My domains have to start pulling their weight, or they’re gone

J. Money culled ten web domain names from his portfolio in an effort to clean out some of the mental financial clutter from his life. He had a bit of a domain-buying binge last year so there was room for culling.

I have thirty-two domains in my Namecheap account. Some are for my wife’s projects but many are for mine. I got them probably for the same reason that J. Money got his: I had some idea for a website and used the domain as a first step to committing to the idea, or a mental placeholder, or both.

I haven’t carried out all of those ideas, or even most of them. The problem is that carrying the domains isn’t free; it costs about $10/year for each one. Each unimplemented idea costs me $10/year, and cuts into the income for the sites that are producing.

This year, I’ll get these domains to earn their keep, or they’re going away. It gives me a twinge of guilt to renew them each year while they’re in the same state that they were when I registered them. Someday Real Soon Now has to be This Year.

Getting a domain to pay for itself shouldn’t be that difficult. Since my web hosting is a fixed cost, and I can still add plenty of domains to the mix, getting the domains in the black means income of only about $1 per month.

I’ll take as many websites with positive cash flow as I can but I need to get them that way first.

| Stumble this post | Save to del.icio.us

6 Responses to “My domains have to start pulling their weight, or they’re gone”
By Yakezie on Feb 23, 2011 | Reply

Congrats man! Not sure if you read my “You Might Be A Blogging Addict If…” post on Yakezie.com, but that’s one of the sure signs!
By RB Boren on Feb 23, 2011 | Reply

I’m in pretty much the same boat, but I’ve got other fish to fry and I don’t mind carrying my not-yet-implemented domains for awhile.

The ones making money are able to pay for the ones not yet making money, so I don’t see any great need to unload them to save a buck.

Several years ago I let an unimplemented domain lapse and someone else grabbed it and started making money, so now I figure if I’ve got it, I’ll hold onto it until I get around to using it.
By Evan on Feb 23, 2011 | Reply

Have any fun domain names that you can share without giving away the idea?
By Sun on Feb 23, 2011 | Reply

And how do you make Money ? Unique content with ads?

Some people make good money on just parked domains with the right type in traffic.
By Ryan on Feb 25, 2011 | Reply

I’ve been doing the same thing lately – letting domains expire, or selling them if possible. But mostly letting them expire.

I think I’m down to about 17 domains, which isn’t too bad.
By Austerity Bill on Mar 1, 2011 | Reply

Why don’t you try and sell them and put more money into your better quality websites?