Domains, without drama

About CodeFarm

CodeFarm is a Saskatchewan-based marketing and web development agency founded in 2009 by Kevin Pryce. Their mission is straightforward: help small businesses get more customers.

“We build websites, Internet software, and marketing plans for small businesses who want more customers,” Kevin says. “Whether that’s more appointments, more e-commerce sales, more traffic… whatever their goal is, we help them get that.”

CodeFarm builds funnels, automation systems, custom software, and WordPress sites. Kevin describes it as a lean operation with a clear focus: create systems that drive growth.

And across nearly every project, one essential element remains constant: a domain.

Domains are foundational, and ownership matters

Many agencies will register client domains under their own name and simply rebill the client. That’s not how CodeFarm operates.

“That means I’m the owner of the domain, and the business owner should be,” he says. “If something happens to me, they’re going to be without their name. I’ve seen… people get into trouble.”

For CodeFarm, the rule is simple: the domain belongs to the client. Always.

Taking this approach protects the business owner and builds trust. But it also introduces a practical challenge, as most small business owners don’t fully understand domains.

“Many owners don’t understand what a domain name is,” Kevin says. “They don’t know how it works. They don’t know how to register it.”

So while ownership must stay with the client, the experience still needs to be guided, clean, and easy to support.

Before Storefront: great tooling, but added confusion

For more than 15 years, Kevin has relied on Hover for domain registration and management.

“There’s nothing that would get me to leave Hover,” he says. “It works. It never breaks.”

Hover is a strong retail registrar (humble brag), and for purchasing domains directly, it’s been reliable. But as Kevin’s agency grew, he needed something designed specifically for reselling under his own brand. Directing clients to a separate registrar created extra explanation and occasional confusion.

“I’d have to tell them, ‘Go here, log in, do this,’” he says. “They forget, and then I end up doing it anyway.”

The platform was dependable, but OpenSRS Storefront was designed specifically for digital agencies’ needs.

And when your job is to simplify digital growth, keeping everything under one brand makes life easier.

Why Storefront: keep it simple, keep it branded

Storefront solved a specific problem for CodeFarm: it removed the visible registrar layer from the client experience.

“I chose it because it hid the whole domain registrar part,” Kevin says. “It confused them, so it created more work for me. If it’s all just under my name, [it’s] better.”

With Storefront embedded on CodeFarm’s site, domains feel like a natural extension of the service, not a redirect to somewhere unfamiliar.

And Kevin appreciates the design philosophy behind it.

“Storefront [has a] good, clean, minimal design… it doesn’t have any clutter that my customers would get tripped up on.”

As a developer, he enjoys robust tools. As a service provider, he values simplicity for clients. With Storefront, he gets both. 

“I like how Storefront is just so simple.”

All-in-one shopping – without losing control

Small business owners don’t want to juggle multiple logins, brands, and vendors. They want clarity. They want accountability. And most of all, they want someone they can call.

“It makes me look more professional,” Kevin says. “People like the one-stop shopping.”

Storefront supports that model by:

• Letting clients register and renew domains in a branded, streamlined interface.

• Ensuring domains remain registered in the client’s name.

• Giving Kevin access to log in on their behalf when needed.

• Or allowing clients to self-serve when they prefer.

It’s not about pushing clients into DIY. It’s about giving them a controlled, minimal path, while still providing backup support.

“Educating customers how to set up and buy their own domain name so it’s registered to them and not the agency owner is chaotic, confusing, and difficult,” Kevin says. “Storefront makes it easy by allowing a minimal and branded experience… and I can easily help them if I need to.”

That flexibility matters. Especially when clients are focused on running their businesses, not learning registrar workflows.

An early adopter's perspective

Kevin signed up early, right after Storefront launched. Since then, he’s seen steady progress, new features, expanded capabilities, and ongoing improvements.

“This is growing,” he said. “This is getting better.”

That trajectory matters. CodeFarm builds systems for growth, and Kevin expects the tools he uses to evolve, too.

And his broader view of OpenSRS remains strong.

“I’ve always held OpenSRS and Tucows in pretty high regard,” he says. “Nothing’s ever happened to me since 2013 that would make me think otherwise.”

Completing the package

Kevin doesn’t see domains as a standalone business line. He sees them as part of delivering a complete digital solution.

“You can’t have a website without a domain,” he says. Offering domains under the CodeFarm brand reinforces professionalism and keeps the client journey contained. He also sees future potential in margin flexibility, particularly because the experience is branded and managed.

In other words, perceived value increases when domains are part of a cohesive service, not a disconnected transaction.

The takeaway: infrastructure that supports growth

For CodeFarm, domains aren’t the headline service. They’re the foundation every other service rests on.

Storefront allows Kevin to:

• Keep domains registered to the rightful owner

• Provide a clean, branded experience

• Reduce confusion and support overhead

• Step in when clients need help

• Offer one cohesive digital package

Domains may be technical infrastructure, but handled properly, they become a trust-building part of the relationship.

And when they’re simple, branded, and easy to support? Everyone wins.