What to Think About When Registering Your Domain

So you’ve done it, you’ve selected your perfect domain name and the extension to go with it. It’s simple, impossible to mistake, and most importantly it’s available. Now at last you’ve arrived at the final step of the process, registering the blasted thing. Stay with us, and stay motivated, as we navigate this final obstacle. We’ll be there soon enough, promise.

Make Sure Your Registrar Is Legitimate

Now the first thing to make sure of is that you’re actually getting a legitimate registration. You don’t want to make it this far only to trip at the finish line and fall victim to a scammer.

In order to be able to register domain names with the .au extension, registrars must be accredited by the .au Domain Administration (auDA), a government endorsed not-for-profit organisation. The auDA website contains a complete list of accredited registrars, among other resources. If the registrar you're considering isn’t on that list, don’t give them your money. It’s as simple as that.

If you’re hiring an agency to take care of the process of setting up your site, they probably already have a legitimate registrar they use. If you’d feel better checking for yourself however, ask them who they use and consult the registrar list.

Keep Your Eyes Open For Hidden Fees

Now that you’ve confirmed you are actually going to get what you’re paying for, you should check you’re not going to end up paying for other things as well.

Domain names are registered yearly, and it’s common practice to register them in chunks of several years, two to five being popular. For convenience you can even set up your domain to be renewed automatically, never needing to worry about losing it to an eagle-eyed competitor. What you don’t want is a registrar who will take your five years payment but only renew your domain one year at a time, hoping to pocket the rest if you leave them early. Before signing up with a registrar be sure to ask them whether they will register your Site for the full time up front, or renew it yearly.

Also be sure to enquire about Registrar Locks, a service that protects ownership of domain names from being transferred without proper authorisation. It’s a useful service, but be sure to check if their terms and conditions allow you the option to turn it off without surprise charges.

Make Sure You’re Certain Before You Register

The last step is a simple but important one, double (or triple) check your domain is the right one before you register it. Check for typos obviously, but also be certain it’s what you want. If you’ve done your research and made an informed decision, you should be fine, but better safe than sorry. Changing and transferring domain names is possible, but it costs you time, money, and potentially Customers. Better to avoid the hassle if you can.

Congratulations! You made it to the end, the domain of your dreams is yours and yours alone. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.