Potpourri Blog

When I plan a new website, my first step if to search for good domain names for sale.  The registrars I have often gone to in the past have started to fail me. These have been GoDaddy and Namecheap.

Back in 2004, the first site I visited to buy a domain name was GoDaddy. This is the one that was most recommended then.  Since that time I have heard some horror stories about the company, like they’ll freeze your domain if you get a spam complaint, but I have not had any trouble at all.

I did buy some hosting with GoDaddy once too. I found it was a little more difficult to navigate and appeared to cater more to the folks who are interested in just one or two websites. As an Internet marketer I found their set up too limiting. But I guess that’s a bit off topic for this post. I’m focusing on where to find great domain names for sale, not hosting.

Namecheap is second a very popular registrar today, but I’m not real clear why that is so.  I have a good number of domains there right now, but I don’t think I’ll be adding to the list anymore. Mostly my disappointment with them is their interface.  It’s tougher to navigate and more limiting than GoDaddy’s.

Three complaints stand out for me.  First is that you can’t cancel a domain ahead of time if you do not choose to renew it. Instead you get a long string of emails warning you of the expiration date, and I have no idea how to stop opt out of this.

My second complaint is that if you make an error in how you spell your domain name when you make your purchase, you’re stuck with it. No exchanges, period.  Bad policy!  I’ve made a mistake a couple times, but luckily both times it was through GoDaddy and I had no problem getting it corrected the next day. 

Lastly, the “cheap” part of their name doesn’t seem to be true in the long run. I invariably use a coupon for the first purchase and you get free privacy for the first year too. But after that, forget it! I guess they spoil me and then I don’t want to start paying full price later. Now I’ve heard that Dynadot is good, too. Maybe that’s where I’ll go when I next buy a domain name.