Domain SALE at Dotster - $0.99 .info

I was just informed that all ".info" domains are on SALE for only $0.99 until the end of January at Dotster. Make sure you use the coupon code "99infodot".

This is a great way for new domainers to register domain names for virtually nothing!

Also, when you have a great idea but the .com is already taken, registering the .info domain is a great way to protect your idea and secure your online identity.

FeedJit is Back!

FeedJit is back!

Still a bit of a mystery, but what great customer service from Mark Maunder - FeedJit's founder and CEO. Mark noticed my post (without any contact from me), and responded very quickly and professionally.

It's great when companies really care about their products, and are so responsive to their customers.

Thanks from all FeedJit fans Mark!

Where Has FeedJit Gone?

Where has FeedJit gone?

I use this widget to display a summary of the latest visitors to the Domain Treasure Map. You'll notice that the "Recent Visitors" feed on the left side of the blog isn't working today, and the FeedJit website also seems to be down.

Hopefully this is something temporary. FeedJit is a great widget that shows how global the world's communication has become.

Where to Register Your Domains

There are hundreds of domain registrars where you can register your domains on the internet. Most of them require you to sign up for a free account, and all accept payment by credit card, and in many cases PayPal.

Obviously pricing is an important component of selecting your preferred registrar. You may not think that $2 or $3 per domain name matters, but if you start registering tens or hundreds of domains it starts to add up, especially when you have to renew them every year.

Remember, good service and comprehensive website features are equally as important as the registration prices - assuming the prices are relatively competitive. And don't assume that the more expensive registrars provide the best service. My experience is that some of the registrars providing the most aggressive pricing for domains provide the best service - especially for people who focus on the non-premium domain names.

Some of the more popular registrars include GoDaddy, Moniker, 1 & 1, Network Solutions, NameCheap, Enom, Dotster. I've summarized the prices to register a domain for 1 year at each of these popular registrars. I don't know if it's just me, but most of them make it very difficult to determine their pricing and what is included in the base prices. I've also included my opinions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each, which are based on my own biased experiences.

GoDaddy - $9.99 .com, $9.99 .net, $2.99 .info, $7.99 .us, and privacy $6.99/year. Advantages of GoDaddy include outstanding customer support, very strong management console, and inclusion of all necessary features (e.g. parking, forwarding, etc.) included for free with your domain registration. Also, if you "join" their discount club you can get .com domains for less than $7, and you can get FREE privacy for the first year when registering 5 or more domains. Go Daddy Bulk Domain Registration.

Moniker - $10.49 .com, $6.04 .net, $4.94 .info, $9.95 .us, and privacy $4.00/year. Advantages of Moniker include a stellar reputation for security from domain theft, and they allow the small domain buyer to participate in "domain tasting" which we will discuss in a later post. Disadvantages are the high prices, especially when everything is extra - like $6.00 for forwarding. They also tend to cater to the top end of the industry, including many of the "domain kings".

1 & 1 - $6.12 .com, $6.12 .net, $6.12 .info, $6.12 .us, and free privacy. This registrar is currently doing a lot of aggressive advertising for the cheapest registration fees. My conclusions are based on limited experience with this registrar, but their domain management panel is much weaker than some of the others.

Network Solutions - $9.00 .com, $9.00 .net, $9.00 .info, $9.00 .us, and privacy $9.00/year. Generally seem to cater to the high end of the market.

NameCheap - $9.29 .com, $9.29 .net, $5.88 .info, $8.88 .us, and privacy $2.88/year. Not much experience with this registrar.

Enom - $10.45 .com, $10.45 .net, $10.45 .info, $10.45 .us, and privacy $6.00/year. Again, they seem to cater to the high end of the market.

Dotster - $15.25 .com, $15.25 .net, $15.25 .info, $14.95 .us, and privacy $4.99/year. Expensive prices.

Personally, for the average person looking to register non-premium domain names I think GoDaddy is by far the best. Moniker may have some advantages if you ever get to play in the "big leagues", but GoDaddy definitely caters to everyone else. Their customer service is outstanding (trust me I used it a lot at the start), prices are the best when you consider all of the features that are included for FREE with every domain, their domain management panel is very powerful, and they are one of the biggest (if not the biggest) domain registrars in the world.




Note that the prices change quite often as this is a very competitive business. At the time of writing this article these prices are accurate for each of the recommended registrars, excluding special sales or volume discounts. Remember that these prices are just to register your domain. It will cost you approximately this much every year to renew the ownership of the domain (often there are discounts for multi-year registrations).

Some of the registrars let you park your website for free, forward the domain to another server, and even build a very basic 1 or 2 page website for free. But, if you want to build any kind of substantial website you will have to either purchase (rent) a hosting account, or set up your own web server.

Most of the bigger registrars that are mentioned also sell hosting services, and many of them also own and operate aftermarket domain auctions and marketplaces for reselling your domains.