I first started investing in domain names in 2011.
Since then I’ve owned hundreds of domain names, some of which I still own and some of which I’ve let drop. At one point my portfolio had around 250 domains. Today I hold a smaller but more groomed portfolio of around 115 names give or take. Over time you learn which names to keep and which names to let go of.
I first started buying domain names for website development purposes.
After I had registered my first one something clicked. Wow, I thought… I should register another one in case I want to change the name of my website, or I want to avoid someone else taking this name I really like.
(Note: When I first started registering domains, there were just a few options on extensions: .com, .net, .org, .info, .mobi, .travel, and a few others as well as ccTLD’s which are country code domains like .us, .ca, .de, .cn etc… Now there are around 1,000 different extensions with great new possibilities like .company, .club, .online, .network and more. See a full list of all domain extensions here)
The first domain I ever registered was AllBrewedUp.com.
At the time some friends of mine and myself were getting heavily into the craft / micro beer movement. I wanted to start a craft beer blog to share about beer news and rate them etc. There were already a few similar sites around back then like BeerAdvocate.com, RateBeer.com, etc. etc. but I was doing web development and wanted to create something of my own.
After buying the first domain, I thought to myself I really like the way BrewALot.com sounds, so I bought it too. Then a few minutes later I registered NameThatBrew.com and a few others. Before I knew it, I’d registered around 5 domain names in one night. That was the beginning of my interest and passion for domain names.
As time went by, I launched AllBrewedUp.com and ran the site for a while before I decided I wanted to do something different and ended up shutting the site down. (Note: Only to start numerous other websites after) But it got me started. Not only in web development, but also in domain investing.
What is “Domain Investing“, you might ask?
It’s the monetizing of domain names either for traffic, pay per click ads or buying a name with intentions to build, develop or hold it similar to the way a real estate investor would buy a piece property for current or future development, or to hold onto until it appreciates and sell later.
Domain investors sometimes get grief from unhappy late thinkers, who didn’t think to register a domain name when they started their business. Then a few years later realize they want or need a specific name for their online presence and someone else has it. Sometimes we even get called squatters, when nothing could be further from the truth. We are paying yearly renewals on a domain name, just like a property investor or owner pays the yearly taxes on a property.
If a future thinking individual realizes that a city that seems to be growing quickly, has a lot of lake front land available for a very low price and scoops it up with the intentions of developing it or even holding onto it for 20 years when the value has gone up tremendously and then selling it, does that investor get called a squatter? No, not usually. There isn’t really much of a difference, except a domain name is an online address and real estate property is a physical address.
Now that the internet is really maturing and evolving in so many ways, I’m hoping that people will start to realize it’s a very similar concept.
A few places to buy, sell and park domain names:
- GoDaddy
- Afternic
- Sedo
- Uniregistry
- Undeveloped
- NamePros (Forum, can buy and sell)
Other resources:
One thing I will tell you to avoid if you decide to get into Domain Investing.
Trademarks: DO NOT register domain names with words that are obviously trademarked. For example, a lot of new domain extensions have been released over the last two years. If you see that the domain Nike.horse is available DO NOT REGISTER IT!! I repeat, DO NOT REGISTER IT!! First of all, it’s a horrible name that makes no sense, and second Trademark domains are a big no no. They are a sure way to get your domain name taken from you via a UDRP giving you absolutely no money. Also if you’re registering trademark names, everyone who’s been in the industry for long enough or just have common sense will straight up know that you’re a newbie and an amateur.
If you are a domain investor or are interested in getting into it, drop a line in the comments below with any questions or just to say hello.
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Jason Franklin is a forward thinker, servant leader, technology enthusiast and humanitarian. His mission is to make a positive impact on humanity and the world a better place.
Jason is involved in technology, startups, energy, real estate, science, philosophy, volunteering and outreach.
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