Why and how to transfer your domain?

Sometimes, it so happens that you already possess an excellent domain name, but your domain registrar is less than satisfactory. If you are in this situation, do not worry – it is easy enough to simply transfer your domain to another registrar. However, before that, you will obviously have to find out whether transferring your domain is the right thing for you to do or not.

In this guide, I have listed certain important things you need to bear in mind regarding why and how to transfer your domain name.

Why should you transfer your domain?

Although all domain registrars out there are intended for more or less the same purpose, they are all different from each other as well. Apart from their main objective of selling you names, there are also many more important things you need to consider about them, such as their reliability and the features they provide. Thus, you needn’t fret even if you are unhappy with your registrar because you’re not stuck with it. You can move to a new one anytime you want.

Things to keep in mind when considering a new registrar

When you are thinking of switching to a new registrar, you need to bear the following things in your mind:

Features

Every registrar comes with a range of services and features like email, web hosting, and privacy protection. If your present registrar does not provide all the features you require, you can consider going for a superior package offered by another registrar. Apart from comparing features, it would be best if you also observed how the services and features are implemented and priced:

Price – Is extra money being charged for the features you require or are they available as a part of the package itself?
Provider – Who is actually providing the features in question? A number of registrars provide their own services for web hosting and email, but others partner with third-party providers for this purpose.
Support – Will you have access to customer support when needed?
Ease of use – Are the features in question easy to implement? Will you have to put in manual effort, or will the registrar provide some basic tools to simplify things like domain management for you?

Price

You should examine the price structure of your domain registrar closely because all of them are different. For example, some registrars could charge extra money for arguably critical services, while others may provide the same services free of cost. Similarly, some of them could offer a smaller price for the first year but have much higher renewal rates subsequently. You should try to look for a more economically priced option in case your domain registrar is charging you significantly more than you would expect to be charged anywhere else.

However, keep in mind that you shouldn’t transfer your domain because of the price alone. After all, having a reliable domain registrar which suits your needs could be well worth the few extra bucks you spend every year on a domain name. Thus, you should analyze the pros and cons of every registrar before making a transfer.

Changing ownership

For changing the ownership of your domain – either from another person to you or vice versa – you must do a domain transfer. For example, if an employee registered your domain under a personal account, you could have it transferred to an account maintained by your business. Sometimes, you could also transfer to another registrar simultaneously while transferring ownership.

How to transfer easily and safely?

Thanks to a large number of registrars out there, transferring your domain is easier than ever. Every registrar has a different transfer process, but all of them possess some common helpful features to make sure that the transfers are secure and safe:

Authorization codes help in ensuring that you have permission to transfer your domain from one registrar to another. They are also known as transfer codes or EPP codes.
Confirmation emails ensure that your domain is being transferred to the right person. You cannot proceed with the transfer without verifying your identity.
Transfer locks prevent your domain from being transferred without you knowing about it.

Many registrars also have useful online help articles to get you acquainted with the technical details involved in a transfer.

Which Domain Provider to Choose?

I recommend these domain providers:

Google Domains: Not the cheapest but most feature-packed
Namecheap: Cheap but with slow customer support.
Hostgator: Ideal if you wish to host a website as well.
Bluehost and Bluehost India: Great customer support and very competitive pricing
IONOS: The cheapest hosting and domain provider right now (offering various promotions like $1 for a domain, $4 for a year of hosting).
porkbun: Simplest and easiest domain onboarding experience ever.