One of the most convenient ways to register domains is through your host. That way, you have everything in one place. They may even give you a free domain for signing up.
But there are some definite advantages to keeping your domain registration separate from your host–somewhere like GoDaddy. If you end up having irreconcilable differences with your webhost, you may end up temporarily locked out of your account, as Cath Lawson did.
That’s unconscionable behavior on Bluehost’s part, but it does happen. In the event that you need to make a speedy exit and and a clean break from your host, it’s much easier if you don’t have to worry about your domains being registered there.
For example, Cath Lawson was locked out of her account for several days due to high traffic and poor service. If her domain had been registered through GoDaddy and she had backup files, she might have been able to restore her site within a matter of hours.
How?
First, she would have to buy hosting elsewhere–either at another shared host like LunarPages or at somewhere more expensive (and hopefully more stable) like Media Temple, or even through the Lunar Pages virtual server plan (ok, maybe not).
Once she was able to login to her new hosting site (it can take a little while to hear back), she could upload her Wordpress files, create a database and import her old one, edit wp-config.php to reflect the new database information, and then switch the domain nameservers (DNS) at GoDaddy. As soon as the DNS propogated across the internet, her site would once again be available.
Of course, most of us don’t deal with quite that level of drama from our webhosts. Nevertheless, when the time comes to make a change from one host to another, it’s simply more convenient not to have to move the domain’s registration.
If you left because of poor customer service (even if it wasn’t as bad as what Cath went through) then it’s one less thing you have to take care of before you make a clean break. It’s one less stressor. If you chose to move because your site’s needs are expanding or you found a better deal, it makes the move easier and cleaner. There are no complicated codes to enter and no complicated processes. You simply change the DNS settings where your domain is registered and voila.
How do you handle your domain’s registration? I started out registering through my host, but now I register elsewhere.
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