How do you decide to keep or drop a name?

[A D]

Do you just go based on revenue, traffic or possible resale value?

Is there something else?

Is there a spreadsheet or tool you paste stats into and it tells you based on a preset algorythm to keep or drop?

Just good thought provoking discussion as I ponder dropping a few thousand.

-=DCG=-

 

[sashas]

My personal algorithm is that the name should make at least $1/month, or it should either be an ultra brandable, or should have guaranteed resale value (LLL, LLLL.coms, LLL.nets, .orgs, for instance)

 

[domain newbie]

either something that makes sense and brandable (and you registered this with development in mind)

either min 1-3 pure typin views per day makes them somehow survive my renewals

p.s. i keep these that makes even 1 typin per day as $7/365= ~0.01 cent ( so i think it worth paying 0.01 cent for somebody new to get introduced to your site, when you redirect to your company instead of parking)

 

[PRED]

For me personally, if it pays for itself, a no brainer, keep it.

If i bought it (not regged) keep whatever!

If i handregged and have learned much more since i regged i may drop, but usually the 'x factor' or the gut feel that made me reg in first place is enough for me to keep paying the renewal fees.
Most domains are holders for a few years so it just comes with territory.
Regularly analysing names should be done though and re-evaluating some 'stock'
I am in process myself and will be having a large sale, finetuning and realising funds for renewals, other purchases and big pile of bills!

 

[stevo]

A recurring dilemma. Many factors. Usually, if I even suspect that the drop is a mistake, I don't do it.
I wish that there was a category labeled "My Drops" or something to that effect. You could offer up your undesirable (in your eyes) names before letting them go. Offered at a reasonable price, we could help each other out. My junk may be worth someone else's efforts.

 

[jasdon11]

Do you just go based on revenue, traffic or possible resale value?

Is there something else?

Is there a spreadsheet or tool you paste stats into and it tells you based on a preset algorythm to keep or drop?

Just good thought provoking discussion as I ponder dropping a few thousand.

-=DCG=-

A mix of all three in your first line.

If you are dropping any, PM me a list before you do.

 

[krossat]

constant dilemma for me this.

This is what i generally keep:
1. Some niches like LLL coms/nets/orgs which have a definite value for resale.
2. Dictionary words which i know and dont have to look up. I never drop those.
3. Definitely Revenue earners.

Ones I Drop
1. Brandables which dont flip quickly enough and otherwise have no apparent value :\
2. Ones that dont get sold quickly enough and dont belong to the TLD family. Anything which is not a .com/net or org, i will either sell or drop in a hurry (with exceptions to some good / related keywords).

Although i do try selling them for atleast regfee before i let them drop.

 

[H2FC]

Do you just go based on revenue, traffic or possible resale value?

Is there something else?

Is there a spreadsheet or tool you paste stats into and it tells you based on a preset algorythm to keep or drop?

Just good thought provoking discussion as I ponder dropping a few thousand.

-=DCG=-

I think thats a very good question as I've often wondered the same thing. As for me its a no-brainer, if the domain pays it way with ppc income I keep it and if I can see potential future value I will keep it.

Here's something you might consider to add value to this forum. Why couldn't we have a special thread where members list the domains they plan to drop and perhaps sell instead to get back some or part of the reg fees they paid. Make it for members only and I believe it would be a plus for the forum...everybody would be joining to see the drop list. Maybe it could be a place where domains would be offered for the original reg fees and then lowered to 1/2 that amount if theres no interest.

There's a lot of possibilities to be considered but it sounds like it could be a valuable addition to the forum....I hope you will seriously consider it.

 

[HomerJ]

a couple people have mentioned a drops section of the forum, as one's trash can be another's treasure. do you see it as not worth the time investment to try to at least recoup a couple bucks on a $6 - $8 domain? You say you have thousands you are dropping. even at 1,000, let's say all .coms and you have a bulk registrar account, so that's i'd say ~6k bare minimum spent on this inventory. if you could sell even half of them at $2 a pop, that'd be 1,000 bones back in your pocket. The question is whether the time is justified for the money, or would be better spent on other endeavors.

I think for smaller-time domainers and the smaller your inventory in general that it seems more justified to try to recoup. For larger domainers with big portfolios it may not be as big a deal.

my first wave of renewals is creeping up on me (i started less than a year ago) I know i have some early registers that are not worth holding, but personally as i have a smaller portfolio and limited funds, i'll try to juice out at least a couple bucks from them if i can. Then again, if i have a domain that i feel is worth more than reg fee i'd rather see it get sharked at by drop-catchers than undersell it.

 

[Tom K.]

Do you just go based on revenue, traffic or possible resale value?

Is there something else?

Is there a spreadsheet or tool you paste stats into and it tells you based on a preset algorythm to keep or drop?

Just good thought provoking discussion as I ponder dropping a few thousand.

-=DCG=-

Hi Adam,

I reg names primarily that excite me for development.

The ones I drop are usually ones that are duplicate themes that are of lesser value, usually non-com, and get very few-to-none type ins. Other drops are names reg'd in the middle of the night and with wrong spelling and, again, no type ins. The ones I drop are usually ones I am too embarrassed to post for sale.

Traffic, to me, is always the best criteria as revenue is extremely relative. Traffic is the true potential rating mechanism. How it is monetized is another story.

I don't use any algorithm other my gut feeling and experience. At times I look for reg'd extensions and history of the domain and always at length, memorability, authenticity, and how it is read and looks typed.

My portfolio is small but nearly all names I will develop at some point, unless I can sell it at a price I am comfortable with.

I would love to see your list too before you drop them.

Hope this answer helps.

Regards,
Tom

 

[hugegrowth]

I think a lot of it is gut feel. Names that have traffic or revenue and pay for themselves are obvious keeps.

The ones that have no or little revenue/traffic, it all depends on if you think that could change in the future, if it has good resale potential, or you may develop it.

If they are names you've had a few years, and nothing's happened with them, it's easier to let them go. Invest the funds in other names or experiment with other regs. You might drop the odd name that you regret in the future, but all the other good names in your portfolio should more than balance it out.

 

[whitebark]

If you are dropping that many DCG at least put them up for sale first, for the same reasons as others have mentioned.

My junk may be worth someone else's efforts.

Indeed - different people see different things.

 

[A D]

All good points, ty.

I am just starting to do away with renewing everything, its a hard habit to break.

I'll see about getting a list together, I may end up just renewing them all until I have time to get even better organized.

-=DCG=-

 

[tinner666]

A hard question. Gut as much as anything. Being poor, I try to reg only a few each month. Since I have several developed sites, I look for brandables that are also good for 301's. I came in toooo late for the LLL and LLLL at reg fee, so I'm just dabbling along the bottom.
Some are parked and making afew cents. I'll keep them. Others????? We'll know in the next year or 2.

 

[EM @MAJ.com]

If the domain is not making $.5 a month. I let them go. It's one way to stop the bleeding and buy new good names.

I have thousand of names that were bought due to impulse of buying them. Now, I only retain the one that makes money and for development purpose only.

Em

 

[fab]

Do you just go based on revenue, traffic or possible resale value?

Is there something else?

Is there a spreadsheet or tool you paste stats into and it tells you based on a preset algorythm to keep or drop?

Just good thought provoking discussion as I ponder dropping a few thousand.

-=DCG=-

How ironic, you wrote an article about this awhile back.

 

[packeted]

My approach is that I don't generally acquire or register names I wouldn't want to keep, so I generally renew all of my names. Although I do earn a bit on PPC, I generally buy names for their intrinsic value and potential for an end user sale so I'm in it for the long haul....

 

[paulc]

If it is not making the reg fees then let it drop, unless it is brandable.

 

[doobee]

Anything I drop is a usually a casualty of my "learning curve" and I can tell at a glance now that I shouldn't have purchased/registered it in the first place. Most of the domains that I've acquired lately I would be happy to hang on to for many years or to develop myself. Sometimes there's no better way to learn what constitutes a good domain than by trail and error in the marketplace.

 

[A D]

How ironic, you wrote an article about this awhile back.

.... and by the reponses in this thread I feel if I build a FREE tool to help everyone know when to keep and when to drop, it would help everyone out alot.

Sometimes we need a third party view.


Sometimes the question has a purpose.

-=DCG=-