Hardest thing for a domainer - renew or drop?

[A D]

How do you take a portfolio and dcecide what to drop or sell?

When is the right time to let go?

I figured this would help educate most people, so please contribute.

Do you keep anything that makes 2 cents a day that way it covers reg fees?

Do you keep any domains you feel have generic value and let others drop?

I think the hardest thing for a domainer is not to renew a name.

I know it's a dilemma for me.

-=DCG=-

 

[Tia Wood]

Hi Adam.

The hardest thing for me is to renew it. Sometimes I register domains believing they are good ideas. When renewal fee comes around, I know better the domain's potential and let the domain drop or decide to renew it.

I don't solely purchase domains for parking, I spend a lot of time developing. At this point, I'll re-evaluate my ideas for the domain and see if it's worth renewing.

For domains I'm not sure of, I'll register for a year. Domains I'm 100% positive about, I'll register for a few years.

Tia Wood

 

[Johnn]

Let the losers go and keep the winners.
- Losers: no backlink, no traffic, no revenue, crappy names that you can't even spell.
- Winner: if the name itself makes enough money just to cover the registration fees then keep it - Have nothing to lose here.

I know the feeling as I spent a lot of money to renew them each month.

 

[Tia Wood]

Winner: if the name itself makes enough money just to cover the registration fees then keep it - Have nothing to lose here.

And nothing to gain. I'd have to slightly disagree with you and Adam about that one. If a domain is paying for reg fee, let's say it breaks 100% even, then what's the point in keeping it? It's like running a business with no revenue. It's dead. Either do something with it to increase revenue or let it go (or sell it). Just my opinion.

Tia Wood

 

[Johnn]

Well I have some names that produce nothing for a while and all of the sudden they get traffic and revenues like crazy.
Also sold several names that I have no clue why they bought them?
If you have nothing to lose then why drop them?

Just my opinion.

John

 

[Tia Wood]

Also sold several names that I have no clue why they bought them?

hehe

If you have nothing to lose then why drop them?

Because I have nothing to gain. Managing a domain portfolio is difficult enough without having hundreds of domains that are dragging their tails in the dirt. *If* a domain hasn't earned it's reg fee and has a good keyword combo, I'll keep it. If it was the result of some spontaneous buying combustion it goes bye-bye, even if it breaks even.

Thankfully, this happens less and less as time goes on from learning what's "good" in the first place and what's not. So if I had any grand advice for beginners, it would be to learn what was "good" before you shell out the cash.

Tia Wood

 

[BobDiGiTaL]

To me traffic > revenue
If it has traffic, I renew it, even if it doesn't make $7 per year.
If it makes $10 and only gets a few visitors a month, I will probably drop it.

 

[Dale Hubbard]

Simple answer: Conviction.

 

[Tia Wood]

To me traffic > revenue
If it has traffic, I renew it, even if it doesn't make $7 per year.
If it makes $10 and only gets a few visitors a month, I will probably drop it.

Just wondering if you did a lot of developing in ratio to parking?

Tia Wood

 

[BobDiGiTaL]

I do not develop, only park.

 

[Seraphim]

Obsession fuels innovation, and even minimal developer skills are untapped equity. Challenge yourself to never drop a domain, and you will pick up an arsenal of innovative ways to turn profit on every item in your portfolio. The foundation of my portfolio was sweat on top of $0 domains.

 

[Poohnix]

If a domain breaks even, I keep it. Someone might want to buy it, so there might be something to gain in keeping it, and nothing to lose.
Some domains I may keep even if they have no revenue, if I believe that the name has potential otherwise, and might be sold at a profit. Traffic/revenue is only one of many factors involved, but most others are subjective so it appears many domainers tend to ignore them.

.

 

[RazorNF]

I would tend to agree with Tia. Why keep something if its' only value comes from parking and it takes a year to break even on it? Say you had 50 such names that only broke even and garnered no purchase inquiries - why not parlay those reg fees into fewer better names.

Different story if its a decent brandable name with development potential, then keep it regardless of whether you made anything...

Heck even if something has made double-reg fee or more, I still consider dropping them...

 

[dcristo]

If the domain is at least breaking even, I consider it as free traffic and would renew. There is no upkeep costs so why not?

 

[Seraphim]

Heck even if something has made double-reg fee or more, I still consider dropping them...

:?:

 

[RazorNF]

What I'm trying to get at, is why buy xx crappy names whose only value is in parking which only pays off the reg fee instead of fewer better names. lets say you never end up selling them, you're still in the hole the original amount you paid for them, not like you are actually gaining money to buy more.

 

[dcristo]

What I'm trying to get at, is why buy xx crappy names whose only value is in parking which only pays off the reg fee instead of fewer better names. lets say you never end up selling them, you're still in the hole the original amount you paid for them, not like you are actually gaining money to buy more.

If I could spend $1 to make $2 I would do it.

 

[jasdon11]

Keep 'em all - I just love names....


Seriously though, if it makes a few dollars a year, or I think it's got potential to an end user, it's worth keeping in my book. You've just got to go back and look at how many of the names you let drop, have been picked up - I reckon 95% of my drops have been taken by someone - so now, I tend not to drop on purpose.



BTW, if anyone is dropping names that make $14 a year - I'll buy 'em at $5 each (certain restrictions may apply)

 

[Theo]

I have sold more than 1,200 domains. In the meantime, I maintain a lean portfolio of about 800. All the renewal fees are company expenses. As long as a name generates revenue from parking, or has selling potential it's a keeper. Therefore, my portfolio is at "lock" status.

 

[dotNetKing]

I make more selling than on PPC, so if a name makes even a quarter of reg fee (half a cent a day), that is an added bonus.

I do have some names though that have dubious resale value and it is sometimes hard to know whether to drop or renew.

I also have some names acquired solely for their traffic, and once they get down to 2 cents a day, I generally drop them.