Eric, how successful have you been selling your names on your websites as apposed to the marketplace?
Yeah please tell us how many names you sold the last 12 months? And how large your portfolio is?
How large your portfolio is can u tell me?plz
Back in 2009 to 2012 I used marketplaces the most to flip and bought domains in bulk all the time, however, my business model changed a lot since then. Just like with everything life, throughout history, things change. I found that developing all my assets in to either mini-sites, large service/product sites, or multi-monetizable landers was the better way to go for me. it allowed me to generate more steady income monthly to sustain my living expenses.
Remember, what works for one person may not work for another.
As far as my portfolios go, I used to manage anywhere from 150 to 300+ domains at a time with a fast rotating stock back when i played the quick flip game (Registering with coupons & flipping for $40 to $200+). That was very time consuming.
Now days, I still develop all my domains, however, I don't buy in bulk anymore like I used to, so my public portfolio is down to 16 domains and my private portfolio is down to 5 (total 21), all developed (Except one new one I aquired recently for a campaign that I still need to develop out).
It only makes sense that one would develop their portfolio to convert like a business. After all, domain investing is a business model that has thousands of different directions it can go and everything you can do to help your domains pay their own yearly renewals is an asset. Developing a portfolio that converts is just one of those strategies and a must have for anyone serious about their business.
You'll notice that some of the larger portfolio holders (1000+ domains) have opted to turn marketplace scripts into their monetized portfolio. Some even open the doors to other investors to list their domains for sale and call it a brokerage.
Developing a domain portfolio that converts isn't new by any means, it's been an option that some have used for decades successfully.
As far as how many domains I've sold in the last 12 months. None, however, they all still paid for themselves and some of my bills even though they didn't sell, because they are monetized. I don't push my domains for sale much anymore since they generate revenue. I'm happy sitting on everything that makes money. Occassionally, I'll have one that didn't produce for a while due to a market shift, dying trend, etc. and I'll either sell it, drop it and notify my readers of the drop, or give it away. I recently dropped 3 geo+service domains and alerted some of my readers in case they wanted them on the drop to do something with.
The point of this article/post was just to show one of the posibilities investors have when it comes to targeted monetization of a domain/portfolio. Use the information as you will or throw it away. Up to you.