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HOPE LIVES! IS THERE FINALLY AN ALTERNATIVE TO GODADDY?!!

I’m not the only one sick of GoDaddy. The ridiculous ads, the manipulations, the trickery, the failure to support the domain community at a level they’re capable of doing, GoDaddy is the top money-maker suckering in the naive masses of consumers and businesses who believe a company that places a T&A Super Bowl ad would be THE registrar to use for buying their domains. WRONG. The seductive fog that hovers over the uneducated when they see a TV commercial is a misleading mist… GoDaddy can afford to run the Super Bowl ads because they make tons of money pressuring naive customers into buying services and extra domains they really don’t need.

Funny that most the public still isn’t sure what a domain name is, but Godaddy feels showing breast-bait TV commercials will somehow “educate” the public on the value of owning a domain. Think of the good Godaddy could do for the domain industry if they spent the same amount of money on advertising that quickly explained the “appreciable marketing asset” a domain is.  Sad… but seeing this marketing game continue has inspired me to find for my readers an alternative to GoDaddy’s bloated “Mall Food Court” style registrar that I fondly call “GackPappy”.

I set out to find a registrar that I believed had a solid domain purchase system, excellent pricing, topnotch domain management services, and an obsessive desire to be a customer service-oriented registrar would be able to bring in amateur and pro domain buyers in droves.

There are many great domainer registrars out there that fit the above positive features, including Fabulous, Moniker, Name.com, DirectNic and Enom. However, one registrar stands out with a killer brand name, and  sporting a solid focus on providing the simple basics of registering a domain name, especially for the beginner. That registrar is REBEL.COM.  (and no, I don’t have any referral commissions with them).

I love this registrar because of their business model and its simplicity. In a nutshell, Rebel.com’s costs are comparable with GoDaddy, but Rebel doesn’t bog you down with pages of upsell, nor play games with you on transferring or renewing your domains. Hey! All you want to do is register a domain! You don’t need the company to bombard you with other features, items, and services during the process of buying that domain.

Back in 2004, I wrote Bob Parsons to tell him this upsell process on GoDaddy was a problem for domainers, and he answered through his assistant by asking what my solution was. I then created for GoDaddy the checkbox “I’m an expert. Please bypass these great features and send me to checkout”, which allowed domainers to click this box and get to the checkout page without suffering through inane sales pitches on multiple upsell pages. I think this checkbox still exists, but you have to look hard to find it when you’re registering a GoDaddy domain.

My point is this: DOMAIN BUYERS HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN THE CREEPILY ADVERTISED GODADDY

You can register a domain quickly and transfer your domains easily to Rebel.com. They are dedicated to doing one thing: Working to help and protect the first-time domain buyer and professional domainers in purchasing and controlling their domains.

I wanted to do an article on Rebel.com for over a year. I finally had the opportunity to have a quick chat with Dave Chiswell, the CEO of the Momentous.ca Registrar Group, which includes Rebel.com. The photo above shows Dave Chiswell on the right, and the author on the left, attempting to look as cool as possible in front of the Playboy Mansion. Later, here’s what we talked about:

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STEPHEN DOUGLAS: When was Rebel.com started, and what was your business model in light of so many other registrars to compete with?

REBEL.COM CEO – DAVE CHISWELL: In 2005, we knew we wanted to change the game. The big, consumer-based registrar had been done (GoDaddy) but the domain professional market was under-served. Domainers were acquiring names at lightning speed, but their names were registered anywhere and everywhere. A single interface, a single company that could help professionals manage their entire portfolio had yet to exist. That is what we set out to build and I dare say, we have met our goals.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: I was impressed with Rebel.com’s simple interface and focus on providing a secure and customer-service prominent system. Who was the founder of Rebel.com, and what companies, if any, is it associated with?

DAVE CHISWELL: Rebel.com is part of the Momentous.ca Corporation whose companies include several Canadian and International-based domain name registrars (Domainsatcost.ca; Namescout.com) as well as Domain Marketplace, Pool.com. In addition to its Registrar Group, Momentous.ca operates Canada’s #1 Online DVD rental company, Zip.ca. The President and Founder of Momentous.ca, Rob Hall, is a highly-recognized industry expert. In 1998, Mr. Hall founded the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the governing registry for the .CA domain extension. Prior to Momentous.ca, Hall was the founder and CEO of Echelon Internet Corp. and Internet Access Inc., and highly-successful Ottawa based ISP and was one of the principle founders of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) representing all ISP’s in Canada.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: There is obviously some expert and respected experience behind Rebel.com’s team. What are the best features of Rebel that makes it the first choice registrar to use?

DAVE CHISWELL: Simply put, our business model is focused on serving the domainer community. As the needs of this community evolve, so will our offerings. Out of the gate we delivered bulk operations, security, and portfolio tools (for example DomainMerge, and multi-tiered access to accounts) together with outstanding customer support, tailored to the customer’s specific need. Recently security continues to be a hot button so look for some new innovative offerings in that area. Also, although not a specific customer offering, the fact that we are headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, has offered our customers an additional layer of protection. We answer to the courts of Canada and have responded that way for many of our customers.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: It’s almost becoming accepted, in light of some of the U.S. court decisions on shutting down and controlling domains that our “freedom-based country” has unfortunately “caved-in” on their rulings, which has many domainers very worried, and rightly so. Being outside the jurisdiction of the hysterical inclusion of “Patriot Act” style justice is hurting our industry. Being outside this ridiculousness is a big plus for domainers if they use Rebel.com.

However, GoDaddy uses a juggernaut advertising/marketing campaign that is prevalent everywhere. Many new domainers are using Godaddy to purchase their first domain because of GoDaddy’s under $10 pricing. Is the “new domain buyer” market demographic an important one for Rebel to also consider?  It would seem that Rebel could be a great alternative for first time domainers, and even current pro domainers. Can you explain why that would be?

DAVE CHISWELL: Rebel.com is a great alternative to the first-time domainer as our pricing is below $10 per domain and our customer service staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. First time domainers would benefit from working with experienced staff that is ready, willing and able to share their knowledge and experience. We go the extra mile to ensure that our customers receive the very best service and support. We provide a registrar website that is easy to navigate and makes domain registration quick and hassle-free, and our domain management interface is easy to use. This is critical in minimizing the confusion for first-time domainers and streamlining the registration, transfer and renewal process for seasoned domainers.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: Your answer is what struck me as the biggest selling point for Rebel.com. No distractions, no crap, and excellent customer service that works hard to educate anyone needing help in domain basics, such as DNS setup, transfers, and domain renewals, is a dream for domainers. Does Rebel have bulk domain pricing for bringing in large amounts of domains, and can they be priced over a “term limit” or do they have to be moved all at once to receive the discount pricing?

DAVE CHISWELL: All of our volume customers have special pricing. Prices take into consideration the following:

• Portfolio size
• Portfolio make-up (.COM/.NET vs. more support-intensive TLDs (.EU, .US))
• Trademarks (as UDRPs consume valuable resources)
• Customer responsiveness (e.g. if we have to ask three to four times for a response on an issue, again it is more work for us)
• Method of payment

It is honest and transparent pricing based on a cost plus model. In addition, domains do not need to be moved all at once as we recognize that this would be an extremely costly initiative that not many would be able to undertake. Basically, our goal is to establish a symbiotic relationship with our customers. We initially establish commitment levels with our customers and over time as our customers continue to meet these commitment levels with us, we continue to refine and adjust their pricing. And it’s a system that has proven to work well for us.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: What I noticed about Rebel.com, with your customer service team, including Jason Lavigne, is that you guys bend over backward to make sure you provide the best help as quickly as anyone can expect from an online service. What are the main secondary market features and services Rebel provides, if any?

DAVE CHISWELL: None right now. We are focused on our Registrar goals. We are looking at additional services to roll out to our customer base….but frankly with PPC and auction revenues declining over the last 6-12 months, we feel lucky that we focused on our core business as we are positioned now to take advantage of the next wave of services. Bottom line is being ahead of the curve rather than behind it.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: I hope my readers focus on your answer for my “trick” question above. Rebel’s main focus is what domain owners want the most – Rebel.com’s strong domain registration/management support at every level. Now for the killer question that makes most registrar VP’s sweat:  What is Rebel’s policy on domain expiration, and how they would handle it with their customer?  (Detailed by expiry and drop process would be nice to hear, especially for Michael Berken’s Blog TheDomains.com readers.)

DAVE CHISWELL: Rebel.com is one of the only registrars to still honor the natural lifecycle of a domain. When a domain managed by Rebel.com expires, it then goes through the renewal grace period during which the owner can renew at any time for the normal renewal fee. The renewal grace period is 45 days beginning the date the domain expires. If the domain is not renewed during the renewal grace period it is then deleted at the registry and placed into the redemption grace period which last 30 days. During this period the domain can be recovered for a recovery and renewal fee. However, what differentiates Rebel.com is that domains that fail to be renewed are not taken into internal inventory nor listed for resale via auction houses or marketplaces. Domains that are not renewed and are not recovered from the redemption grace period are deleted by the registry and first made available through the registry drop process and then made available to the general public if not acquired through the drop process.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: This is a huge selling point for many domainers. The loyalty of their registrars and how they assist them with domains that have accidentally been overlooked during the renewal process. How hard is it for a naive business owner to recover their domain that they didn’t renew because they hired some web design firm that controlled that process, and dropped the ball? A small company can be devastated when they lose the domain/s they’ve worked hard for years to build as their brand. Having a registrar like Rebel.com to cover their brand assets through their domains’ security is extremely important. This very “strength” that Rebel.com promotes can push Rebel.com to the forefront of being the best registrar because this loyalty and help for domain owners who may have been tricked by developers, and misled about the renewal process, seem to have a better chance with Rebel.com in getting justice in saving their domain. This is what we should all be about – fair play and justice for the little guy. This fact alone is enough for anyone wanting to register their domains to use Rebel.com. Your attention to the needs of the little guy, and your advanced services for the professional are topnotch.

Does Rebel plan on adding any new features or services for their customers in the future?

DAVE CHISWELL: We are constantly developing new tools for our interface and new products and services that will benefit our customers. Unfortunately I cannot discuss any current development plans at this time as we are not yet ready to announce to the domainer community what we’ve been hard at work on. But as mentioned earlier, security issues continue to be a hot topic so be on the lookout for some new, innovative offerings in that area.

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: Knowing your domain investments are secure give Rebel.com a big plus to new buyers. Where ultimately do you believe Rebel’s strengths lie?

DAVE CHISWELL: Without a doubt, the following is what REBEL.COM has to offer domain buyers:

• Our customer service team (domain name experienced and dedicated to help)
• Our product and its strength (brand new code base; leading edge; fast to adapt)
• Our commitment to the industry (we give our small account customers the same excellent service as we do for our big domain professionals)
  

STEPHEN DOUGLAS: Thanks, Dave, for enlightening my readers. I’m sure that by using Rebel.com, they’ll be able to sleep comfortably at night, knowing they are in great hands!!

DAVE CHISWELL: My pleasure, Stephen. Our dedicated team at Rebel.com is knowledgeable and ready to handle any domain registrations and transfers quickly and easily, from one to 100,000+. I look forward to helping your readers with any questions or concerns about registering and controlling their domains.

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As a final note, Successclick readers, this post isn’t just about my support of Rebel.com. I also have to represent for “whuhhhht?!!” experiences  To that affect, my hilarious run-in with Dave Chiswell while we all were exploring the Playboy Mansion on the last night of the Domainfest 09 is a great anecdote. This is my quick Playboy Mansion wrap-up report for those who weren’t there. Ouch! Check my Facebook pages in the coming weeks and this blog for more detailed, and intelligently-written article on this insightful adventure.

My wife Denise (whose inner/outer beauty blew away every single Playboy bunny and the 100+ cattle-call model/actress wannabees who flooded the event), was one of the official Domainfest photographers. She was taking photos, and after I bought an $80 Cuban cigar from the table of some very “clandestine” folks who didn’t want their photos taken (oops, we got a few, heh heh), we decided to roam around the Playboy Mansion to see what it had to offer while my wife and I puffed on this sweet handrolled ceeeegar.

We soon ran into Adam Strong and Dan Kimball, who were up to no-good, (can’t determine what that was, but just think about Dan Kimball with a couple of blonde bimbos who seemed to love his cave-man appearance, and Adam roaming around with a buddy, his high IQ, X-Man leadership abilities noticing all the “offbeat” opportunities at the Mansion one could partake if one was dumb enough).  So we were easily bamboozled by Adam, who quickly directed us to an off-the-beaten-path leading to the utility area of the Playboy Mansion “jungle”. There  were huge piles of bird cages housing some bizarre lonely-looking birds. We tried to take some photos of the weird birds, but it was too dark. I walked further to see what was around this one corner, and I spied something I can never speak of. IT WAS AMAZING, but I can’t reveal what it was. Nobody may even now, I will take this incredible vision to my grave. I’m sorry for mentioning it. I’m trying to see if those photos came out okay. If so, check out my Facebook page in a week or so.

At Adam’s direction, Denise and I walked down another path and found ourselves in front of the Playboy Mansion. There were several other domainers posing for photos, and I wasn’t immune to the lure of taking corny pics in front of the door that Hef walks out with a bevy of blonde Harvard grad students who decided that high-level education doesn’t trump a great boob job.

There were a group of domainers there, but I grabbed Dave Chiswell and we posed like weird tourists in front of the Mansion. Dave is grinning ear-to-ear, which isn’t his normal countenance, so I asked what had him so giddy. He tells me a jaw-dropping story that made me jealous. (I produced two Playboy pictorials in the 1980’s, but never met Hef, which was a goal of mine I still haven’t reached.) Well, Dave simply peered into one of the windows of the Mansion and as he was checking out the room’s decor, Hugh Hefner’s face suddenly appears in the window, staring straight into Chiswell’s face. They both jumped, Dave’s eyes met Hef’s, and Hef jumped back into the loving arms of his twin blonde bunnies. Dave quickly vacated the area, and a few minutes later, he saw Hugh and the twins pop out the front door of the Mansion into a black limousine. They drove off, and Dave was left with the story of a lifetime!  (Thanks for letting me tell it, Dave!)

The rest of our tour of the Mansion property was hosted by the magnanimous John Stiles and Evan Horowitz, who showed us secret light switch boxes, nice romantic spots, and the best camera locations for shooting the Mansion (unfortunately only applicable in the daytime). Forcing corporately-dressed domain pros like Derek Newman, Esq. to pose with affable John Stiles and myself on Hef’s tennis courts was enjoyable, because I could see on Derek’s face a touch of “wow, I feel like I’m 17 again”. Later, Evan showed me what I like best in a friend: patience and loyalty. When I forgot my expensive cigar back on the tennis courts, he asked the rest of the group to wait for me as I ran back to retrieve it. Who does that? This showed me that Evan is a guy with a good heart, and now I look forward to working with him. That was GREAT!

MORAL OF THE STORY: Take chances, and you might see Hef close up!

Stay tuned for more inside stories about DomainFest09.