Messages By Marlow

StopDaddy: GoDaddy Alternative

January 13th, 2010 by Scott Marlow comment category: communications, public relations, web design

My clients and I successfully registered dozens of domain names, including my own, through GoDaddy. This domain registrar is affordable, provides great customer service, and has become the go-to source to register a domain.

Unfortunately, GoDaddy’s navigation and site usability is a nightmare. And I grow tired of the constant ‘would-you-like-fries-with-that’ sales approach. Plus, I’m not a big fan of corporations with politically conservative leanings.

In 2009, the Go Daddy Group spent $538,000 on lobbying. In 2008, the Group contributed $37,200 to the Republican Party (vs. $250 to the Democratic Party). Source: OpenSecrets.org.

While I’m all for individuals making their own political choices, I do not like paying vendors to use my money to further their personal agendas.

I’ll keep looking for a truly neutral domain registrar (where’s the Working Assets progressive registrar that donates to nonprofits?). Meanwhile, clients can register new domain names at my Registry Rocket account (a service of eNom, based locally in Bellevue, Washington).

I recommend purchasing/renewing domains for two years to help with search engine optimization.

The Digital Eve listserv recently compiled some other recommended domain registrars – including:  Dotster and Hover.

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