One of the hardest questions I get asked is “Which domain registrar is your favorite?” The reason this somewhat simple question is always so tough for me is because it really depends on what you’re looking for. For example, if pricing is your main factor and you registered COM domains then I’d tell you to find a GoDaddy coupon and register the name there (where you would probably get it for $1.99 or $4.99). If you like registering domains in a variety of different extensions then I would probably recommend DynaDot. For those wanting a user-friendly control panel that makes managing your domains easy, I’d recommend NameSilo, and that will be our focus in this blog post. NameSilo is a great registrar for several different reasons. They don’t offer lots of extensions (which is probably their biggest downside), but have affordable pricing, free WhoIs privacy, and probably best of all, a VERY simple control panel.
Performing tasks to manage your domain (such as updating nameservers, contact information, setting up redirects..etc) is quite complex at some registrars. I can sit and write an entire blog post about how to forward a domain at GoDaddy. But it’s so easy with NameSilo I can actually fit several different management tasks into just one little post. Ease-of-use is something most people don’t take into account when choosing a domain registrar. Instead, most humans think of a registrar they know or do a Google search and simply go with the cheapest one they can find. I’ve used too many registrars in my time on the internet to go that route. I’ve done the “just going to go with the cheapest option” in the past and it usually doesn’t turn out well because you will usually find some awful rules that go along with them. For instance, you will need to buy web hosting to take advantage of the offer or you will get the domain for $1, but then be charged a renewal fee a short time later rather than at the end of the registration period. That’s why I have my favorites and depending on my purpose for registering the domain, I almost always end up going with one of those. Today we’re going to focus on NameSilo and handling different domain management tasks from within the registrar. So, let’s get started!
Updating NameServers at NameSilo
Updating nameservers to park your domain or host it somewhere is a task that should take less than 5 minutes no matter where your domain is registered. Yet, at some places like GoDaddy the process can end up taking a half hour if you don’t know exactly where it is. Thankfully, at NameSilo this process only takes 4 clicks. That’s right – Just 4 clicks from start to finish!
1. The first step is to Login at NameSilo.
2. Once logged in you should be taken directly to your Account Overview page. From here, click Manage My Domains in the top right corner.
3. At this point you should be at your Domain Manager and see your domain listed. Put a check next to the domain you wish to update and click the Change Nameservers button next to ACTIONS for Selected Domains.
4. Enter your desired nameservers and press the Submit button. That’s it! In just four simple clicks you were able to quickly and successfully update your nameservers!
Forward Domains at NameSilo
This is another task that should be simple at every registrar, yet some want to make it extremely difficult. Forwarding a domain at NameSilo is just as easy as changing the nameservers and also only takes a few quick clicks!
1. The first step is to Login at NameSilo.
2. Once logged in you should be taken directly to your Account Overview page. From here, click Manage My Domains in the top right corner.
3. At this point you should be at your Domain Manager and see your domain listed. Put a check next to the domain you wish to update and click the Forward Domains button next to ACTIONS for Selected Domains.
4. Scroll down and enter the forwarding address, choose a forwarding method, and select Yes/No for path forwarding. Once done, press the Submit button. That’s it! In just four simple clicks you were also able to quickly and successfully forward your domain to another website!
Anyone using NameSilo as their preferred domain registrar should remember two specific areas – the Manage My Domains link (because this is where you will go to manage your domains) and the ACTIONS for Selected Domains section (because this is where you will do all of your management). As you can see, NameSilo makes it extremely quick and easy to everything from the two tasks above to renewing, changing contact details and much more!
