Domain name marketing has a mixed reputation. Campaigns launched with great fanfare to boost growth of top-level domains are often followed by a slump in renewals a year later. Why? Many campaigns are successful in driving registrations but fail to encourage actual use. Those unused domain names give little value to registrants and are referred to as ‘junk domains.’
So how do you move from volume to value?
Think beyond the first-year sale
Long-term value comes from targeting the right audiences like small businesses, makers and innovators. A domain that powers a business or a brand is less likely to get dropped. And you can create more value by developing campaign strategies that tie domain names to daily operations. One way you can do this is by bundling registrations with email and hosting packages, ensuring new domains aren’t just registered but are recognized as key brand assets.
Another essential aspect that’s often overlooked when developing a campaign is customer renewals. New domain registrations are great, but they aren’t everything. Make renewals attractive by adding long-term incentives to help drive real growth during your campaign.
Set quality criteria
One practical example of building value through domain marketing is SIDN’s co-funding program that supports marketing activities for .NL domains. SIDN encourages registrars to design campaigns around retention and active usage by setting clear quality criteria . Examples include linking campaign support to customers purchasing mail hosting or packages with their domain names or incentivising renewals at the end of the campaign’s first year. As a result, these campaigns drive high-quality registrations and reinforce .NL’s reputation as trustworthy and worth investing in—making it the go-to domain for Dutch registrants.
A well-planned strategy makes all the difference
In short, while concern about junk domains is justified, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in sight. When done right, marketing campaigns can generate high-quality registrations. Longterm value in domain marketing comes from attracting the right audience and helping them build their domain into brands. Hello Registry can help you secure that objective, just say hello!