Signing up with a domain registrar is the first step you should take to get yourself online, whether as a personal Internet user or a commercial behemoth. But now that the Internet has become accessible, you have to choose one ICANN registrar from among dozens all over the world. If you're having trouble picking out the perfect one, here are 3 things you should be considering.

Think of Transparency

Even on the customer side, this whole business of registering domains can get pretty complicated. Just registering a single domain name takes several steps, and you may have to pay for some of them. That's why it's important for your domain registrar to be upfront about all its procedures and fees. It simply won't do for you to just get charged for one fee or another that you didn't even know existed.

It's fairly common for registrars nowadays to not print every single charge and fee on their websites. If you want to check just how honest they are with regard to what they charge you, send their customer service an email inquiry. Specific answers and clarifications are good signs, whereas vague responses usually indicate that the company is trying to hide or understate something.

Check for Customer Support

While you're sending that email inquiry, you may also want to start checking out how efficient, helpful and available the registrar's customer service system is. The world of domain names is an industry that moves at breakneck speed; the domain you were just looking at one moment might suddenly get taken the next. A fast and effective customer service system is absolutely crucial.

Do all your customer service testing before you get started with the domain registration process, just so you don't get stuck with an unhelpful registrar for a full year. Most registrars still use an email-based ticketing system, but there are some who have already upgraded to a live chat system. Go for the latter because you can get real answers quickly when you're chatting with someone real-time.

Seek Extra Services

It takes more than just a domain name to make a great website. If you're constructing a full-featured site for whatever purpose, you'll still likely have to pay for a few more online services to get all the functionality you want. Fortunately, these extra services may just come with your domain registration.

A good number of ICANN registrars nowadays offer all sorts of freebie services ranging from entry-level hosting to basic security features. When you're considering any registrar, watch out for these free offers as they'll save you from having to pay for them once you begin building your site. WHOIS protection, for example, costs about $10 a year, but is offered for free by some registrars.

Some registrars might not be offering services 100% free, but they could be offering the next best thing. Compatibility of platforms is a big issue for many web masters because the systems of the registrar, the web host and the management software all have to jive. There are some companies who offer services like hosting and web design themselves, so you're sure that there won't be compatibility issues. It also comes out cheaper in the long run, especially when you avail of everything as a package.

Value, Not Price

Notice that the pricing scheme isn't part of the criteria above. That's because you won't necessarily get the best registrar when you just go with the lowest price. Choosing the rock bottom pricing offer will most likely get you just the domain registration and little else – hardly what you'd call a good deal. When you're considering domain registrars, always think of the value you'll get for the money you'll spend instead of just the straightforward pricing.

DiscountDomains.uk might not have the best prices on the Internet, but they offer some of the best values you could find. Their reasonable pricing and their available service packages make DiscountDomains.uk the one-stop shop for any would be domain registrant. Put that together with their upfront, no-hidden-charges policy and their great live chat customer service, and you end up with a lot of value indeed.