Directory >> Registrars
A registrar generally takes the form of a website where you can create a domain name and renew it for as long as you want to keep it.
In the domain name registration market, all registrars market the same product. Given this and the low level of barriers to entry, the activity does not allow for significant profits. For these reasons, most players have a broader range of services, especially web hosting.
The 2010s have been marked by a strong movement of consolidation, initiated by large companies and financial groups like GoDaddy, Tucows, or CentralNIC (now Team Internet). The business model of the acquirers consists of achieving economies of scale through acquisitions, mergers, and consolidations . Some choose to focus on marketing and window dressing, selling the companies at a profit to other funds or to larger players. Others focus on profitability, increasing the prices of the services and reducing the costs.
In terms of customer service, the consequences are generally negative; however communication and storytelling actions have quicker and stronger effects than the market's awareness of the decline in service quality. An example of how marketing and brand recognition often outweighs service quality in the domain name industry is that leading groups like GoDaddy, Newfold Digital, and Tucows arguably offer less value for money than smaller providers such as Dynadot and NameSilo.
Godaddy
Registrars generally operate with a limited geographic scope. Most focus on specific countries or regions, aligning their services with local language, currency, regulations, and domain name extensions. All registrars with over 10 million domains under management are based in North America.
Large Asian and European Registrars mostly operate in a limited number of countries. The African and Middle East region does not count large registrars at the moment;
The major web hosting companies, CMS. Corporate registrars, Reseller Registrars and some Web3 Registrars also offer domain registration services
Anyone can set themselves up as a domain name registrar, and bad practice is rife in this sector. If you want a domain name with a generic extension, you need to make sure that the registrar you choose is ICANN-approved and is not just a reseller affiliated to an ICANN-approved registrar. ccTLDs are marketed by registrars approved by the national registry.
Depending on your needs, this or that type of registrar will be appropriate. Companies will prefer to opt for a registrar specialising in their field, taking care to distinguish between domain name hosting and website hosting, as these two professions are different. Domain name investors and website publishers will prefer the most economical registrars, among those offering an acceptable level of service.