Should hosting companies also register domains?

Should Hosting Companies also register domains?

  • Yes, of course

    Votes: 11 84.6%

  • No, of course not

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • Total voters
    13
I vote yes....

In order for you to need hosting, you need to register a domain name.... try doing that on any site without the option to add hosting to your cart.... there, you have just lost a client.
Although with the crazy amount or reseller accounts out there, I can see the rip off rate being high, I too have seen the free domain remain with the host at the termination of your hosting!
I am bound by contract with both Enon and DirectI to NOT impede the transfer of any name by any client unless the name has NOT been paid for.
I wouldnt do it anyother way either.... like any relationship, when it is over I want to make a clean break!
 
Do you use the Reseller Club interface for DirectI? Or some other method?

Jeff
 
Nexxterra.com said:
In order for you to need hosting, you need to register a domain name.... try doing that on any site without the option to add hosting to your cart.... there, you have just lost a client.
Click to expand...

The reseller interface provided by my registrar does not have the option for hosting unless I tell it to.
 
Nor do mine, nor do Nexxterra.com's.

This thread has come down to a disconnect on what we mean when we say we register domains. Most of us (possibly all of us who write here) are NOT registrars; when we say we register domains, we mean we resell registrations.

The distinction is real, but as long as we're using a control panel, as are the three of us, Floyd, Nexxterra.com, and I (and probably a lot of others), and as long as the user puts in his own information, I'm not sure it's important.

Jeff
 
Actually what I do is send them to the other web site with my affiliate id. The affiliate id tells the site what to show to that customer. They also deal directly with the registrar on any issues that come up. I am also not put at risk for any fraud orders. It would take a lot of legit orders to cover one chargeback.
 
You (and others) choose to use an affiliate program; we (and others) choose to use a reseller program.

I didn't know there were any affiliate programs out there that let you choose which products you want to be offered. Care to give up the registrar name? (I'll understand if you don't :))

Jeff
 
Wild West Domains. I think they are resellers for Godaddy.
 
They're a division of GoDaddy. We never liked their reseller program because they don't disclose the full price in their large print (they have that extra 18c fee that all the other resellers seem to roll into the final price).

Yes, they do allow you to select products, but I see them as a typical reseller account, not an affiliate. Perhaps I misunderstood your post.

At one time they used to have wholesale prices based on your selling price so if you changed your selling price your cost changed. Do they still do that?

I just clicked on the link on your site. It appears you've got a regular reseller account but identify yourself as a Wild West Domains Reseller. I suppose we could do that with our Domain Registration account here, but we choose to not do that.

Yes, they do handle support. However my recollection is that they'll never tell your customer that they're Wild West Domains; that they advertise specifically that they don't do that.

Yes, they accept credit cards in a generic name (as does Dotster, another reseller account we use.). And Dotster will support in our name as well.

We've made the decision that we provide support to our clients; I'd rather do that than have another company offer it in our name. I've also made the decision to accept credit cards in our name.

Yes, that gives us some risk. But we can cancel domain registrations (I forget how many days we have) and get a refund, and in any event, our retail pricing is high enough so we can absorb some loss. Our reseller accounts (so our clients, who afterall are mostly either hosting companies or server management clients, can sell domains) require a small advance deposit, so we know we have good funds before we sell the domains.

Yes, plenty of differences, plenty of options. That's a good thing. I used to be in contact with a gent who makes a living entirely from a Wild West domains account, but he's a specialist in SEO; his main page leads to his WWD-prepared page.

Jeff
 
I don't like them all that much either. I am always looking for new deals. But for now they seem to allow me the most profit and least amount of risk.

The call me a Pro Reseller. But I am using their interface. They handle the transaction. I only dictate what products to sell and the price points.

To me the difference in reseller and affiliate is a matter of who handles the transaction. This area gets a little gray I guess. To me a reseller handles the transaction and provides support.

I would like to know who are best registrars with reseller/affiliate programs and why. I would like to know the pros and cons of each and general price points. I am not asking for anybody to give up their specific price point.

Should that be another thread?
 
floyd said:
Should that be another thread?
Click to expand...
This thread works for me :).

I may need to bow out of specifics though, since we offer good (great?:)) deals on Domain reseller accounts, but I can't mention them here since it's not DirectAdmin specific.

Jeff
 
We use Enom, and have been happy with them. Actually we have a client who hosts a few sites with us that uses OpenSRS, and he's had all sorts of issues with the API and WorldPay etc etc. We've had none.

Clients know that they are getting a domain from Enom, because the order information says so, the receipt says so, the login to manage the domain says so.

However, we are a "reseller" - and clients buy the domain (pay us) and we pay Enom.

I'm not to fussed about profit when it comes to domains - so long as we're not making a loss! It's the other services that we sell around the domain that makes us money.
 
a lost leader...

As I said earlier I use the domain registration to keep the user on my site, I have recently upgraded the levels in my reseller accounts because in July the price of domains will raise again, I will continue to stay with my 9.99 price, and I will make about a dollar after transaction costs, I will probably absorb the next price increase too, it is the hosting dollar I desire, a few bucks per year for a name just doesnt excite me.
 
I don't want this to turn into any kind of price war so hopefully we can continue this without it looking like advertisements for ourselves.

WWD does offer an API so clients can stay at the hosting company's site. However I just don't have time to program for that. The link on my site opens a new page so they technically have not left my site.

With WWD Pro Reseller the cost per domain is $7.77 which includes the extra fees. So if you set your price point at $9.99 then you have made $2.22 per domain.

Basically what I was asking for is what registrars have the best pricing and low risk and easy setup. Who are you happy with?

I have been thinking about switching to another registrar because WHMCS has domain registration built in but not with WWD. I was thinking using the built in system I may be able to make more sales even if the profit margin is not as great.

Here is a list that whmcs supports http://wiki.whmcs.com/Domain_Registrars I have been looking at netearthone. Anybody else have any recommendations on that list?
 
It's only a price war if we're advretising our own selling price to resellers. Which is why I haven't posted my own selling price to resellers. You'll have to write privately and ask for it.

Notes:

We're not a registrar; we're a reseller who can set up sub-resellers.

Our reseller accounts ARE compatible with WHMCS; we use the Logic Boxes system, the same system used by Reseller Club and NetEarth One (both of whom are registrars)

All our resellers know how to reach our Registrars if we disappear (though we don't intend to)

We can usually do the same price points as Logic Boxes based registrars at much lower deposit levels.

We give 24/7 telephone service.

We don't make enough on reseller domain registration to not raise prices when the costs go up.

Two specific issues with WWD:

1) Unless they've changed, they charge an annual fee. If they no longer charge the fee, feel free to correct me.

2) They haven't raised their price yet. On july 1st 2010 the prices at Verisign (the registry) go up:
.com by 48 cents, and .net by .42 cents. My guess is that the registry will raise their price every year as allowed by their contract with ICANN; if they don't they get in trouble with their stockholders.

Here's what domainnamenews.com said back in 2008 the first time the price went up:
This news comes as no surprise as the ICANN and Verisign revised agreement allows for Verisign to raise rates by 7% every year of their new contract and grants them a presumptive renewal of that contract. It’s interesting how the cost of every other technological commodity such as bandwidth and server space has decreased in price, yet Verisign somehow can increase it’s prices.

Domain Name News advice – buy Verisign stock. ;) and renew your domains before [July].
Click to expand...

Jeff
 
The WHOIS...

As a reseller for 2 companies, the whois for the registered domains comes back in the clients name and the actual registrar, I can set myself up as the default admin or tech if I wish, however, the default whois info removes me totally.
The client will naturally assume he has registered it through us, and we will provide total service.... if we disapear... it would continue to be seamless.
As for a price war... I was just stating that to compete without losing money is my only goal... your calculations of 2.22 per domain are prior to the impending increase and sans the trans action fee and %% charged by your processor.
 
Nexxterra.com said:
your calculations of 2.22 per domain are prior to the impending increase
Click to expand...

Correct.

Nexxterra.com said:
and sans the trans action fee and %% charged by your processor.
Click to expand...

Incorrect. WWD pays the processor and I already included any other fees. WWD deposits the funds into my account. I do not collect anything from the customer and therefore do not pay any processor charges.

In my research I have found WWD to have the best deal if only considering profit margin. I realize there are factors to consider. WWD does require a signup fee.

I am looking for a better deal if one exists.
 
Give WHMCS a try...

They offer a free sub reseller account for you as a user of their software, you do not have a min buy in.
prices are a buck higher, but works with the WHMCS seamlessly, they also offer Enom in a similar way.
 
Nexxterra.com said:
They offer a free sub reseller account for you as a user of their software, you do not have a min buy in.
Click to expand...
A sub-reseller account with whom, besides Enom?
prices are a buck higher, but works with the WHMCS seamlessly, they also offer Enom in a similar way.
Click to expand...
A dollar is a lot of money in the domain registration business. If you're competing on service, it works, but if you're competing on price, and you make more than pennies, you'll be too high. We make pennies on our reseller accounts; that's why it's important it be automated as much as possible.

For those of you using companies using the Logic Boxes platform, you pay the percentage when you deposit the funds (we charge exactly what PayPal charges others; others may charge differently), taken off your deposit. And Logic Boxes-powered systems don't charge the ICANN fee separately; what you see is what you pay.

Jeff
 
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