The perils of domain name addiction
February 2, 2012 by Cory WebbMy name is Cory, and I'm a domain name addict. There, I said it. Now I feel better.
I don't know how it started. It wasn't a big deal at first. Back when Network Solutions lost its grip (monopoly) on the domain name registration business, and the price of a domain name went from $35/year to down around $10/year, the cost of a domain name suddenly became much less prohibitive. I don't remember the first domain name I bought. I think it was probably CoryWebb.com. Once I bought one I was hooked.
I'm an ideas guy. I have ideas all the time. Some great, some not so great, and some really lame. As a web developer/idea guy, you know you need a good domain name to go along with your idea. And hey, it's only $10, so what could it hurt to go ahead and pick up that domain name. You know, just in case you ever decide to do something with that idea that came to you in the middle of breakfast that morning. Oh, and you should probably go ahead and get the .net and .org version of the domain, just in case. You wouldn't want someone owning a version of your great domain name. That would detract from your great idea, right? And so it began.
I won't get into all of the details, but I currently own 46 domain names. I know some of you are saying, "Only 46? This guy's a lightweght." You're probably right. Fortunately, I have just enough pragmatism to keep my domain name addiction in check, but it's still a problem. Four of those domain names actually belong to or are used by other people, so really I only own 42 domain names. Of those 42, I am actively using 8 domain names. I'm forwarding a lot of the .net and .org domain names to those 8, so the number of domain names I'm actually using probably goes up to around 20.
The reality is, I'm only actively managing 2 (maybe 3) of the sites represented by those 42 domain names. The rest is mostly just noise. I clearly have a problem. Fortunately, my number is relatively low, so it only costs me around $400/year to hold on to all of those domain names. But what a waste! I can only imagine what it would cost me if I actually purchased every domain name idea I ever came up with. I wouldn't have any money left.
Why do I bring this up? There is an underlying problem with domain name addiction. The problem is that we tend to think it's easy to spin up a new website for this idea and that, and we don't realize that it takes a lot of time and effort not only to build this great idea, but also to maintain it. We also don't believe in our ideas enough to devote the time and resources to actually build it, and not just hoard the domain name "just in case."
So, here's my 4-step solution for those of you suffering with domain name addiction:
Step 1: Admit that you have a problem.
Step 2: Use it or lose it. When renewal time comes for those domain names you aren't actually using, do 1 of 2 things: get serious about your idea and build it, or just let it go. Don't renew that domain name unless you are ready to do something with it.
Step 3: Build first, then buy. If you have a great idea, build it. Then buy a domain name for it. You can buy the domain name first, but only if you are either in the process of building your idea, or you intend to build it it immediately after you purchase your domain name.
Step 4: Leave no domain name unused. Don't buy a new domain name until you have done something with your old, unused domain names. Either let them expire, or build something with them. Don't leave them unused. Set them free to find another good home.
This post was pretty cathartic for me. Now I just need to go and follow my own 4 steps. What's your domain name addiction story?
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