have our values, and we should find partners in business and in life who share those same values. It’s not about checking off every item on an unrealistic list – no company is going to be perfect. The key is finding a team who has your back in their utterly imperfect human-being-ness.
Would it surprise you to find yourself looking for a business partner with the same qualities as your spouse? It shouldn’t. After all, would you be with someone you couldn’t trust? No, so why should you treat your business any different? You want to work with someone you can believe. All of the best domain registrars share the same qualities. Look for indicators of trust when choosing the right registrar for you. These include transparency, self-awareness, ethical values, and security.
What is a domain registrar?
Hold up – maybe you’re wondering what a domain registrar is, and why you should care which one you pick. Every business needs a website. A domain name is a name, address, and place customers can find you online. Registrars like us at 101domain register and manage your domain portfolio. It’s our job to keep your account safe from domain name hijacking. We handle the technical side of things like processing DNS requests to ensure your domains operate precisely how you want.
Transparency
Domain registrars are the middle-man between domain Registries and customers like yourself. The best domain registrar will be open about their processes and always fight for the customer’s best interest. We believe in full transparency. You can find the prices for transfers, renewals, and new registrations on all of our product pages.
5 signs your registrar is being honest with you.
- Up-front about how long it takes to register a domain name
- Has global connections to register country domains around the world (even in places you don’t live and work)
- Proven success rate of securing domain names during new TLD launches
- Honest about pricing (gives advance notice, works to keep prices fair, no hidden fees)
- Doesn’t mishandle your domains (forget to process renewals, etc.)
Self-Awareness
It’s frustrating working (and being) with someone who can’t admit when they are wrong. Knowing when to own up to your mistakes doesn’t make you weak, it’s a sign of strength.
Customers are more likely to want to work with companies who respond with human, empathetic responses when they are at fault. We all make mistakes, but not everyone learns from them.
The best domain registrars are the ones who take responsibility when they mess up and do everything in their power to find a solution.
Does your domain registrar lookup have your back?
Unless you are a domain investor, you probably don’t want your personal information displayed for the world to see. Depending on how your who is domain registrar search is set up, some registrars publish this information publicly. Since the GDPR came into effect, we established a policy to shield our customer’s personally identifiable information by default. The best domain registrars follow this practice, while others only hide your data if it undermines GDPR.
Do you wish you had more privacy online? Here’s how to get it
Ethical Values
We talked about values a little bit earlier here. Everyone has certain quality traits that matter to them. In general, people work with companies they trust and respect. It’s difficult to support a company when you disagree with their policies and world views. If someone were infringing on your trademark or advocating hate crimes online, would you want your domain registrar to turn a blind eye? The best domain registrars do not censor the Internet but understand their responsibility and rise to the challenge with grace.
The best domain registrar 2018 – 2019
Above all else, it’s essential to choose a registrar you can trust. Even if a company was the best domain registrar in 2018, you need to make sure they’ll be around in 2019 and beyond. We saw this recently with Alpnames. A domain name registrar called Alpnames fell off the face of the Internet, leaving customers confused and stranded. ICANN has since shut them down and will be transferring all of their domains to a different registrar. In the meantime, we guarantee the customers who were left high and dry have experienced downtime and losses for their business websites.
Security
You want to feel secure in your partnership and know that your domain registrar isn’t going to disappear on you one day. Did you know 101domain has been around since 1999? That makes us an industry veteran! Not only should you pick the best domain registrar with a solid track record, but a company that shows growth as well. Have the website and emails improved over the years? Are they implementing new services and technology requested by customers? These are some of the things to consider when deciding if you are in safe hands for the long haul.
Think you’ve found “the one” for you? 101domain has the answer