Did you know Elon Musk paid around $11 million for the domain tesla.com in 2016? Prior to this, they were using teslamotors.com, and this negotiation took a lot of work and almost a decade of effort.
This shows how vital a website domain name can be. A domain name creates a brand identity in the online world, so it is essential to get it from the best domain registrar to ensure reliable service and secure ownership.
Before planning for web hosting, you need to understand a few tricks used by cheap domain registrars, as it will help you save money and avoid potential headaches in the long run.
Cheap Tactics Used by Cheap Domain Provider
It is essential to understand the difference between trusted and cheap domain registrars. The names that are not trusted in the industry may offer services at a discounted rate and can compromise your security and damage your overall business image. In this section, we shall cover a few tactics used by cheap domain providers:
- Hidden charges trick
Although none of us is new to this trick, still many of us can get easily trapped in it. Let us understand ways in which cheap domain providers add hidden charges, which you must be aware of:
- Charging extra if you don’t choose the auto-renewal option (this locks you for an extended period) or you need to pay a fee to exit their service.
- Charging transfer costs to switch the domain names to another register; the process can be costly as sometimes the cost can be three times higher than the initial fee you paid for getting the domain name.
Such things happen because the cheap providers are sure that you don’t read the fine print, which may catch you off guard and be expensive.
- High cost even after a discount
Another common technique used by these cheap registers is providing discounts when buying a domain and then hijacking the price at the time of renewals.
Therefore, always enquire about the costs to renew first, even before registering it, because with cheap providers, there can be a possibility they charge you over and above in the second.
Also, not all companies have a comprehensive refund policy, so always make sure that you check all the terms and conditions beforehand.
- Add high-cost WHOIS privacy.
With WHOIS, anyone can check your info when you register a new domain. But your domain gets officially registered once you finish all the WHOIS details.
There is privacy protection provided by reputed domain providers that allows you to keep your information private.
However, cheap registers take advantage of this and charge a high price in the name of privacy protection. Remember, reputed Australian web hosting providers offer privacy for a small yearly fee per domain.
- Upselling
Some companies use upselling to make you spend more, convincing you to buy extra stuff after your initial purchase. Sneaky domain sellers might promise a cheap domain but then push various unrelated services on you.
They might suggest buying both your domain and hosting from them, but you don’t have to. While it’s convenient to have everything in one place, don’t let them pressure you into services you don’t want or need.
Conclusion
So make sure you read the agreement carefully and understand what you are signing up for, as domain registration is one of the most crucial tasks for creating a website.