What Is Domain Parking And How Does It Work?
These days, when someone uses the word “surfing,” they’re probably referring to internet browsing rather than the related water sport. Well, you can say the word parking is experiencing something very similar.
Yup, domain parking is a thing, though we have to admit it’s not a term that you usually hear.
Nevertheless, we think it’s pretty important to know (which is probably why you’re here too). Read on to learn all about domain parking, and how to do it yourself.
What Exactly Is Domain Parking?
Before we get into domain parking, you’ll have to understand how domains work first.
There are so many uses for domain names. They can be used to link to a website, serve as email addresses, shorten links, redirect to a social media page, or, in this case, you can also park them.
Simply put, parking a domain is when you buy a domain name (like Bitcatcha.com), but don’t link it to any web hosting or web services like email. As an alternative, you “park” it for future use, most often with a landing page or holding page.
But aside from saving a domain for later, there are also several other reasons why people purchase one on a domain registrar and park it, which we will discuss in the next section.
Why You Might Want To Park A Domain Name
What purpose does a domain serve if it isn’t being used for anything? Well, it turns out that there are a number of good reasons to keep a few parked domains, such as when:
- Your website isn’t ready or complete yet
If the website is still being worked on, it’s common practice to park the domain first. As a result, you won’t need to pay for a dedicated IP address before the site is ready to use. - You have multiple domains, all of which should point to the main domain
Let’s say there are popular/common misspellings of your primary domain. This can get pretty annoying and in some cases, might lead you to lose web visitors. Because of this, you can register additional domains on your primary domain that can point to your primary domain. - You no longer need the website
If you no longer want your website to be up and you’re basically just waiting for it to expire, domain parking is a simple solution. In this manner, the website is taken down and the domain becomes inactive until it expires. This is also great if you still plan to use your domain name for future purposes but just don’t plan on having a website up for it yet. - You’re domain investing
Some people buy domains and then resell them to make a profit. Domain names that you want to sell can be parked on the website so that customers can buy them directly from you.
How To Park A Domain
Domain parking can be intimidating at first, especially if you’ve never done it before. But, you’d be surprised to find that it’s very easy to do. You’ll just need to find a domain you want to use, and then simply register it. You can even do this through a registrar like NameCheap or Google Domains.
Even better: when you park a domain, you don’t have to worry about configuring nameservers to connect it to a web host.
But, know that you’ll still need to buy the domain and continue making yearly payments to keep it parked. This costs about $10, including WHOIS protection, for the majority of TLDs.
So before parking your own domain, it’s important to ask yourself questions like: “Am I really sure about this domain?” or “Is this the domain I really want?”
If you’re not 100% sure about your answer, you might find yourself registering new domains each time you think of a better idea, which not only costs a lot of money, but time as well.
Just like any other investment, be sure to factor in all aspects before making a purchase!
Domain Parking Services You Can Consider
If a domain name catches your eye and it turns out to be available, you can register it for a set fee and gain full ownership of it, preventing anyone else from registering the same name while it’s in your possession.
The domain name registration alone, however, only serves to identify the website and does not guarantee its existence online. The “physical space” where you can build pages with content and upload files will be necessary after you register your domain.
To ensure that your website can connect to the domain name system and be accessible around the clock, you’ll want to assign your domain to one of the best web hosts. Here are some of our top recommendations:
- GoDaddy
If you’re looking to earn money from your parked domain, GoDaddy is the way to go. GoDaddy provides cutting-edge security, useful self-service knowledge base resources, and CashParking services to assist you in making money from your parked domain. - Hostinger
This is a great option for those just starting out with a website and those on a tight budget. Cheap tools are available from Hostinger on top of a service that’s incredibly easy to use. - HostPapa
Compared to its competitors, HostPapa has more features and charges a small premium for operational, small business, and security add-ons. On top of that, they offer good technical support and have servers all over the world.
Park Your Domain With Ease
Now that you know a little bit about domain parking and how it functions, you can pretty much appreciate and understand why so many people do it. Not only can you save a domain for future use, but you can make a profit out of a very catchy one.
The best part is, it’s super simple to set up, and a lot of the best domain registrars and best web hosts let you do them very easily.
So, what are you waiting for? You should park that domain that you’ve always wanted so no one can get their hands on it before you do!
