April 28, 2023

What is a Parked Domain?

written by

Joe Uddeme

Joe Uddeme

What is a Parked Domain?

Most web users aren’t familiar with domain parking, yet it’s something pretty much all of us have encountered. Here’s domain name expert Joe Uddeme with the full details of why parked names exist – and why you might want to buy one.

 

A parked domain is a domain name that has been registered but not connected to an active website. It is not currently being used but instead is set aside for future use.

Most domains, like nameexperts.com, point to an active web page. But in the case of a parked domain, that address points to a “this domain is reserved” web page, a “buy this domain” page, an advertisement page, or a plain web page with no content.

In some cases, it’ll point to no web page at all, and you’ll see an error in your web browser saying, “This site can’t be reached.” It doesn’t mean it isn’t there – as you’ll find out if you try to buy it.

If you’re intrigued by parked domains and wonder if there’s any chance of getting your hands on one (with or without assistance from a domain name consultant), this article is for you.

Key takeaways:

  • Understand why someone would want to park a domain
  • Turning a parked domain you own into something more useful
  • Top tips for buying a parked domain

No parking sign to illustrate article about parked domain names

 

Why Would You Have a Parked Domain?

There are many reasons for domain parking, including:

Reserving a Domain Name

You might have a domain name that you plan to use for a website in the future. So, you buy it from a registrar and park it to prevent another person from snapping it up and disrupting your plans.

A good domain name is worth its weight in gold, so absorbing the cost of holding the domain when it’s not in active use is advisable.

Redirecting visitors to another domain

You can use your parked domain to redirect visitors to another active domain that you own. For instance, you might have owned a website and changed the domain name for marketing purposes. You wouldn’t want people typing in the former domain name to get confused, so you redirect it to the new one.

Save it for reselling

Some domain names can appreciate in value, and many people hold them as investments. You can buy a domain name and park it with the intention of selling it for a higher price in the future.

Site is in Development

The website you want to connect to the domain name may be under development and launching soon. In the meantime, you can park the domain and only connect it to the website when it’s ready.

 

How to Configure a Parked Domain

Error Page

Some parked domains return an error message when you type them into your web browser. The error message varies depending on your web browser, but it usually takes the form of “this site can’t be reached”.

'This site can't be reached' error notice - a screengrab about parked domains

Sales Page

The parked domain could lead to a web page indicating your intent to sell it. This web page will also include information on how to contact the owner or place an offer with a third-party company managing the domain.

Ads Page

Advertisements are a creative way to monetize parked domains. You can insert advertisements on the web page of the domain and earn money each time someone views or clicks on it. In some cases, the advertising income could cover the cost of owning the domain and even bring profits.

Example of an advert page on a parked domain

Registrar Page

Here, the parked domain will lead to a web page notifying the visitor that the domain has been registered by someone else. This page is usually automatically generated by the domain registrar whose name and logo will be displayed on it.

Screengrab of NameCheap website for article about parked domains

FAQs About Parked Domains

How Can You Park a Domain?

The simplest way to perform domain parking is to just register the domain with a registrar like Namecheap or Google Domains. Most registrars automatically park a domain once you buy it. Then, you’re free to insert advertisements on the parked web page or place a sales notice if that’s what you want.

Suppose you want to redirect the domain to another active domain. In that case, you can set up an automatic redirect by adjusting the domain name system (DNS) records via your registrar or hosting provider.

How Can You Buy a Parked Domain

There are two major ways of buying a parked domain. You can either find the owner’s details directly and contact them or hire a professional domain broker to handle that for you.

If you find a parked domain that you’re interested in, the easiest way to find the owner’s details is to perform a lookup on the WHOIS database. This is a public database containing the ownership information of an assigned domain, such as their name, phone number, email address, etc.

  1. Visit https://www.whois.com/whois/ or any other database lookup site.
  2. Type in the domain name you’re interested in and hit the search button.
  3. If it’s a valid domain, you’ll see relevant information such as the registrar, registration date and expiration date, owner’s name, and contact information (email, fax, or phone number).
  4. You can then contact the owner and indicate your interest to buy their domain. If they’re open to a sale, you’re free to negotiate the price and acquire the domain. It’s advisable to use a domain escrow service to avoid falling victim to fraud and losing your money.

Using a Broker to Buy a Parked Domain

Finding the details of a domain name’s owner is the easiest part. The hardest part is negotiating a ‘fair’ price to pay for the domain. If you’re not experienced in domain name acquisitions, you could end up overpaying for a domain or making such a small offer that the owner ignores you.

The good thing is that you can hire a professional domain broker to handle the negotiation for you. Professional brokers already have experience in negotiating domain name sales, so they can hammer out financial terms with the owner and get you the domain for a reasonable price. They can also handle the domain transfer to your registrar while you sit back and relax. The broker will collect a fee for their service, either a fixed fee, a commission, or a mix of both.

Add On Domains vs. Parked Domains – What’s the Difference?

You can always create a parked domain or add-on domain for your primary website. A parked domain is a simple domain that you point to your primary domain name; whenever a user types in this second domain, they’ll be redirected to your primary domain. They are usually variations of your primary domain name that can confuse users. For example, amzn.com and amzon.com would both redirect to Amazon.com.

An add-on domain is a second or additional domain hosted in the same control panel as the first. You can choose which directory the add-on domain points to. For example, if you put the second domain in a directory called “domain2”, it can be accessed by typing domain2.com or domain2.domain1.com on your web browser.

Add-on domains enable you to control multiple domains from a single account.

 

About the author

Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]

Subscribe for More Domain Buying & Selling Advice

Related posts

Man and woman in business setting look at a laptop screen. Woman is blonde, man has brown hair and both have glasses
Are You A Domain Buyer? Here’s How It Works

Whether you want to buy names to sell straight away or hold them in your portfolio, there’s a lot to learn if you want to be a big-hitter in the domain buying and selling world. Domain name expert Joe Uddeme shares his top tips for domain buying success.   Both buying and selling domains can be an exciting adventure – and it can even be a profitable endeavor. If you’re trying to get into the domain-buying game, or are simply looking for someone to buy a domain you want to sell, you need a little more information about how it all works. The actual odds of you cashing in big amounts of money from your domain aren’t high (unless you’re sitting on a desirable two- or three-letter domain name that isn’t currently in use). But if you have no idea what you’re doing, you might also be wasting time and money. If you want to make it big, you need a tried and true process to help guide you. This post covers our top tips to help you find a domain buyer or to be a domain buyer – and insert yourself into the domain buying and selling game the right way. Key Takeaways The importance of research when buying and selling domains Understand your audience Promote your domains to attract the right buyer How a domain broker can help Domain Buyer Tips Though the internet isn’t very old in real terms, there are already millions of domains already registered. And yet there’s still an endless amount of combinations available to register. That’s not even including the hundreds of new domain name extensions available (think .net, .club, .ai and so on). Do A Little Research – Get Focused The first thing we recommend is to do a little research before you get started. If you’re looking to buy a domain, start with what you already know. What are you already an expert in? Buying the right domain is much easier when you have a knowledge of the industry so that you choose something that will 1) actually sell, or 2) be a great domain for your business. If you know fishing, for example, you’ll know just the things your fellow marlin hunters will be searching for. Is there a domain name available that fits? Start your domain name search based on keywords related to the things you’re familiar with. If you KNOW it’s going to be valuable, it will be much easier to sell. Check the strength of a keyword with tools like Google Trends or Keyword Planner or similar SEO tools. We highly recommend working with a domain broker who knows the marketplace. They’ll be able to give helpful suggestions and help you avoid costly mistakes. We do NOT recommend targeting a prospective domain buyer based on their potential economic status. Targeting a certain demographic that you don’t know anything about could be an expensive error. You might also be missing specific rules associated with the industry you’re going after. The bottom line is, you won’t make any money if your buyers can’t use the domain you bought. Know Your Audience If you understand your audience, you’ll be able to really generate sales of domains you buy. If you’ve got a great domain, you can hold onto it for years and probably make a decent profit. Maybe you’ve already monetized the domain with an active website and put in some great SEO efforts – things that can help make your domain worth a lot more to a potential domain buyer. These types of well researched domains can end up paying for themselves. Talk to a domain broker. The industry’s big-hitters will have the knowledge you’re looking for and be able to steer you in the right direction for domains that will actually benefit the buyer. Domain Seller Tips Evaluate Your Domain It is so important that you actually have access to domains that would be a valuable asset to domain buyers. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Would the domain name you’re selling actually be beneficial to a business or organization? Similarly, if you’re the one buying, have a domain broker assess the value of the potential domain. Would having this domain make it easier for clients to find you? Will having that particular domain make it easier to rank higher on search engines? Would your profits increase based off of this particular domain name? Don’t buy anything without knowing its true value. Get Your Domains Out There There are many different avenues for getting your domains out to potential domain buyers. Again, we suggest doing a little research. If you’re using a respected source, you’ll have a much better chance of getting your domains sold. The best suggestion we have is to work with a sell-side domain name broker who knows the market. You can also use a distribution network to make sure you’re getting the right domain in front of the right buyer. Maybe you already know who might benefit from the domain name? Start a conversation and convey that you already understand what the domain is capable of achieving. However, if you don’t already have a place to show off your domain, partnering with a domain buying and selling brokerage business will take the pain out of everything and increase your chances of a profitable sale. Choosing the right broker If you’ve purchased one or more premium domain names and want to sell them, why leave anything to chance? Working with a broker who spends every day in the market is the way to go. Not only do they buy and sell millions of dollars worth of domains every year, they also have a network already established. They might have a long list of buyers and sellers lined up before you even set up a meeting. Domain brokers are able to accurately assess the value of potential domains, and also help negotiate on your behalf. They also know all the paperwork and legal processes that come with buying and selling domains, which means that you don’t have to worry about any of it. Look for one with a strong track record, ideally one that can demonstrate experience in high-level transactions. Global experience can be helpful, too, especially if you want to secure the international TLDs for a specific name.   About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]

Default alt text
How To Choose a Business Name – An Expert Analysis

To make their first dollar, most businesses have to settle on a name for their organization. Here’s how to choose a business name that will last you well into the future.   Before you’ve hired the accountant, bought the office chair or spent 20 bucks on some gold-plated business cards, you need a name for your business. Get it right, and your business name will be an asset that will: Send out a clear message about your brand Be memorable – for all the right reasons Encourage customer loyalty Grow with you Get it wrong, and you’ll be stuck with a name that could cost thousands or even millions to fix. In this article, we’ll look at the elements of a great business name, the reasons why getting it right is worth so much effort, why buying a domain name for your new brand is essential – and more. There are even links to a few tools you can use that will help you get your business name deliberations off to a strong start. Why take my word for what makes a good business name? Because names have been my bread and butter for almost two decades. I help businesses buy premium domain names when they want to launch a new company or sub-brand. When you oversee domain name transactions that sometimes run into six and seven figures, you get to see first hand just how valuable a great name is. Key takeaways A great business name will be an asset for years to come Matching up your name, logo and brand identity requires serious attention Choose between catchy or quirky Make sure you can secure a domain name so your online customers can find you  

Google screengrab for article about domain names
How Do You Create a Strong Brand Name (And Secure the Domain Name to Match It)?

From Amazon to Coca-Cola, strong brand names have helped propel businesses to stratospheric heights for centuries. Here’s how to find one that will take yours to the next level and ensure you have a domain name that supports it.  

Why Work with Name Experts

Name Experts offers personalized domain brokerage services, assisting clients in buying or selling premium domain names with expert appraisal, negotiation, and complete transaction management while ensuring confidentiality.

Some of our most
successful stealth acquisition and sales

Aid.com

Fit.com

Mine.com

GLD.com

Jeff.com

Fora.com

Nori.com

Secure.com

Guitar.com

F*ck.com

Radian.com

MetaData.com

Prize.com

Link.com

Loop.com

Programs.com

Claim.com

Quince.com

Hook.com

QXO.com

NQ.com

Rest.com

Humani.com

Max.com

Need help buying or selling premium domains?