Domain Registration Addiction

Domain Registration Addiction

Hi, my name is Daniel. I am a domain registration addict. Now you say: “Hi Daniel.” But seriously, I have several ideas for new websites or businesses every single day. And while I often think that I don’t really want to do them, there are always a few that I think could finally be my breakthrough. On a side note, I am already working on my second million! But that’s just the problem. The first million never materialized, so I gave up on making my first million.

The more domains I register and the more websites I try to start, the less time I have for any of them. I have known that for several years now, and actually have reduced the number of websites I have and the number of domain names I own. I haven’t completely stopped registering new domains, but slowed down quite a bit. But I still have way too many, over 107 at the last count. A successful website is not always measured in dollar amounts. A small niche website, like my petitepets.com, that does not make me any money at the moment gives me more pleasure than a handful of my best adsense websites. Why? Nice comments from customers who bought my top bar hives make me very happy. That happiness is worth much more to me than a one dollar click on some automated adsense website.

Back to the addiction. Although I have reduced my websites and domain names, I still come up with ideas that I think are so great that I have to at least register the domain name because some day I won’t have to work for money. I’ll be rich and can just do what I want. And then I will do this new super cool website I just came up with. Wrong again!

The domain name gold rush is over! Registering a domain for $14 and selling it for $7 million will probably not happen again unless you put a lot of work into it and sell a successful website along with it. And all the generic domains are already registered. Today, a domain is just a domain. You can always come up with a new one. If XYZ.com is taken, try MyXYZ.com or MyXYZinfo.com and so on. There are also over a hundred other domain extensions. The secret of success lies in your great website idea and its promotion. More than likely it will not have much to do with the name itself. Any cool and easy to remember name can be a success.

So try this the next time you want to register a domain name: Ask yourself if all the domains you have are live websites. Are they all successful? And do you still have time for a new one? Then by all means, go register it. But if you answered NO to any of the questions, STOP! You don’t have the time to register a new domain name. Instead, go promote or improve your existing website.

How do you reduce the number of websites or domain names you already own? Make a list and rate them on how successful they are. Concentrate your time on the most successful before you even consider spending time working on other sites. Now what do you do with the not-so-successful websites and domain names? Try to sell them. You can list them for free on craigslist or kijiji. If you want to invest a bit and possibly pay fees if they sell, you can certainly sell them on eBay. Describe your domain name or website well to get good bids and make a decent profit. Or just let them expire.

So when those ideas pop into your head, just write them down. This way you won’t be afraid to forget or miss a good idea. But at the same time you won’t start another project and neglect what you have started so far. Right after you write down your idea, go and promote your other websites to use the excitement and motivation you got from just having had a new idea.

Check my timer on the right side to see how long I have been “Registration Free”.

Give credit where credit is due:

I was inspired to admit my addiction and write this article after reading Gordie Rogers’ article on soda addiction.

Photo credit: photo by me, Daniel