First off Id like to apologize if I picked the wrong category for this....I couldnt decide if it was better suited here or in Running a Webhosting Business.

What are you guys charging your customers to register a domain through you? Im aware EV1 is charging 6.49, and Godaddy is charging 8.95...but how are you passing these prices along to your customers, and what sort of profit should you be making off domains?

Originally posted by Gavin Miller
What are you guys charging your customers to register a domain through you? Im aware EV1 is charging 6.49, and Godaddy is charging 8.95...but how are you passing these prices along to your customers, and what sort of profit should you be making off domains?
When you say "passing these prices" I almost shudder at the thought that someone would register and keep domains for customers in a retail account at GoDaddy or EV1. It screams trouble. Possibly I am reading into this so forgive me. The answer is simple, charge whatever your niche market will support. I have a hard time at $8.50 for retail domains yet I see others that have no problem charging $15. Again, it all depends on your market.

Originally posted by acts837
When you say "passing these prices" I almost shudder at the thought that someone would register and keep domains for customers in a retail account at GoDaddy or EV1. It screams trouble. Possibly I am reading into this so forgive me. The answer is simple, charge whatever your niche market will support. I have a hard time at $8.50 for retail domains yet I see others that have no problem charging $15. Again, it all depends on your market.

If I remember right Ev1 allows you to put the domain in its own account and its not tied to billing information...it would also be in the registrants name therefore I wouldnt be the legal owner and wouldnt have my billing information tied to the account if Im correct.

Note: Im definetly looking into getting an Enom reseller account.

Edit: Id also like to mention that Im not planning on holding their domains "hostage" if they decided to drop the service etc...Im simply looking for an alternative to a reseller account that fulfills my needs currently while still giving them full control over their domain.

Originally posted by Gavin Miller
If I remember right Ev1 allows you to put the domain in its own account
OpenSRS does allow this feature but IMHO it is an administrative nightmare. I have messed with several control panels and of them all OpenSRS is my least favorite followed by Dotster then Directi.

$20 - $25 per year of registration. We cater to the small to medium sized business market, and handle a few thousand domains. Our clients like one stop shopping, and the fact that we make sure their domains do not lapse or have any problems with nameservers, etc...

- John C.

£20 -£30 ( $35 - $50 approx) per domain year is average, cheaper if they use an automated signup.

Like John we stay well away from the cheap side of the marketplace

We charge a clean $10 for annual registration and transfers. Using eNom it works out pretty well.

Though it's hard to sell a domain for $10 when stinking GoDaddy has clearance sales!

If you have a loyal base of clients I see no reason why charging upwards of 10 to 15 would not be possible

What happened if a company were to offfer 'one stop' shopping ie domain reg. and hosting but 3 months into the hosting, they decided to leave and take their domain along?

Let say you charged $15 for a domain you got off godaddy for $9 and they want to move so you have to change all the admin, tech etc details to their name. How would you explain to them that your new registrar will actually charge you almost half the price i was charging you? or do you not have to tell them at all?

Originally posted by rois
What happened if a company were to offfer 'one stop' shopping ie domain reg. and hosting but 3 months into the hosting, they decided to leave and take their domain along?

Let say you charged $15 for a domain you got off godaddy for $9 and they want to move so you have to change all the admin, tech etc details to their name. How would you explain to them that your new registrar will actually charge you almost half the price i was charging you? or do you not have to tell them at all?

Why do you have to apologise to someone for having a profitable business?

I have a client that has moved 120 domains from a cheap registrar to me, paying 3 times the price he was, I have dozens of smaller customers that have done the same - it works both ways.

Stop worrying about what someone else is doing and carve out your own niche

Sorry Goldwing, I might have have phrased it wrongly :)

What I meant is:

ABC hosting company decided to offer client a one stop shopping. Thus providing hosting/domains/design.

Design have been completed, domain have been registered and hosting has been setup.

3 months down the line, the client found a cheaper hosting and wants to move. That is fine as hosting is paid monthly, design is a one off fee. But the domain, because its a one stop shopping, was registered by ABC and had all their details in there as client does not want to bother will all the IT stuff.

Design can be moved. Hosting account can be closed off. But the domain was reg with a company that charged eg $8. And ABC charged client $25. Does ABC then still offer to admin the domain or pass it to the client? if client asked for the domain to be passed over to him, it means next year renew fee would be $8 instead of $25.

My question is:

Wouldn't the client feels that he's been ripped off, come renewal time? Although we all know business is all about profit. And if they feel ripped off then there is a possiblity that they won't deal with ABC anymore. Should ABC say anything to the client about the charges or just change details and move one with life?

Originally posted by rois
Sorry Goldwing, I might have have phrased it wrongly :)

What I meant is:

ABC hosting company decided to offer client a one stop shopping. Thus providing hosting/domains/design.

Design have been completed, domain have been registered and hosting has been setup.

3 months down the line, the client found a cheaper hosting and wants to move. That is fine as hosting is paid monthly, design is a one off fee. But the domain, because its a one stop shopping, was registered by ABC and had all their details in there as client does not want to bother will all the IT stuff.

Design can be moved. Hosting account can be closed off. But the domain was reg with a company that charged eg $8. And ABC charged client $25. Does ABC then still offer to admin the domain or pass it to the client? if client asked for the domain to be passed over to him, it means next year renew fee would be $8 instead of $25.

My question is:

Wouldn't the client feels that he's been ripped off, come renewal time? Although we all know business is all about profit. And if they feel ripped off then there is a possiblity that they won't deal with ABC anymore. Should ABC say anything to the client about the charges or just change details and move one with life?

Firstly, you should never ever have the domain registered in anything but the clients name - he has paid for it afterall, there is significant problems by doing so.

Secondly if he is transferring the hosting then likely he is transferring the domain as well so you just let the domain go - ta ta see you, you have got $25 for a domain the client has had to action a transfer out or requested a push to another account why would you be at all worried about what he has paid you compared to what he is now paying you will never see him again.

If on the otherhand he wants to keep the domain with you, then you charge him another $25 next year

You have no obligation to justify your costs to a lost client so yes just action the request and move on.

$10-$15 with very good customer service i'd say good.

overall it all depends on your market some ppl still sell them at $100/2yrs and its piece of cake for them