[twitter]I use Hover because they’re Canadian, they have a simple user interface, they have great customer service.

That’s it. It’s that simple. Domainers will tell you that collecting web addresses is like collecting tattoos – once you have one, you want another one. Since the mid 90s, I’ve been collecting domains. I’ve got a few dozen now, including:

cyberbuzz.com, buzzbishop.com, calgarymomsale.ca, bonjourzacharie.com, bonjourcharles.com, thechooch.com, dad-camp.com, dadcamp.ca, calgarydad.com, dad.camp, winejennifer.com, localpony.com, calgary101.com, kidfriendlycalgary.com, treetobowl.com, to name a few.

At first I used “that Super Bowl advertising company.”  They were the biggest, the most recognizable, but the user experience is terrible. There are pages and pages of upselling. Their ads drip in tasteless misogyny. So I left when I discovered Hover.

When I’ve needed help transferring my domains from the old service, to the new one, they were there. When I was searching out new top level domains to buy for my sites, they helped me find services that could provide them when they weren’t in the Hover roster.

And when they couldn’t do that, they sent me a handwritten note apologizing they couldn’t give me the domain and included a moleskine notebook for me to use. It’s the little things. It’s absolutely the little things.

Flat out, they’ve offered me a wonderful user experience, great customer service, and I’ve never had a problem using  Hover for my domains.

Earlier this year, Hover told my web story for one of their Hover Stories profiles.

If you need a domain, even if it’s just to squat on and redirect to your Facebook page or LinkedIn, or whatever, use Hover to get it. Everyone should have a domain of their name to own their brand and identity. Hover can make it happen easily, and cleanly.