subject: Park Domains – Yes, No, Maybe? [print this page] Park Domains Yes, No, Maybe? Park Domains Yes, No, Maybe?
Wondering if you should or should not park domains? Is it worth the hassle? Have you logged into your domain registrar account lately? Surprised at how many park domains are listed there? Do you wonder where they all came from? Does it start to dawn on you as to why your PayPal account is always drained? Because you are paying to keep up so many domain names!
If you have registered a domain name you are left with that name for a minimum of one year depending on how long you chose to register it for.
Now you have a few options of what you can do with all these domains taking over your financial accounts.
1. Complete your web site
2. Put up an Under Construction' message.
3. Park domain at your registrar.
4. Sell your domain.
5. Park domain using a domain parking service.
1) First you could flesh out that idea that seemed so great six months ago (hmmm). You may have gotten a burst of energy, but it is unlikely that you are going to all of a sudden jump on that task that you have been putting off for months on end. And even if you do it will take time and you still need to do something with your domain in the meantime.
2) You could put up a web page on your domain that alerts users that the site is under construction. The only issue with this is that it is tough enough getting traffic to your site when the site has been developed, much less getting traffic to a site that has nothing on it. And it is highly unlikely people are going to keep checking back later to see if your web site is done. There are just too many other web sites and distractions on the internet for that. Not to mention you will have to pay for web hosting for the domain name unless you have a hosting plan in place already.
3) You can just park domain at your registrar. A viable option except that your registrar is going to fill your domain with advertisements and if your page does get any traffic and if that traffic generates revenue through the advertisements on your page then your registrar is going to be the one making the money. Hardly seems fair does it? You had the idea, you paid to register the domain and your registrar is making money off of advertising on your page. Now some of them may share the revenue with you but they will often charge you a fee for this privilege. Now I don't mind sharing, but having to pay to share just doesn't sit well with me.
4) You can always sell your domain name but unless your name is a well sought after domain name or receives a lot of traffic, it is unlikely that you will get much more than what you paid for it.
5) Well there is a fifth option that will fit the bill until you find the time and energy to work that once great idea. You can park domains with a domain parking service that will pay share any revenue with you that your page generates. The most popular domain parking service today is Sedo. Sedo will let you park your domain names and offer to share the revenue with you. You also have the option of selling your domain as well as parking your domains to generate revenue. Now it is highly unlikely you are going to get rich off this service but for minor changes you can have the chance of making a little extra money instead of spending it.
Sedo is free to sign up with. Of course there is a fee if you would like to aggressively advertise your domain for sale, but a basic account for listing your domain name for sale and generating money through advertising is free. After you are signed up with your account it is just a matter of going to your domain registrar and entering the Sedo's name servers. They will provide you with this information. Then you can head back on over to Sedo to manage your domain.
Like I mentioned before, it is unlikely you will be out house hunting next week, but if you park domains you could generate a bit of extra spending cashyou know the extra cash your kids seem to be in dire need of.
