A web hosting package is mostly useless without at least one domain name attached to it. Reserving and managing domains is done using a domain registrar.

Here are some issues to consider when choosing a registrar.

Registrar Accreditation

First of all, realize that all domain name registrars must be accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the non-profit, non-governmental organization that manages various aspects of the Internet. You can consult the official list of ICANN-accredited registrars if you’re not sure if a registrar is legitimate or not.

That said, a lot of registrars resell their services through “white-label” programs that allow web hosting companies and other interested parties (such as web designers) to offer domain registration services, usually with a nice price markup, without formally applying to be registrars. So in some cases it’s hard to tell who the real registrar is. Word of mouth and unbiased reviews (good look finding those!) is usually the best way to find a good registrar.

Don’t Host With A Domain Registrar

A lot of registrars offer web hosting services in addition to domain registration. They’ll offer the gamut of services, from shared hosting to virtual private server hosting to dedicated hosting, plus many additional optional features. They may offer a discount with their services if you combine them with domain name registration.

In general, though, you should avoid a registrar’s hosting services. Let’s say, for example, that a complaint is lodged with the hosting service about one of your sites. (A DMCA complaint, for example.) It’s not atypical in these situations for the hosting service to suspend your account while the issue is under investigation. If your hosting service is separate from your domain registrar, however, it is possible (and this assumes you have a backup of the site available) to open an account with a competing hosting service, recreate the site there, and then adjust the domain registration so that all your traffic gets redirected to the new site. But if your hosting service is tied to your domain registrations, chances are you won’t be allowed to change the domain registration once your account’s been suspended. Ooops. It’s kind of like the “separation of church and state” principle — keep your domain registrar and your hosting service separate whenever possible.