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News Registrars Google is Selling Domain Names
News Registrars Google is Selling Domain Names | Google is Selling Domain Names |
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| Written by Bret Fausett | |
| Thursday, 19 July 2007 | |
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Thanks to a tip from a long-time reader of my icann.Blog, in January, 2005 I was able to "break" the story that Google had become an ICANN-accredited registrar. Google later told reporters who picked up on the story that it was using its registrar accreditation to gain access to registry data that would improve its search results. In February, 2005, Eileen Rodriguez, a Google spokeswoman, told the New York Times that Google had "no plans to register domains at this time." Times change. While Google has not yet started registering names to the public through its own registrar-accreditation, it has partnered with other ICANN-accredited registrars to offer domain names as part of its Google Apps services. One of the things that Google Apps allows you to do is use Google's world class GMAIL with your own domain name. You can also use Google's instant messaging service, calendaring and start page. Don't have your own domain name? Google now will set you up.
The service is easy, impressive and cheap (list of features in service offering here). It's $10/year for a new domain name registration, which includes email, calendaring and all the other Google Apps, plus each domain registration comes with a privacy/proxy service, at no additional charge, to keep your name and address out of the whois database. Right now the only two registration partners are GoDaddy and eNom.
My very unscientific survey shows that GoDaddy is getting preference in the new registration assignments -- probably because they are offering Google higher margins -- as 20 out of 20 new .COM domain name registrations in my sample test were "randomly" assigned to GoDaddy (try it yourself here). (Another possibility, suggested by a reader, is that Google is setting a cookie for the first registrar selected, in my case GoDaddy, and then repeatedly presenting that registrar. That may be, but if were Google, I'd do it my way: make them bid against each other. ;-) What is especially interesting to me is that both GoDaddy and eNom are uncutting their own retail prices through this Google offering. A new .COM registration at GoDaddy is $8.95/year, and the GoDaddy whois privacy service is a $6.99 add on . That's $5.94/year higher through GoDaddy.com...and the Google service includes GMAIL and the Google Apps bundle. Meanwhile, over at eNom, new registrations are running between $6.95-$8.95/year, depending on your subscription level, with the whois privacy service, labelled ID Protect, an $8.00/year add on. Even eNom's preferred subscribers, who are placing $6995 on account with eNom, would get more favorable pricing for a name with privacy services if they purchased the name through Google. So what's happening here? At least two registrars obviously believe the volume that Google can deliver will offset their lower prices. What's not so clear to me is whether they will be able to sustain their own, higher, retail prices in the face of this new competition, which they are enabling, from the Internet search giant. How did I find out about the new Google domain name registration service? As I was setting up this site, an ad for the service appeared in my Google Adsense feed in the right margin.
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Comments (59)
  written by Joseph, July 25, 2007  written by Editor, July 25, 2007
Thanks, Joseph. I think it's a pretty nice service, which is why I'm surprised its still floating under the radar for most users. When it catches on, which I think it will, I wonder if GoDaddy and eNom will still be happy about?
 written by Andreas Bylund, July 26, 2007
Will you be able to move the domain name later or will Google keep the name forever? That's the big questions I got in my head while reading about the privacy service. How can you be sure you're the owner if you can't check the actual owner in the whois database?
/Andreas  written by Editor, July 26, 2007
Andreas, yes, you'll be able to move the domain name. The backend providers, eNom and GoDaddy, are bound by ICANN's transfers policies, which allow you the ability to move your name from registrar to registrar. As far as not seeing your name in the whois, that's a matter of trust, so pick your registrar wisely. Both eNom and GoDaddy are reputable though, so I can't imagine you'll have a problem.
 written by Dan Names, August 23, 2007
This is really new for me. No one can beat these prices if they include privacy. But anyone know if rebill is also $10??? or is the rebill higher?
  written by caraudio, December 23, 2008
I don't believe GoDaddy and eNom's retail business seriously considers it (yet) a competitive threat.
regards Caraudio  written by ADAC, December 29, 2008
Interesting. It's now been at least a year and a half later and I had not heard this before. Obviously this is not something that Google has put much effort into.
 written by Car classifieds, January 06, 2009
This is really awesome article. does that mean they can even check private whois?
regards Matt  written by Ny Mortgage Lowest Rate, January 29, 2009
I think it's a pretty nice service, which is why I'm surprised its still floating under the radar for most users
written by Effective Presentation, January 29, 2009
While Google has not yet started registering names to the public through its own registrar-accreditation. I would considered it.
 written by Healene, January 30, 2009
Google does this to keep control on the web. Are they getting to big now?
 written by buy essay, February 11, 2009
Does Google allow users to open up the source HTML code to build their websites? Or does is disallow this, like Microsoft Office’s free website building technology?
 written by Dogs, February 13, 2009
The backend providers, eNom and GoDaddy, are bound by ICANN's transfers policies, which allow you the ability to move your name from registrar to registrar.
  written by Florida Mortgages, February 13, 2009
Thanks, Joseph! A google API service have useful to us.
 written by makeup, February 15, 2009
The backend providers, eNom and GoDaddy, are bound by ICANN's transfers policies, which allow you the ability to move your name from registrar to registrar.
written by Beauty Tips, February 15, 2009
As far as not seeing your name in the whois, that's a matter of trust, so pick your registrar wisely. Both eNom and GoDaddy are reputable though
 written by Lån penge, April 15, 2009
I guess that was just a matter of time. I wonder if domain sold by G. rank better
  written by coursework writing, April 24, 2009
does is disallow this, like Microsoft Office’s free website building technology?
 written by 70-290, April 29, 2009
Ohh... that's a great news to listen. I have become very glad to read that Google has started the selling of domain names. As Google is the world's most famous and widely used search engine so it would be a great news for people of all around the world. The price $10/year for a domain is fair enough and purchasable. Thanks Google for all the great work your are doing.
 written by Full Tilt Bonus, April 29, 2009
Any new info on .tel that you could help us with? I see some opportunities in owning them beyond using them to pomote b&m businesses, but I'd love to read more info from industry experts. How about a new topic on .tel's?
written by essay help, May 09, 2009
As Google is the world's most famous and widely used search engine so it would be a great news for people of all around the world. Thanks to google
written by dissertation writing, May 09, 2009
eNom and GoDaddy, are bound by ICANN's transfers policies, which allow you the ability to move your name from registrar to registrar.
 written by jack skellington, May 12, 2009
Google is very nice to give this wonderful facility. I like google very much. I search some time test king exams like testking 70-444, testking 70-452 and testking 70-526. It show very unique results. Without any doubt google is great search engine.
 written by tower defense, May 15, 2009
That's the big questions I got in my head while reading about the privacy service. How can you be sure you're the owner if you can't check the actual owner in the whois database?
 written by Lautsprecher, May 22, 2009
What ever they later told reporters who picked up on the story that it was using its registrar accreditation to gain access to registry data that would improve its search results. Thanks for the share.
 written by tiffany jewellery, May 25, 2009
We sold thousands of Tiffany 1837 Three Drop Circle Pendant jewelry. In Fact, there are good jewellery gifts to your love from TiffanyShop
 written by Games, May 25, 2009
I think, at least two registrars obviously believe the volume that Google can deliver will offset their lower prices.
 written by online nursing degree programs, May 30, 2009
Now, forget for a minute how I learned about "poop" names, but let's just say, the poop on poop names is very strange indeed....
written by music degree, May 30, 2009
Okay, so poop.com is registered. It's a silly little word, registered through Tucows with a private registration, and monetized with a parked page. Nothing new at all about that. You could have guessed that poop was registered.
written by psychology school, May 30, 2009
But pooop.com is registered too. Frank Schilling, who certainly knows what he's doing, has this one. Not as good as poop, but if you can't have poop, I can understanding wanting pooop
written by online history degree, May 30, 2009
Could someone have registered poop with four "o"s? Of course they have. Five"o"s too: poooop.com. Surely it ends here, right? No, not even close. You have to go all the way out to 10 "o"s to find a poop name that has not been registered. As of the time this article was written, poooooooooop.com is still available. Get it while it lasts!
written by online english degrees, May 30, 2009
Now poop names with elongated middle "o"s are certainly a strange phenomenon, but not as strange as double, triple and quadruple poop names. By this I mean that pooppoop.com is registered, as are pooppooppoop.com and pooppooppooppoop.com. If you're looking for a multiple poop name, you have to go out to quintuple poop to find one available for registration.
 written by Insurance Leads, June 04, 2009
What is especially interesting to me is that both GoDaddy and eNom are un cutting their own retail prices through this Google offering.
Regards,  written by Cobra Insurance, June 06, 2009
The optimist says this gives him lots of time to build the sweat equity that will become the foundation of his fortune -- but the contrarian in me says he just cut off his positive cash flow.
 written by Tiffany and co, June 09, 2009
great post sir..
thanks for sharing. really helped a lot here.  written by online games, June 10, 2009
Great post! The problem is that they're getting in at a time where they pay premium for the names they buy, or buy a large portfolio of crap names that they need to make sure they make at least the registration renewal per year like you mentioned.
written by club penguin, June 17, 2009
I think it's a pretty nice service, which is why I'm surprised its still floating under the radar for most users. When it catches on, which I think it will, I wonder if GoDaddy and eNom will still be happy about?
 written by Paddy Power Bingo Free Bet, June 18, 2009
I think that this site is awesome. Too right.
 written by tiffany jewellry, June 18, 2009
I apppraciate your comment ,your idea is wonderful.
wish you everything goes smoothly !  written by wireless credit card swipe machine, June 19, 2009
The backend providers, eNom and GoDaddy, are bound by ICANN's transfers policies, which allow you the ability to move your name from registrar to registrar.
 written by anu, June 20, 2009
Transfer the domain name is not easy. But we have to check the trusted websites to transfer the domain name including the money refund. I found a website http://www.tucktail.com/ where we can transfer our domain name from one host to another
 written by Tiffany Pendants, June 21, 2009 Thanks for the great widget! Going to add it to my installation next week. I've also posted about it on the BlogEngine Forums  written by Ads Company, June 22, 2009
This is really new for me. No one can beat these prices if they include privacy. Google always provides the good services to his clients. But in my opinion Google's need a good advertisements agency.
 written by tiffany jewelry, June 22, 2009
I apppraciate your comment ,your idea is wonderful.
wish you everything goes smoothly !  written by internet marketing, June 25, 2009
Yeah Google is the search engine giant and can do business in one way or an other so it doesn't matter.
written by Tiffany Pendants, June 28, 2009
I apppraciate your comment ,your idea is wonderful.
wish you everything goes smoothly !  written by best vacuums, June 30, 2009
I use search engine of Google a lot but i have not heard yet about this. Though this might be old story but for me it is new. Thanks for sharing Bret Fausett.
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 written by AirForceOnes, July 03, 2009
Right now the only two registration partners are GoDaddy and eNom. :-
I keen on what's priority might get.  Write comment
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 30 July 2007 ) |
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good! 
I don't believe GoDaddy and eNom's retail business seriously considers it (yet) a competitive threat.