What Is a Parked Domain? (Definition, Uses & Setup Guide)

If you’ve ever purchased a domain, you know that providers often suggest buying related ones in a package. But what would you need those extra domain names for? Actually, they can be a perfect investment in the future! With domain parking, you can protect your brand from competitors and enjoy other long-term benefits like reducing costs and earning even more on top of that. Today we’ll explore what a parked domain is, how to set one up along with the strategies to monetise it. Curious to learn about all the perks of the domains? Let’s do it!

What Is a Parked Domain? Simple Explanation

For all car owners (and their fellow passengers) out there, the meaning of a parked domain is essentially the same as a reserved parking space. It serves to hold a spot for you until you need to use it. Let’s say, you own an active website plus a collection of URLs that sound similar but aren’t currently in use. These domain names can be “parked” on a temporary page so that they don’t sit idle.

How to Spot a Parked Domain (Signs & Examples)

Parked domains are basically internet tumbleweeds. They contain no real content – just sit there collecting dust or ad pennies, if the owner is ambitious enough. Here’s how you can sniff one out:

• You are greeted with a splash page saying “Coming soon” or “This domain is parked” and that’s... it. No menu, no pages, not even a pulse.

• These pages are usually loaded with ads or affiliate links wall-to-wall. All of them are somehow related to the domain’s keywords but it still feels like the global web’s junk drawer got dumped in your face.

• You’ll immediately spot registrar logos or “Buy this domain” messages coupled with contact info for inquiries.

• Some of the idle domains might show browser errors like "server IP address could not be found" or simply blank screens thanks to missing hosting setup.

• Parked domains get little to no traffic, because there is nothing there worth visiting.

• A WHOIS search can confirm if a domain of your choice is registered but not connected to anything useful (an active website or email).

Surely, you can just reserve your parked domains for future projects or websites and display messages like “Under construction” or “Coming soon”. But we can do better than that, right? There are many reasons why people choose to park domains. Let’s explore the logic behind it together!

Why Park a Domain? Top Reasons Explained

There are multiple reasons why parking a domain can benefit your business, here are the main five which we think are worth considering.

Reserve a Domain for Future Development / Launch

By reserving a domain, you stock up a set of names for your future projects to make sure you have the exact one when the moment comes and you are ready to launch it. Naming means a lot, so you need to secure this important domain “asset” before it’s taken by someone else. Keep calm and park it!

This will spare you the unnecessary rush and extra costs when you try to buy a domain and find out it’s inconveniently snatched out from under your nose. That’s why it’s so vital to plan ahead as parked websites mean rolling out your future initiatives without any hassle.

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Protect Your Brand & Prevent Cybersquatting

Securing related domains right from the start won’t let your competitors take over your brand’s identity. What exactly do we mean by that? The thing is that it’s much easier to impersonate someone online when no one can tell the difference. Doing that offline would require actual presence and a lot of physical resources.

But the internet makes it easier for anyone to create a website or a social media profile which mimics your brand. It can be done to spread misinformation, redirect your website traffic and harm your reputation in every possible way. This will mislead your customers and might even result in a complete loss of trust. And once the damage is done, it’s way harder to get things back on track.

Sadly, digital space provides low barriers to entry for all kinds of evil. But now you know what to do to block others from such malicious activities with your parked domains. Let your brand and websites stay protected and trustworthy!

Monetize Unused Domains (Earn Revenue)

Apart from future plans and brand protection, you can also use otherwise idle domains to earn some passive income. Cool, right?

Let’s imagine the following scenario: you own a couple or more domains in the travel niche. For example: bestbeaches.com, toptouristspots.com and vacationguides.net. What is domain parking giving you in this case? Tons of opportunities! You can partner with ad networks and use these parked domains to display ads for anything related to the topic. Travel agencies, airlines, hotels, car rentals, to name a few. This way you can get profit from ad impressions or clicks, depending on the conditions of the offers you promote. A single conversion reward can be small but when they accumulate over time, it might be quite an impressive amount of money.

Redirect Traffic to Your Main Website

You can significantly improve your main website visibility if you redirect traffic from additional domains that you bought. You need to take into account common misspellings and keyword variations to appear on the radar of those who mistyped your website address or searched from similar terms. This way parked domains can help you capture all potential leads and drive them to the destination you initially wanted them to reach.

Hold a Domain Before It Expires or for Sale

Some owners park a domain just to keep it on a leash, so to speak – either before it expires or while they are prepping it for sale. As mentioned earlier, it has no content or updates, just a placeholder that says “Still mine” (not literally, haha). It stays registered and visible, so it doesn’t slip through the cracks. A “for sale” notice or contact info makes it easy for buyers to find… and maybe bite. It’s a low-effort way to keep the domain in play while you figure out your next steps.

Parked Domain vs. Addon Domain: Key Differences

There is one more distinction worth making: are parked domains and addon domains the same thing? Not exactly. Though they are indeed similar, these domains are meant for separate things. Let’s compare them in the table below:

How to Park a Domain: Step-by-Step Guide

Parking a domain is not rocket science, just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Choose a Registrar or Parking Service

Signs you’ve found a decent one:

• The page needs to load, that’s non-negotiable.

• The dashboard isn’t puzzle-like. You open it and instantly know what to do.

• You won’t be left wondering whether ads are part of the deal or the service is just holding your domain.

• If monetisation is indeed possible and your domain starts making money, you deserve to see the receipts through clear tracking.

• Support should be human, helpful and without allergy to follow-ups.

Step 2: Configure DNS Settings for Parking

To park your domain, you’ll need to point it to the service. That means to:

• Swap in the nameservers they give you.

• Or add basic DNS records (A or CNAME) which send traffic to the parking page.

• Then wait a few hours while the internet catches up.

Step 3: Set Up Domain Aliasing (If Applicable)

Here you need to search for an option to add a domain alias (if any). With its help, you can point your parked domain to another one or a temporary page. For this moment, they will be leading visitors to your main website or displaying some useful information.

To set up a domain alias, just follow these steps:

• Log into your hosting or registrar dashboard.

• Look for something like “domain alias”, “parked domain” or “pointer” (naming can vary).

• Add the alias and tell it which main domain it should mirror.

• Hit save, then wait. Like we covered, DNS takes a few hours to catch up.

• Type the alias into your browser and see where it takes you.

Step 4: Secure Your Parked Domain

Just because your domain is parked doesn’t mean it isn’t exposed. Lock it down:

• A browser warning is the fastest way to lose trust, so get HTTPS running.

• Some registrars offer DNSSEC. If yours does, use it, because it helps to confirm your DNS data hasn’t been messed with or swapped by someone shady.

• Domain locks stop surprise transfers from happening behind your back.

• Keep an eye on renewal dates – losing a domain to expiration is a classic rookie mistake.

• Check in now and then. If something is off, trust us, you’d prefer to catch it early.

Making Money with Parked Domains: Options & Tips

You can make the most out of your investments if you turn your parked domains into a money-making machine. We’ll tell you how:

• Cash Parking. This option implies that you partner with a domain parking service to list your domain for sale or display ads on it. But usually it’s both: you can passively earn some money when users visit your domain, until it is sold. So it’s a win-win: you don’t just sit around waiting for a potential buyer but also get profit from ad clicks on your domain along the way. And the money from the sale will be a cherry on top, once the deal is sealed. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s go through it step-by-step:

1. Choose a service that offers cash parking options (e.g. GoDaddy, Sedo, etc.);
2. Create an account and list your domain;
3. Customise the settings of your ads based on the options offered by the service. Most of the time, you can choose what types of ads will be displayed on your domain.
4. Activate your cash parking feature, launch ads and start earning money from clicks.

• Earning Through Ads. This method is similar to cash parking but it offers more control and higher potential for earning as you partner directly with ad networks. Besides, here you focus entirely on traffic monetisation, without the intention to sell your domain. Let’s see how it works:

1. Sign up with an ad network (e.g. Google AdSense);
2. Add an ad code provided by the network to your domain’s page. This code guarantees that the ads are displayed correctly and you get the credit for every click.
3. Thoughtfully place the ads on your domain page so that they get a higher number of impressions and clicks. Don’t be shy to experiment with different layouts and positions to see what works best for your domain monetisation.
4. Monitor how your ads are doing on your network’s dashboard and adjust your tactics if necessary.

Making your money work for you through domain parking is like planting a seed: it’s all about letting it grow while you sit back and enjoy the shade!

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Parked Domain Security: Essential Measures

If you want to protect your parked domain from unauthorised access and misuse, you must keep it as secure as possible. But fear not, we are here to share with you some best practices to make sure your domains remain safe:

• Use a Trusted Domain Registrar. As the whole journey starts with a domain provider or a registrar, you need to choose a reputable and reliable one. We recommend looking for a domain service that has transparent policies and offers prompt customer support and strong website security features. It will give you peace of mind that your asset is in good hands, protected from fraud and abuse.

• Enable Domain Locking. We mentioned this feature earlier, it can prevent possible unauthorised transfers of your domain. How? It adds an extra layer of protection so that no one except you can make changes in your domain’s settings or ownership. Thanks to this explicit website authorization, you won’t fall victim to accidental or malicious domain transfers.

• Consider Private Domain Registration. Ever wondered where fraudsters can get hold of your personal details? Unfortunately, this kind of information can be easily snatched from public WHOIS databases. Private domain registration is way better in this case. It can protect your website data and reduce the risk of spam, phishing attacks or identity theft. No more leaks, only a high level of security and privacy for your parked domains!

Now that your domains are well-protected, you can channel your energy into planning their future use and making the most of their potential benefits.

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Conclusion: Is Parking Your Domain the Right Move?

We hope this article helped you to learn what a parked website is. Strategical parking of your domains is a wise decision that brings many benefits to the table.

You can reserve domain names for future projects down the road, shield your brand from competitors and get profit from advertising. Moreover, you can use these idle domains to redirect traffic to your main website thus making it even more noticeable for online dwellers. Don’t forget to follow best practices that we shared with you today to secure your website domains, it will help you protect your investments so that you can enjoy long-term perks.

Whether you are plotting internet world domination or just want some easy cash flow, parked domains are like little gold mines waiting for you to dig in. And our team wishes you the best of luck in your domain efforts!