This can be problematic because ICANN has a restriction that prevents you from moving a domain name within 60 days. So, if you make an uninformed decision, you may be stuck with it for that length of time, and you will more than likely lose any money that you spent on those services.

In one case I have a client whose new web site is finished, but we are having trouble changing the DNS to point to it. In the meantime he is stuck with a template-based site that he is not happy with, and he will lose the money that he spent on the domain name registration and a year’s worth of hosting. All of this could have been avoided.

In the second case, the client is paying double the price for hosting, and has already paid for one year of service and will now have to pay to have the site moved, and has to weigh whether or not it is even worth it at this point.

The moral of the story is: Even if you are only thinking about putting up a web site, it is worth your while to talk with one or two experienced professionals. You more than likely won’t be charged for such simple information. Hopefully you will find a better deal than you would have found on your own. Most importantly you won’t find yourself losing time and money due to an uninformed decision.

My advice is to register your domain name and hosting with separate companies. Then if you are not happy with the service of one company you won’t run into as much trouble trying to change it. I use GoDaddy for domain name registration and Lunarpages for hosting, and my clients are always happy.

Caveat emptor!

This article copyright © John Nasta 2009 – All Rights Reserved

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