Register.com

Overview

Register.com is like most one-stop shop domain and web hosting solutions providers that offer all the necessary services to establish an online presence: domain name, email hosting, do-it-yourself website, ecommerce, etc. It has been in business for 15 years with 2 million domain registrations under management, and is still growing. With its long track record in providing internet solutions, what makes Register.com stand out in the fiercely competitive domain and hosting industry? What service features does it have that makes it a formidable competition for hundreds of registries and web hosts competing for business?

Usability

Usability seems like a minor point when choosing a registrar and web host, but Register.com’s easy-to-use interface and control panel for domain management, with its modern and vibrant look, elevates it among registrars with unintuitive and complicated interface. Register.com’s account manager tool is one of the most user-friendly tools available. On the other hand, when using Register for hosting, usability might be a bit of an issue. Exploring menus and options which requires expanding certain functions can be bothersome and tricky to learn. In terms of usability, then, Register.com is neither the best nor is it the worst, that is, you may have had better user experience with other registrars.

Domain Privacy

Register.com offers private registration through an in-house domain protection provider called DomainDiscreet.com. A registrant’s contact information will be removed from the WHOIS public database, and will have Domain Discreet’s information in place of the user’s own. An indispensable feature for domain registration, domain privacy is usually offered by the registrar itself or they offer if through an affiliate third party privacy provider. In Register’s case, there’s a certain level of convenience to users who might have raise some concerns on their domains’ privacy in the future as it lets them go through just one support channel. Cancelling or renewing this service is relatively easier to do when the domain privacy package is offered by the registry.

Bulk Registrations and Management

Bulk registration and management at Register.com is fairly straightforward as long as you only need to register ten or fewer domain names. If more than ten are required, you have to call them which can be inconvenient for most people. Other registrars specialize in bulk and have far more advanced tools for bulk search and management, however, Register.com makes it known that they specialize in small businesses and for a small business, ten domain names will likely suffice. Despite targeting mainly small businesses, this lack of an efficient means to manage domains in bulk can be daunting even to small businesses and website owners.

Access Level and Delegating

There is a direct link to assigned users which allows the manager to assign either an administrator or a technical access level to others. Delegating is certainly made easy at Register.com.

Pricing and Coupons

Register.com is more expensive than most providers but you get what you pay for. Registering a private domain costs $11 per year which is a reasonable amount but still on the slightly high end in comparison to similar domain registrars. With private domain registration, a domain name could go as high as $49. However, their website are a bit more expensive. There are only three options and the first provides only one e-mail account for $13 per month. The other option jumps all the way up to $95 per month but it does have all the bells and whistles. There is really no middle ground for website packages at Register.com.

Customer Service

It’s important to note that Register.com targets small businesses which could help explain certain aspects of its user interface. For small businesses that want extensive support with domain management this would be a great choice. Their interface is extremely simple but provides all the necessary tools. In addition, they have a "learning center" that is above and beyond all other similar sites. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can hit up the live chat button or call their support hotline which is displayed on the site as being available 24/7.

Management Summary

One of the great things about Register.com is the Essential SSL Certificate which is affordable and covers all the basics. They also have an excellent marketing department and are well-known for the SEO offers. However, to get their best SEO services it is going to cost the user $300 per month. They also have one of the best learning centers of any domain registrar out there which provides users with up to date information and help. On the other hand Register.com lacks options for website building and hosting; there is very little that is customizable. While they would likely be willing to budge if you spoke to a customer service representative, it may not be worth the hassle. Also, it offers all the essential services related to domain and hosting but does so without actually doing particularly innovative with any of its offerings. Overall, Register.com is known for being an excellent choice for a certain segment of the domains and hosting market. It is a decent option for small businesses that appreciate support with domain management. Its capabilities are limited and its pricing structure a tad expensive, but to some it just might suffice.