Introduction
Cross-selling is a technique used by many registrars while ordering a new domain.
Additional not-registration-specific services are promoted, although none of them are required in order to register the domain.
In addition, all these services can be ordered from any providers, i.e. not only from the registrar with which the domain is registered.
Note that some registrars may also propose free less-featured version of such servicers or a limited quantity of them.
This is no problematic to keep such free services in the order, as long you know that you can always opt for a different provider at a later stage.
Let's discover the common cross-selling services:
1. DNS services
DNS Services are mandatory in order to configure services linked to a domain, such as a website or an email address.
Most registrars offer basic DNS services for free.
In order to expedite the registration of a new domain, it is best to accept the default nameservers provided by the registrar.
Doing so has also the advantage to comply with a few registries who verifies during the registration of a new domain that it is already present on the nameservers.
After the registration, you are free to attach other nameservers to your domain if required.
When ordering a transfer of a domain with configured services, always specify already-configured nameservers in order to avoid any interruption of service.
If you need to use new nameservers, the domain must be configured on them before ordering the transfer.
DNS services are extensively covered in these DNS services guides:
2. SSL certificates
SSL Certificates allow to encrypt the traffic between a site and the visitors. In short, the connection is secured.
A SSL Certificate is not mandatory, although not having one is clearly highlighted in many browsers. This could lead your visitor felling unconfident, even if your site does not handle any sensitive data.
SSL certificates are issued by certification authorities. A popular website offering certificates from the Comodo authority at competitive prices is SSLs.com .
They all cost money, except the certificates issue by Let's Encrypt, an open certificate authority. More details on the Let's Encrypt website.
Some registrars offer a free SSL certificate along with a domain registration.
It's often a Let's Encrypt certificate, so don't consider this as an attractive offer as it is free anyway.
3. Web hosting
The creation of a website is easiest with the use of a website builder. Popular builders are Wix and WordPress.
The publication of a website requires an web hosting plan. It acts as a online container where you can drop all the website assets (html files, image files, etc.). It is also accessible using an IP address, which is used to bind your domain to the container.
Some registrars offer a basic free plan along with a domain registration. It allows to publish a simple website.
In addition to an hosting plan, website builders allow you to create a website more easily. These builders are either bundled with the hosting plan, or made available separately. Popular builders are Wix and WordPress .
Some registrars offer a basic free plan along with a domain registration. It allows to publish a simple website.
Instead of creating a website, you may also opt for redirecting visitors from the domain to a social media page for instance.
For such redirection, a web hosting plan is not required. This guide will describe this configuration in more details.
4. Email hosting
This service allows to create one or multiple email addresses.
A mailbox is attached to each email address. This means that all emails sent to an email address are kept together in a separate mailbox on a remote server.
You can directly access them using a mail client. Your provider will give you with the details for such access: user, password, incoming mail server, port, security, etc.
Or you can decide to configure a redirection rule to another email address. Or you can do both.
Depending on the protocol specified when configurating your mail client (Outlook, Gmail, etc.), the emails are either kept online on the server or downloaded to your computer:
with the IMAP protocol: email are kept online
- with the POP protocol: emails are downloaded
Note that a webmail client is sometimes available for free. Some providers offer more advanced tools, including a calendar as well as some collaboration tools. A popular example is Google Workspace .
Some registrars offer a basic free plan along with a domain registration.
It often consists of 1 email address along with a free webmail client.
If you do not need a mailbox, you may also opt for redirecting emails from a domain's email address to an existing mailbox.
Such configuration may require an email hosting plan, but some providers offer it for free
This guide will describe this configuration in more details.