Domain parking is a practice in which a domain name owner, also known as a domain registrant, points their domain to a temporary webpage, often displaying advertisements or "coming soon" messages. Domain parking can be used when the domain owner is not yet ready to create a website or wants to earn passive income from the parked domain. Here's an overview of domain parking:
-
Purpose:
- Reserve a domain name for future use
- Earn revenue through advertising on the parked domain
- Protect a brand or trademark by preventing others from registering the domain
2. Types of Domain Parking:
- Passive Parking: A static "coming soon" or "under construction" page is displayed without any advertisements.
- Active Parking: Advertisements are displayed on the parked domain, generating revenue based on the number of clicks or impressions.
3. How Domain Parking Works:
- Register the domain name through a domain registrar
- Sign up for a domain parking service (many domain registrars also offer parking services)
- Configure the DNS settings of the domain to point to the domain parking service's nameservers
- Customize the parked page layout, content, and advertisements (optional for active parking)
4. Domain Parking Services:
- Sedo
- Bodis
- DomainSponsor
- ParkingCrew
- Some domain registrars also provide their own parking services
5. Monetization:
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: Domain owner earns revenue based on the number of clicks on ads displayed on the parked domain.
- Pay-per-impression (CPM) advertising: Domain owner earns revenue based on the number of ad impressions, usually calculated per 1,000 views.
6. Considerations:
- Choose a reliable domain parking service that provides good revenue share and customization options.
- Be aware of potential trademark or copyright issues when parking domains with branded names or content.
- Keep track of domain renewal dates to avoid losing a parked domain due to expiration.
