One of the first steps in launching a website is finding a reliable domain and website hosting provider. There are plenty of service providers in the market offering a wide range of deals. However, no matter how good the deal appears, you should very carefully consider which domain registrar works best for you.
Here are some common tricks to watch out for when choosing a domain registrar for your website. We will also share the common tactics used by cheap domain registrars and how to avoid them.
Common Tactics Used By Cheap Domain Registrars
1. Hidden Cost
One of the most common tactics used by cheap domain registrars is offering really low prices at the time of onboarding for the first year and then charging you higher for the subsequent years via auto-renewals. The unreliable domain registrars adopt this tactic to lure customers in with cheap pricing.
In fact, there are instances where such providers charge almost two or three times higher than your initial fee when you try switching to a different domain registrar.
Most of the time, the pricing terms and conditions are mentioned in your contract in tiny scripts so that people will overlook them.
2. Price Hike After Initial Discounts
Before you sign up with a domain registrar because of the attractive deals they are offering, make sure to enquire or read about how long the discounted price will last. Many domain registrars offer high discounts in the initial year only to spike up the prices in the following years.
Getting into a multi-year contract with such a registrar can become a tussle because you will be stuck in an annual cycle of high payments. Thus, always be careful when signing a contract. Go for a multi-year contract only when you are assured that they are the best domain registrars.
3. High Cost for WHOIS Privacy
WHOIS is an online database available to the public where people can search for information about any individual or business. All new domain names have to be registered on WHOIS.
Note that, it is a common practice to avoid making all your business or personal information public by paying a small fee to your domain provider. Cheap domain registrars take advantage of this practice and charge you heavily to keep your data private.
4. Upselling
Upselling is hyping your customers up into buying unnecessary services to extract more money from them. Many cheap domain registrars keep their joining fee low but extract a hefty amount out of you by adding unnecessary services like premium email hosting, SSL services, website builders and more.
Some domain name providers also insist that you must buy your domain and hosting services from the same provider, which is not always helful. They upsell services to you just to make more money out of you.
Qualities to look for in the Best Domain Name Registrars
- No Hidden Fees: They stay very transparent about their payment structure and all the costs associated with attaining a domain.
- Privacy Features: They will either not charge you anything or ask a very nominal price to keep your personal information private.
- Upfront Payments: You can start using your domain name as soon as your first instalment clears out.
- Customer Support: A good domain registrar will have a good tech team to assist you whenever you have payment issues without charging you additional fees.
Conclusion
Everyone wants a good price, but falling for such sneaky traps will only cost your business more. Always be careful when choosing your domain registras. It will go a long way toward providing you with a growing online presence without any unnecessary hurdles.
