Domain name resellers are web hosting companies that sell registered domain names for other companies who are ICANN accredited domain name registrars. Keep reading to learn more about domain name resellers, and see if domain name selling is right for you.

If you want a Web site, you have to buy a domain name registration. Without going through a domain name registrar who has been accredited through ICANN (Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers), you cannot set up a Web site online. A domain registrar makes sure that your domain name is unique, and that there are not conflicts, such as one name being attached to two different IP addresses. If you want to set up a Web site, you have to register a domain name, or you have to set up under someone else's domain name. An example of setting up under someone else's domain name is when you set up for free at a place like blogspot.com. Instead of having your own domain, yourname.com, you have something like yourname.blogspot.com. If you want your domain name, you will have to pay to register it. 

Domain name resellers

In addition to buying a domain name through a registrar, you can also get one through a reseller. A domain name reseller is someone who has is affiliated with the registrar. A reseller does not have to meet the same requirements with ICANN as a domain registrar does. Indeed, ICANN does not oversee resellers. These resellers are overseen by registrars. The registrars have an interest in making sure that resellers meet certain qualifications, though, since if something goes wrong, it is the registrar who is accountable to ICANN ultimately.

Domain name resellers work in different ways. Some resellers are approved to buy or control certain domain names from registrars. They then resell for a profit. Other domain name resellers simply get a commission each time they sell a domain name registration. Many registrars will provide hosting packages for their resellers, providing a Web site and other support, for a yearly fee. For domain resellers, this is a business expense and treated as such.  

The qualifications for becoming a domain name reseller vary according to the domain registrar. Some registrars have different programs that allow resellers to reach different levels of certification within their system. This can be an advantage for those looking to further tout their services and their relationship with the registrar. Buying from a reseller can have some advantages, in that you are often working with someone who can provide better customer service, since they are a smaller operation. You can usually get domain name registration for only a little bit more than buying direct from the domain registrar.

Business idea: Domain name reseller

For the most part, there are no special qualifications for being a domain name reseller. Some registrars may have specific requirements, but these are usually not onerous. If you want to be a domain name reseller, you can do so by setting up a site affiliated with a domain registrar. Your customers will have access to the domain name availability search, and you will be able to help the register through the registrar. You can make a tidy profit on this, as long as your prices are reasonably low. Some domain name resellers also buy up large chunks of space from a Web host and resell that as well, providing hosting and domain registration services.

Running a resell business online is a lot like being a retailer. You can buy domain names for cheap, and then resell them at a mark-up. However, you will have to be careful to maintain good business practices; many registrars will not allow you keep reselling for them.

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