Now that we’ve discussed why you should test your domains at
multiple parking companies, let’s discuss some factors that might influence
your decision to test them.
Click Through Rate
(aka CTR)
For me, click through rate is a big flag. If your click through
percentage is low then your traffic is not converting and if it’s not
converting then you’re not maximizing your revenue. I know, I’m stating the
obvious but I’m often surprised at the number of domains I see parked only with
one company that have a CTR in the single digits.
Several things can impact your CTR and sometimes you have to
dig for the answers while other times simply changing parking companies does
the trick. So many factors can influence your click through rate, I will
discuss them in a separate post.
Earnings Per Click
(aka EPC)
When using EPC or RPM (Revenue Per Thousand) as a factor,
you will want to be cautious. Some keywords are just low earners and will be no
matter where you test them. Others will have an abnormally low payout and you
will find you earn more at a new company. Some domainers prefer to focus on RPM
rather than EPC. Personally, I will examine both and see how they vary over a
period of time. I don’t have an all-inclusive
rule for either that will cause flags. For me, a lot of it will depend on the
domain, its potential keywords, any kind of seasonality and its other stats.
When you have a domain with both a low CTR and a low EPC then the risk to test
elsewhere is much lower than the rewards.
Changes in Statistics
Changes in traffic, revenue, clicks can be tricky. Sometimes
a domain will slowly drop in revenue and unless you look several months back,
you barely notice a difference because it’s just a little bit at a time. Other
times a domain will have a drastic drop that will immediately raise flags. Is
it just seasonality? Is it normal for that domain, or is it a flag that maybe
that parking company is just no longer monetizing the domain as well? It’s a
good idea to periodically check in with the health of your portfolio. Just
because a domain was doing well doesn’t mean it will continue to do so. Sudden
increases are something to look at as well and may be a prime time for testing
a domain to maximize the influx of new traffic.
Conclusion
While parking revenue is mostly a passive endeavor, it doesn’t
have to be. The great thing about testing your domains on the Above Parking
Manager is that if you want to be hands on and analyze your domains and make
decisions manually, the tools are right there for you to do so. And if you want
to be more passive and let the system manage your portfolio for you, you have
that option as well. The bottom line is if you’re only parking your domains
with one parking company, you are leaving money on the table. Want to discuss
your domain strategy and how it can be improved? Let’s talk. Email me at
melissa at above dot com or on Skype at AboveMelissa.
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