Why do online entrepreneurs own so many domains?

The dawn of the internet opened up endless possibilities for domain names. Over time, hundreds of thousands of these domains have been registered by individuals wanting a url with their name in it and businesses looking to own the best “.com” in their industry. While domains may seem scarce, there are those that profit from buying, selling, or simply owning domains. Read on to find out why people own so many domains, and what they are doing with them.
Why do online entrepreneurs own so many domains?

Mark Coster, B.Sc. Ph.D.

Mark Coster is an online entrepreneur and driving force behind STEMToyExpert.com.

A Great Way To Start a Site With an SEO Head Start

We own 41 domains. They just seem to multiply. We are online entrepreneurs and web designers, and we constantly have ideas for new businesses. The reason we have so domains is that when a new idea strikes, it is so easy and inexpensive (plus fun!) to jump on a registrar site and buy a relevant domain name. Maintaining ownership is also not expensive, and we view the domains in our portfolio as assets that will become more valuable over time.

More recently, we have started to acquire domains for a second reason. We recently started to acquire expired domain names at auction. These often have a long history and already have links pointing to them from other sites. This is a great way to start a site with an SEO head start.

It’s a Waiting Game for the Passive Domain Investor

My website started out as a domain investment before I started it up as a business. I’ve found some success in the investing business. My best success was buying an expired domain for $25 and selling it a few months later for $5000.

At the height of my portfolio, I had about 50 different domain names. As an investor, you’re always looking for expired names at auction. You have to check the droplists every day; otherwise, you’ll miss out on that hidden gem.

I usually only register them for a year. When renewal comes up, they get scrutinized hard to see if they should still be in my portfolio.

It’s a waiting game for the passive domain investor. A name may be completely worthless, but you keep it because it’s brandable, has some industry quality to it, or you may just really like it. There’s always the possibility that something may happen, or a new term may come into fashion that jumps up the value of a domain.

Look at Cryptocurrencies as an example. Crypto.com was owned by a cryptologist who made a lot of money due to the naming of cryptocurrencies. The amount it was sold for is under wraps, but he was receiving multi-million dollar offers from day one.

Why do online entrepreneurs own so many domains?

Bryan Truong

Bryan Truong, Founder of GameCows.
Why do online entrepreneurs own so many domains?

Yoann Bierling

Yoann Bierling, Founder of International Consulting.

To Cover Different Niches and Be Able To Host Content

[I own] 14 domains covering different niches. The main point in having 14 domains in my line of business, online publishing, is to cover different niches and be able to host content regarding various subjects. Diversification is not only a good way to change themes and feel more complete as a content creator, but [protects you against] search engine updates and trend changes.

Having interests in only a single website might be dangerous due to general public search interest changes, topic obsolescence, and also competition. It has proven particularly true and useful this year for example, as the whole travel niche fell down. Having websites with unrelated content was a great way to stay afloat despite big trend changes this year, which are always happening one way or another.

The Reason I Only Have Three Domains Is To Keep Focus

I currently own three domains. One for my personal website (Andreas Johansson UX), one for a hobby I have (fantasy books), and one for a future niche in which I am interested.

The reason I only have three domains is to keep focus. I have reached a bit of a threshold on my fantasy book niche website. I am running out of topics to write about that actually gain search volume on Google. However, for my personal website, there are still plenty of articles to cover. I want to minimize risk by having one more niche to write about later on as well. The key for me is to invest my current time where it matters and pays off the most.

Why do online entrepreneurs own so many domains?

Andreas Johansson

Andreas Johansson has worked as a UX specialist for the last couple of years, making things easier for both users and customers. Find him at Andreasjohanssonux.se.
Samiksha S Rawool

Samiksha S Rawool

Samiksha S Rawool, Founder of Yummy Tummy Recipes.

Use Them to Earn Money by Domain Flipping and Domain Parking

I am an experienced domainer. I currently own a portfolio of 65 domain names. The domain names cater to different niches, but primarily I cover niches like insurance, healthcare, education, and shopping. I am holding this portfolio of large domain names because I use them to earn money by domain flipping and domain parking. For domain flipping, I use platforms like Flippo and GoDaddy Auctions. For domain parking, I use platforms like ParkingCrew, ParkLogic, Skenzo, Voodoo, and Sedo.

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