Launched in 2000, Domain.com is well-known around the domain registration and web hosting communities. Their goal: to make it easy and affordable for you to obtain much of what you need to give your website or online store business a solid foundation.
What Is So Special About Domain.com?
Domain.com offers a slew of web-related services, including:
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- DIY site builder
- Professional website design and digital marketing services
- And, of course, domains.
With all the services Domain.com offers, we had to wonder about the quality of each. So, we took a closer look at the options to try and figure out whether Domain.com truly shines and where the company may fall short for some customers.
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Domain Name Registration
Because the domain name (or URL) is what people use to reach your website, it is important to give thought to each part of your domain name (and if you do not have a custom domain name, get one! Having one adds to the professional appearance of your business!).
Important Points to Consider While Registering a Domain
There are several things to consider when choosing and registering a domain name:
- What do you want your top-level domain name to be? Examples of top-level domains include google.com or amazon.com.
- What do you want your domain extension to be? The most commonly-used option, especially for businesses, is .com, but there are alternatives available, such as .tv or .sport.
- How do you plan on handling subpages? Will you use file-like add-ons (e.g., yourwebsite.com/subpage) or will you use subdomains (e.g., subpage.yourwebsite.com)? Generally, the former is used for a subpage, while the latter is used for a set of subpage that could, together, comprise a sub-site.
Choosing a Domain Registrar
In addition, you will want to choose your registrar carefully. Some things to look into before you click buy include:
- Company longevity — this isn’t foolproof, but it is probably not a good idea to choose a registrar that launched just yesterday
- Customer service — don’t just look at what the company promises; see if you can’t find actual reviews from actual users on their experiences with the company’s customer service and technical support teams
- Cost — there’s no such thing as a registrar with “exclusive” domains, so there’s a lot of parity when it comes to cost
Should You Register a Domain With Your Webhost or Not?
If you need to purchase a web hosting package and register a domain name, you are probably wondering if you should use the same company for both or if you should separate the two tasks.
A lot of web hosting companies bundle free domain name registration (at least for the first year) with all purchases of a new web hosting plan. This means that, overall, you will spend a bit less. You might also find that your web host will set up your domain for you in such instances.
Does Domain.com Bundle Domain Name Registration with Its Web Hosting Package?
Conversely, if your web host does not provide you with a free domain name (or if your host does not act as a domain registrar), you might go elsewhere for the best price possible. The only downside you might face in doing this is that you have to configure your domain name to point to your website yourself.
Luckily, Domain.com bundles registration with it’s web hosting. By using the coupon code “DOMFREE“, you can receive free registration of a domain name for the first year.
Domain.com Web Hosting Rundown
Domain.com offers solid web hosting and VPS plans that fit nearly every small- to mid-range user and business. Whether you run a personal blog, small business site, or mid-sized e-commerce store, there’s a plan to fit.
Shared hosting plans are pretty typical, offering the basics you’d find with most web hosting companies:
- Unlimited disk space
- Scalable bandwidth
- Unlimited sub-domains
- Drag-and-drop site builder tool
- Email hosting with anti-spam and anti-virus
- Marketing tools that include Bing and Google ad credits, a Yellow Pages listing, and toll-free number
- 1-click installation of content management system apps (like WordPress and Drupal)
- Built-in analytics
- FTP
- MySQL
- PHP5
- Perl/Python
- Choice of Linux or Windows.
Anyhow, it is worth comparing the variety of shared hosting plans, that being the most popular of package types. Let’s use the Windows plans as an example. The key differences include:
- Database limits
- FTP logins
- Email accounts
- Number of domains hosted
| Basic | Deluxe | Ultra | |
| Disk Space | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Custom scalability | Custom scalability | Custom scalability |
| FTP Logins | 5 | 25 | 50 |
| MS SQL Databases | 10 | 25 | 50 |
| Email Addresses | 100 | 250 | Unlimited |
| Pricing | $4.75/month | $7.75/month | $14.75/month |
VPS Hosting
For developers and other advanced users, the virtual private server (VPS) hosting may be the better option for you from Domain.com. VPS hosting plans come with the following
- Linux: CentOS
- PHP, Perl and Python
- Control panel (the type available depends on which plan you choose)
- Built-in analytics
- Unlimited email hosting
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- Unlimited domains
In general, VPS hosting is going to be your best bet if security, performance, and control over the backend are a top priority when purchasing web hosting and building a new website.
Domain.com Hosting Infrastructure
Domain.com’s spotlight on infrastructure and its relationship to how fast (or slow) your website loads is something to applaud.
The company notes that infrastructure is “the one thing that determines how secure, reliable, and fast your website functions” and should be the first thing anyone looks at before signing on with a host.
The transparency about infrastructure is arguably vague, although detailed enough for a good impression. Screenshot via Digital.com
When you look at how the Domain.com website is structured and how it wastes no time in getting down to the nitty-gritty technical specifications, it should come as no surprise that this is one area where the company truly shines.
Infrastructural Features To Know About
For your own peace of mind, here is the base infrastructure your Domain.com-hosted website would reside on:
- State-of-the-art data centers
- 24/7/365 security and monitoring
- Dual power grids
- Top-of-the-line routers, servers, and firewalls
- Tier 1 Gigabit and OCx connectivity
- Fully redundant – power and network
- Data backups and storage
- Earthquake-proofed equipment
- Temperature and humidity control
- Fire threat monitoring and protection.
So, if you’re looking for a no-fuss web hosting company that simplifies your web hosting options, provides transparency into what’s supporting your website, and gets straight to the point, then Domain.com might be a good fit for you.
A Quick Note About Domain Registration
You can’t talk about Domain.com without mentioning the titular service: domain registration. Prices are low and registration and setup are simple. Even if you choose not to use Domain.com for web hosting, it’s still a worthwhile choice for securing a new domain.
There is also a domain privacy upgrade available in case you’re worried about protecting your identity online. In addition, domain services come with URL forwarding, a WHOIS lookup service, and transfer lock.
Other Features to Consider
As we mentioned earlier, Domain.com offers more than just web hosting and domain registration services. Here are some of the free and premium services you might want to look into:
- G Suite
- SimpleScripts
- Professional Web Design
G Suite by Google Cloud
For an affordable price, you can get a custom business email as well as the tools you need to collaborate with your employees.
SimpleScripts
The SimpleScripts suite of apps is actually already included in Domain.com’s hosting plans. These include the content management system apps like WordPress as well as other tools for building wikis, enabling e-commerce, and more.
Simple scripts offer various categories of quick-installs. Screenshot via Digital.com
So, if you don’t buy hosting from Domain.com, but still want access to these tools at an affordable price, you can get that here.
Professional Web Design
If you’re not a programmer or designer and you want the convenience of procuring all your web-related services from one company, you might want to use Domain.com’s professional design services. The design team will create a custom-designed website for you and throw in a number of marketing tools to help keep your site running smoothly and optimized long after they’re done.
Who Should Use Domain.com Hosting?
At first glance, Domain.com appears to be no different than any other traditional web hosting company. With shared and VPS hosting plans to choose from, it covers most of what small to medium-sized businesses would need when building a website. And in terms of infrastructure reliability and security, Domain.com definitely has it.
However, there isn’t much here in the way of uptime guarantees, data backups, SSL certificates, and other traditional features and assurances that customers have come to rely on from hosting companies. Pricing may be on the cheaper side, but even that might not be enough to lure in individual bloggers or small businesses.
Website Building Tools
All Domain.com web hosting accounts come with access to a free sitebuilder. The sitebuilder includes many designs from which you can choose. Edit as much (or as little) as you would like, and launch instantaneously.
The sitebuilder comes with many designs, and though some are great, many are very simple and look somewhat dated. If you want to keep it simple, the templates may be fine for your needs. Otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere for web design.
Domain.com does not provide in-house email services, but if you would like to receive an email at an address that utilizes your custom domain, you can opt for the Gmail for Work package integration.
Setting up Gmail for Work is not a difficult task, but it is a task nonetheless. If this is something that does not interest you, there are hosts out there than bundle email services with their web hosting plans.
SSL Certificates
To secure your site and to prove to your visitors that both your website and your business are legitimate entities, you might want a private SSL certificate. Domain.com sells many different types of certificates that you can purchase along with your domain name and web hosting.
Domain.com partners with Comodo to provide SSL certificates that you then install and check to ensure that it works with your website.
Support
Support from Domain.com mostly relies on self-service user guides, a knowledgebase, and a contact form. (Domain.com does offer a Live Chat feature for your questions, however.) There also isn’t an abundance of information available on the website either, which means you’ll want to make sure you understand the details of your service agreement.
Along with live chat and a knowledgebase, you are covered, although there are no guaranteed response times. Screenshot via Digital.com
Summary and Alternatives to Domain.com
If you are looking into Domain.com, but you are not sure that this company is 100% right for you, you might consider GoDaddy or NameCheap instead.
Both companies are very similar to Domain.com in that they were (primarily) domain registrars that have grown over time to sell a variety of website-related services, including hosting. The biggest differences, however, are that NameCheap and GoDaddy offer a lot more when it comes to web hosting options, and GoDaddy offers a much more robust sitebuilder.
Enough Similarities in Both Pricing and Performance
As we have previously mentioned, domain name prices tend to be similar, so if cost is a concern, you will want to look at the pricing differences when it comes to web hosting and other add-on services you might want to have.
Our suggestion? Start working with Domain.com to secure your new custom domain and try out their hosting. If your site grows and starts to garner a high amount of traffic, you can always make a switch to their VPS plan. If you hit the cover off the ball, and hundreds of thousands are stampeding into your site, you can always switch to an enterprise-grade hosting solution.
Find Out More About Domain.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any related queries about the basics of Domain.com? Here are some to get you going.
How can I renew my domains?
It’s simple. In order to renew, you simply log in to your Domain.com account. Select an option named “DomainCentral” and choose the domains you wish to renew.
What are my restrictions with the Domain.com reseller program?
Just like any other host, Domain.com have their standard set of terms and conditions which apply to resellers. Some restrictions may be relevant to your business needs, so we highly recommend reading the small-print.
What sort of payment methods are accepted and am I notified of renewals?
Before every renewal, you receive a generous 30-day reminder so you don’t get roped in into auto renewal. They accept credit payments. Accounts are also easy to cancel by contacting the support team directly.
Is Domain.com right for you? It can be hard to decide with some much technical information coming at you. For a different perspective, check out our sister site, WhoIsHostingThis.com. In addition to an expert review and the answers to frequently asked questions, you’ll find reviews from dozens of actual Domain.com users. They’ll give you the straight scoop on hosting with Domain.com.