A parked domain refers to a registered domain name that is not currently being used as an active website. The domain is "parked" on a temporary landing page until the owner is ready to build a site.
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Why Do People Park Domains?
There are several strategic reasons companies and individuals park domains:
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Reserve the name for future projects – Buys time if you have a domain idea but aren‘t ready to launch yet. Prevent competitors from stealing it.
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Protect brands and trademarks – Large enterprises often park TLD variations of their primary dot com to guard their brand identity. e.g. example.net.
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Generate ad revenue – Parking pages can display Google AdSense or other contextual ads. You earn when visitors click. This is most lucrative with premium domains that get lots of direct traffic.
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Sell the domain for profit – Investors or developers may park high value domains they intend to flip or auction off to interested buyers. The parked page indicates it‘s for sale.
Parking continues to grow – Verisign reported over 35 million domains were parked in Q2 2022, a 3.9% increase over Q2 2021.
How Do Parked Domains Work?
When someone types your parked domain into their web browser, they‘ll land on a default placeholder page instead of a real, functioning site.
Common parked domain pages will say:
- Domain Under Construction
- Domain Parked
- Domain For Sale
- Coming Soon
For example, if you register candleco.com but haven‘t built a site yet, visitors would see:
These placeholder pages are typically provided by your chosen domain registrar, website host, or third-party parking service.
Different parking options include:
| Parking Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Default registrar page | Simple setup | Limited customization |
| Web host parked page | Easy to manage alongside hosting account | Few design options |
| WordPress plugin | Full custom homepage design | Additional software required |
| Third-party parking service | Advanced monetization features | Monthly fees |
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Park a Domain
Parking a domain only takes a few minutes once you‘ve registered the name:
Using Domain Registrar
- Login to your domain registrar account control panel
- Find the domain parking or parked domains section
- Select the purchased domain you wish to park from your list
- Choose a default parked page template or set custom text
- Save changes
Using WordPress
- Get web hosting and install WordPress
- Buy desired domain name from registrar
- Install and activate parked domain plugin like SeedProd
- Create custom homepage and apply parked theme
- Configure domain DNS to point to WordPress server IP
And your domain is now parked! Repeat these steps for any domains you need to park.
Expert Tips for Parking Domains Successfully
With 15 years experience as a webmaster, here are my top tips for beginners parking domains:
- Always renew parked domains on time so they don‘t expire. Set calendar reminders.
- Point the domain‘s DNS to the correct IP where your parked page is hosted.
- Avoid super thin placeholder pages. Add some useful content relevant to the domain name.
- Be careful parking domains related to trademarked brands or copyrighted content.
- Consider redirecting visitors to a social media profile or simple single page site instead.
- Research domain parking regulations – some countries prohibit parking pages with ads only.
- Use privacy protection to hide your contact details from public WHOIS info.
The Future of Parked Domains – Trends to Watch
Parked domains aren‘t going away anytime soon. Here are some emerging trends to look out for:
- Targeted ad networks for parked pages with contextual ads based on the domain name and audience.
- Parking domains specifically for selling leads and data collection.
- Blockchain-powered domain parking and auction platforms.
- Using interactive parked pages for pre-launch hype building.
- Increased use of parked domains for cybersquatting and brand infringement.
I hope this guide has given you a comprehensive overview of parked domains! Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to help fellow webmasters.
