Where to buy a domain name — the ultimate guide for small business

Ask around

Word of mouth works well for many businesses, and domain name registrars are no exception. Do you have friends and family who run businesses and have websites with similar functionality to what you want for yourself? 

• Ask who their domain name provider is and whether they are happy with the service. 
• Was it easy to purchase a domain and set it up? 
• How’s the tech support doing? Is it responsive and helpful? 
• Does the provider send clear information in plain English? Or are there way too many emails filled with tech gobbledygook? 

Once you have a few leads, check out registrars’ websites and read some reviews online. What do people say about service availability: is it close to 100%? 

Another thing to consider is technical support availability. If it’s 24/7, it doesn’t matter whether your registrar is in New Zealand or not — you can create tickets or use chat to talk to a support team member. However, consider a New Zealand-based registrar if you prefer to be in the same time zone as your provider because you’d rather call the tech support team. 

Have a look at the domain name price — is it clear how much it’ll cost to register and renew a domain name? Sometimes, you may get a significant discount for year one. Nothing is wrong with that — everyone loves a good discount! Just make sure you know how much the renewal is going to be in future years. 

Pro tip: We hope you won’t need this tip, but if you ever have a serious issue with your .nz registrar, you can contact the Domain Name Commission (DNC). The DNC team is there to help you and keep the .nz namespace trusted and secure. 

Do I need to buy anything else with my domain name?

A domain itself comes with just registration and annual renewal fees. Often, it’s possible to register a domain for several years. So, if you are confident your business is here to stay, consider securing your domain for more than a year — it’ll give you peace of mind. 

However, your registrar may offer additional services, such as locking your domain for extra security or applying privacy to your contact details. It’s up to you whether you need it, and if you do, shop around and see which registrar has the best offer. Sometimes, you may find that a different provider offers what you need as a freebie. 

Pro tip to .nz domain name holders: As an individual, you can have a privacy setting on your contact details, and hide them from WHOIS search results. But by the .nz rules, contact details can’t be hidden if you are in business. This means you don’t need to pay your registrar for the privacy setting on your .nz domain if registering it for your business. 

Are there any rules I need to follow?

The universal rule is to always provide an email address that works. It’s vital to keep access to this email because renewal notifications, validation requests, or information about policies you need to comply with will come to it. 

Other than that, each TLD has specific rules or policies you must follow. Sometimes, you need to prove you are in the country to get their domain name extension (we are looking at our neighbours across the ditch here.) Often, the rules regulate the minimum and maximum terms for domain registration, pricing, privacy settings, and more. Your registrar will let you know if you must comply with particular rules to get your domain.

It’s impossible to cover all the rules for different TLDs in one blog post — because there are so many. But as .nz is the most popular choice in New Zealand, we’ll give you some .nz policies examples:

• .nz domains are registered on a first-in-first-served basis. If the name is available, you most likely can have it.
• You don’t need to prove you are New Zealand-based to register our national domain. 
• You have to provide accurate address information and be contactable. 
• Some .nz second-level domain names can be registered only by specific people and organisations: .cri.nz | .govt.nz | .health.nz | .iwi.nz | .mil.nz | .parliament.nz. 

If you are a secret policy nerd — hey, we don’t judge; we love policies, too — the latest version of the rules for .nz domains is available on InternetNZ’s website. 

Can I buy all I need for my website from a registrar?

Some registrars specialise in domain names only. Some also offer you all the building blocks and materials for your website: web hosting, email, e-commerce, and security add-ons. 

It’s up to you whether to buy all you need for your website in one place. But it’s not uncommon to have a domain name with one provider and your hosting with another. Sometimes, you register a domain name or two when you just started figuring out your business idea, then get to the website building a few months or even years later. At that stage, you may decide to buy hosting elsewhere. That’s perfectly normal. 

However, if you are not very technical, it may be easier to have one provider for all your website needs, one tech support team to help you, and all the billing in one place. 

Will I lose my domain if I change my registrar? 

The short answer is no. Your relationship with a registrar is not "till death do us part"-type. You can switch providers if you choose, and your registrar can’t prevent you from leaving for greener pastures.

Sometimes, your new registrar, who’s receiving your domain, will ask you to pay a one-year renewal fee during the transfer. It is pretty standard practice, and you are not losing money in the process — you’ll see another year added to your domain’s paid term. 

We hope that’s helpful. Ready to register your domain? Choose a registrar that suits your needs, and get jump started (put intended!)