All of us who have a website have gone through the process of reserving the domain name and hosting space. While some of us got the name and space as a bundle, the more adventurous ones bought the name and space from separate vendors. Many of us didn’t even know what the provider’s options were when purchasing a domain name. Domain names can be purchased directly from an ICANN authorized registrar or from an authorized registrar reseller. The reseller can be your hosting company or hardware or software provider or just about anyone. This article lists a couple of points why it might be more beneficial to buy your domain names from a reputable reseller rather than buying directly from the registrar.

Prices

Price is a primary factor in determining where you should buy the domain name. Registrars usually offer the domain name for sale at very high prices compared to resellers as they would like to discourage people from buying from them due to the additional support charge. Resellers commit a certain amount of domain sales to the registrar and therefore can get the domain names at a cheaper rate, which they can pass on to customers. Some registrars charge between $ 29- $ 40 for the a.com domain per year, while their own resellers offer the domain name for $ 9- $ 15 per year. This could mean huge savings for companies with a large number of domain names or companies that have multiple group companies.

DNS management and support

Another important feature that only domain resellers can offer is personalized support. This means that if you have a problem with your domain name setup or billing, you can contact your local reseller and get a quick resolution without going through a lengthy process. Some resellers may also offer phone support and may also provide remote setup assistance. Although changes to a domain name will rarely be required, when changing hosting providers or setting up a new domain account, you may need help with setup. DNS changes and name server settings can be considered critical support, because your entire website and related services depend on it. This means that if you incorrectly configure your domain name, your website may become inaccessible or inaccessible from some parts of the world. This can be quite detrimental if your business relies on online sales. This is an area where reseller support can be crucial.

Gifts and premium features

Some resellers offer gifts and premium features with a domain name, which others may not be able to provide. They can offer free WHOIS ID protection or even a free hosting account. Others offer an email address or even a free one page website to advertise their business before you start planning an actual website. The largest domain name providers cannot afford to give these gifts because their business model does not allow them to micromanage their customer accounts. They are more interested in selling in bulk and do not cater to the retail market per se.

Easy integration

Another important feature that a reseller can offer is easy integration. Domain names are never used in isolation and always have a service or system attached to them. These services can be anything from website hosting to email addresses or even a provider-hosted e-commerce portal. Many software and hardware vendors offer domain names as a bundle with their other services, so that the customer is not bothered setting up the domain name with those services. The provider itself integrates the domain or configures a system to easily integrate the domain name with the service with a single click. A good example would be a hosting company that pools a domain name and automatically sets up the domain name with the hosting account. This relieves the burden on the client’s shoulder of cross-linking the 2 services.

Readers should also keep in mind that buying a domain name from an unreliable or unscrupulous reseller can also cause problems and can also lead to poor service. However, these cases are rare and have many legal resources. Other than that, an important thing to remember is to be in full control of your domain name at all times.

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