For a hosting company just starting on their feet, would you recommend them starting with the ability to sell domains?

Would you just leave it for the big guys, for the domain registration process and just worry about "hosting".

Your input is appreciated :):lovewht:

If you host websites, it will be "weird" if you don't sell domains too.
Customer will ask for that, even though majority will usually go for big names like Yahoo.

Do your recommend Enom for reselling domains? How easy is it to integrate into a website?

(I have WHM Auto Pilot)

Do your recommend Enom for reselling domains? How easy is it to integrate into a website?

(I have WHM Auto Pilot)
Yes, I highly recommend also selling domains to your customers. Most of our domain resellers are also hosting resellers or web designers, and they offer domain sales to their customers as a "value added service".

With AutoPilot, you should be able to enter your enom reseller un/pw and that's it. The software will take care of registration, etc...

If you prefer to sell domains as a "stand alone", then you can do this easily (with no need to "fill up" your account balance) by using the registry rocket system. This is a free ecommerce website (including credit card processing) that you can offer to your customers. You set your own pricing, and you upload a logo or choose a website name, and it's branded to your own business.

This is what most of our domain resellers use to sell domains, and allow their clients to manage the domains. Takes a bout 5 minutes to set up and costs you nothing. :)

You most definitely should sell domains, be aware that you're unlikely to produce a profit on it though. Once support costs and transaction fees are thrown into the mix we just about break-even and simply sell domains as a value-added service in order to reatin customers. If they go elsewhere, they may also find a better hosting deal to...think about it :)

Good explaination Laws. You really do need to offer domains, profits are minimal though.

Domains are a must. Whether they be free, charged or high-priced - they must be made available as most people like everything from the one place.

If you host websites, it will be "weird" if you don't sell domains too.
Customer will ask for that, even though majority will usually go for big names like Yahoo.

Exactly, you have to sell domains if you're selling web hosting. They go hand in hand...

The question should be - If I sell domains should I sell hosting ;). If you're in the hosting market, you need to be in the domain market, otherwise you are going to lose out on many, many clients.

We became resellers for Directi since we were able to use their API. It was too much trouble telling clients to go to GoDaddy for a domain name and then having to explain to them why Godaddy was cheaper

I resell domains for a reseller.
I make $0 profit (actually, I lose a few cents after fees incurred by merchent account slash paypal) but everyone would rather have me deal with the domain setup.

Over 90% of our customers register their domain through us. Many of them have domains that are already registered and they even transfer it to our registrar so we can handle it for them.

Thanks for the comments guys. I knew it was a common practice. I just wanted to see how many people actually offer it, and it seems like almost everyone!

Take care guys.

I currently do not have hosting and would like to ad a questions onto this thread. Do you guys feel it important to integrate domain into your site or would it still help to have a company on the side the customers can buy domains through. Like a serperate domain sales provider.

I think the other members were hinting that a customer wants everything "all in one". If they can get most of their services from one company, they most likely will.

I understand the all in one concept. But, it looks as if it would be much more cost effective for me right now to own a side company that sells domains. It would still be branded along with the hosting company but it would be on a sperate URL and website.