Where to begin?

[yawnstar]

Hi guys,

Just interested on where is the best place to start with domain parking and investing.

Is it just a matter of getting lucky or keeping an eye on domains and snatching them up? How did you start and what would you recommend for someone just starting out?

Cheers

 

[HiPurple]

You shouldn't look at domain parking (any more) as a revenue source. Those days are pretty much long gone.

You can park a domain name to take advantage of some of the benefits of doing so (custom landing page, offer service, marketplace listing), but revenue should not be one of them.

As for investing, it's definitely viable, but in 2019, it's also capital-intensive. You should look at domain investing very much like real estate investing (in essence, they are the same... one is tangible, one is not). Please make sure that you have the necessary funds to begin such a venture. If not, I suggest you take another route.

There are some good domain flipping/investing blogs out there. Domain Sherpa and DNAcademy are also good resources.

I'm happy to answer any questions here, or feel free to search for some of my other posts on the subject.

 

[jhonnyjoker888]

Agreed, don't think domain parking is viable anymore, domain fliping is something better, but you need to learn what to buy. Not everything out there can turn profit.

Learn about what gives a domain value, like backlinks, content and so on. also be sure to check their history as well, you don't want a domain that has been already used by someone else.

 

[FUTUR TIM]

it's also capital-intensive

What do you recommend to start with?

 

[HiPurple]

What do you recommend to start with?

That really depends upon your income goals and which strategy you employ.

I mainly flip liquid domains, but I have the capital to do so. A person just starting out will probably be happy just making 2x with quick flips.

Domain flipping/investing comes down to two basic strategies, just as in real estate:

• 1. Buy and hold
• 2. Flip for quick profit

#1 of course is the easier of the two, provided that you have time on your side and can wait for the eventual price increase.

#2 takes more muscle, because you have to artifically inflate the potential selling price of the domain by adding value to it.

In both cases, these are my recommendations if you are just starting out:

• Focus on quality, not on quantity. Remember that every domain that you buy will also cost you an annual renewal fee if unsold. These add up quickly.
• Do your research before buying.
• Don't buy a domain just because it appeals to you.
• Don't fall in love with your domain names.
• Be willing to let go of bad decisions.
• Domains should be short, memorable, pass the radio test, and have a good extension.
• Ignore people who don't understand domains.
• Invest in good-quality extensions, .com, .com, .com, .com, .com. Why is .com king? There are a myriad of reasons, but the main three are: (1) people tend to remember any web address as .com; (2) web browsers default to .com; (3) most mobile keyboards now have a .com key. Did I say .com? Don't fall for the ".io is going to be the next domain gold rush" hyperbole (I lost my shirt in the .tv craze and a few others). Of my entire portfolio, 0.5% are .net, 0.5% are .org, the rest are .com.

A good way for anyone to begin is the idea I wrote about here: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/basics-of-domain-flipping.1170925/#post-12605617

 

[FUTUR TIM]

flip for quick profit

Let's say we're in the market for quick flips, how much do I need to start with domains?

 

[HiPurple]

Let's say we're in the market for quick flips, how much do I need to start with domains?

Again, it really depends on how much work you're willing to put in pre-purchase.

As an example, if you employed the method that I talked about above (with my dentist), that I've done multiple times over, you could essentially be in business for the cost of a domain registration fee. It's rare these days to find a quality domain that is flippable that is available to handreg, but if you go the geo-target route and find an area that has not been developed yet, for example citynameSalons.com, and you are willing to outreach to potential salons in that area to whom you can flip the domain, then you've just entered the business for <$9.

Alternatively, if you are willing to scour domain auctions, expired listings, marketplaces, etc. and invest the time necessary to find one quality domain, you could be in for the cost of the one domain (whether it's $100 or $300 or $500 or $1K, depends upon your budget). Outreach, marketplace list, do the legwork to flip it. Reinvest your profits in a better domain. Rinse and repeat.