I am looking at the top 3 registrar according to registratstats.com and I am just suprised how widely their prices vary.

1) GoDaddy.com - provides one year registraion for TLD for $6.99 including URL forwarding, email and whole lot of other things of question able value. Their private registration is $6.99.

2) enom.com - charges $29.95 and inclues email forwarding, URL forwarding, registrar lock and lot's of other features. They charge $8/year for private registration.

3) Network Solutions - charges $34.99 for one year of registration and you basically get nothing with it. URL forwarding is $12/year and private registration is another $9 per year.

Am I missing something here? That is a price spectrum from $14 to $56 for essential the same thing or does it just appear to be the same?

How can that be if this a competitive market. Is any of those offering more than the others? Why would anyone pay $56 to Netsol if they can have the same thing for $14 from Godaddy?

Market conditions. I know as a afct many of us not use that registrars.

NetworkSolutions have many corporate clients who can easily afford $56 a year for domain registration. Almost every big Indian company [tech and non tech] I have looked up is registered in NetworkSolutions.


You can see the kind of services offered by another high profile domain registrar: markmonitor.com. Apple is one of their clients.

I had a domain with Network Solutions a long time back, it was difficult to get it out, interface is better than GoDaddy. Big companies like to deal with big companies, they forget they were small once

Big companies like to deal with big companies, they forget they were small once

Sometimes, big companies are more serious about their long-term longevity, so they go with companies that are likely to succeed over the long term. Also, some registrars offer services that may not be apparent, or the registrars are the registrar of choice because of a long-term relationship that the domain holder's attorneys have.

MarkMonitor, for example, provides trademark infringement monitoring services. Network Solutions, being the current incarnation of the original registrar monopoly, has historical clients that include many well-established law firms with customers that can't afford to save twenty bucks to risk the possibly millions of dollars for which their web sites are responsible.

If you were Apple or GM or Xerox, would you trust your domain to a cheap name reseller? I doubt it. As a corporation, you need accountability. You're not going to save a few bucks and loose the accountability. And if you're a law firm that's responsible for safeguarding the domain(s) of your large corporate clients, you're not going to save pennies to risk millions of dollars and liability when something goes wrong.

In the early days of the Internet Network Solutions had the monopoly on GTLD domains (then only com/net/org) - they were the Registry, there were no registrars.

When the monopoly was broken up NetSol became one registrar among many, but a lot of their original customers stayed with them either because they weren't aware that there were now cheaper options, or because they didn't want the hassle of transferring, or because they felt happiest staying with a company they knew and trusted. So - Netsol are still benefiting from their previous position as the only company where one could register com/net/org.

As an aside, I am currently in the process of moving my domains from a cheap-ish registrar to a more expensive one... for two reasons: 1) the cheap registrar (Dotregistrar) has gone downhill customer service wise and 2) the more expensive registrar (Total Registrations) is in the UK so if there ever any problems we are in the same jurisdiction (and I can jump on a train to Manchester and knock on their door)

Hi!
Bottom line is this: It's a image/perception game.

I mean...think about it. let's say I want to register blahblahblah.com..ok...

How important is it to me?

People are very habitual beings. I mean..let's face it..there was a time when Network Soutions was the only show in town.

If I used Network Solutions the first time..and built a business around that domain name...and it was successful..would I use them again? Probably. See..it's not a money issue.

By going with Netowkr Solutions..you feel safer. The interface is easier to use. Etc...etc...etc.

Now...if you are poor (cough)..there is a money issue.

I registered my second domain with godaddy for near nothing..and still use them today..almost 10 years later.

I see no need to pay extra..because..I really don't have it *TO* pay. Do I think for five seconds that even if I had the extra $$$..that Network Solutions would be better? Nope. Not for five seconds.

Now...let's take a different tack..have you taken a look at those registrar agreements? Ever do a search on it..to see if a certain registrar has had a lot of complaints?

I am aware of godaddy terminating a domain for spamming. It has been some time ago..but there was a big fuss about it.

I find it hard to believe the person had current contact info with godaddy..as that is part of their job..part of their responsibility. Still..it did happen.

Who do you trust?

Bryon

2) enom.com - charges $29.95 and inclues email forwarding, URL forwarding, registrar lock and lot's of other features. They charge $8/year for private registration.
Enom has high prices so that they do not compete with their resellers. You can buy domains for $8-$9 thru Enom resellers.

I got the point about Netsol being more for business customers than private customer and hence charging more as buz customer can afford it and they have a long term reputation.

So what about the difference between Godaddy and Enom. It's still $14 versus $38. Is there any difference between going with Godaddy or Enom?

What's that thing about Enom reseller? I am actually talking about Enomcentral.com above as to my understanding enom.com is only for other domain registrar?

If you get a domain from a enom reseller will it be registered with enom or the reseller?

By Enom .. If u want a GOOD enom resellers, check here with mrzippy or in namepros.com with the main board. If u dont go to resell yourself, is better a retail, not need prefund ( and cheaper price, 8.88 instead 8.95 )

Market conditions.

Which dictate their business models.

To give one answer to your Go Daddy - eNom question, aschmid, eNom's business model appears to give emphasis to supporting their resellers. They didn't exactly win the "best registrar reseller provider" award for (how many?) years in a row for nothing.

All in all, every registrar focuses on something.

IMHO Enom NOT focuses in resellers. They have around 30 Icann acredited registrars, including the Sedice ( maybe mispelled ) of the million domains info affair, and much of enom1 ... enom3 ... etc

I have the idea they are in the tasting catching market more than resellers...

Now you know why GoDaddy is #1 in domains registered. More than twice the #2 ;)