The "Domain Clash": Should I stay (renew) or should I go now (lapse)?

If I go there will be trouble An if I stay it will be double ...

[Webwork]

So, it's that time again, which in my case - due to the volume of domains I've registered - happens every week.

It's time to do the "Do I renew or do I lapse?" dance.

Queue the dance music, brought to you by the band "The Clash". (Great tune BTW).

So, here's the process:

1. Use domain registrar's control panel to view domains "by expiration" date
   
2. Login to domain parking and check last 12 months traffic and income stats for any domains that I have doubts about.
   
3. Ask self: "Self, why the doubts? Is this a predictive domain whose time has not yet come? Is this a high value "sales lead" domain, that may not have a high CTR but would have a high value to an enduser who converts the clickthrought? Etc.
   
4. Balancing act: Cost of renewal versus income versus probability of a resale in a foreseeable future
   
5. Grind my gears. Click boxes next to domains "in doubt" and change their status from "Auto new" to "Not auto renew"
   
6. Allow names to expire
   
7. Look at expired domain lists and ask myself: Are you really sure about this? IF you're decision is ill-founded how bad will you feel?
   
8. Get a good night's rest before asking same question again.
   
9. Feel the "pinch" of domains that I allowed to lapse in the past that others picked up. Rationalize that while they were good domains they were not up to my present standards.
   
10. Question my reasons and rationale. Suffer a bit.
    
11. Resist impulse to change status to renew or to "renew now".
    
12. Have restless night's sleep. Other issues. Unable to fall asleep. Sit at computer, second guessing myself. Check again about expiring domain's traffic, income, etc.
    
13. Watch alien creature emerge from my abdomen. Wonder where Sigouney Weaver is when I need a woman capable of handling such things, as alien creatures or the impulse to renew doubtful domains start to emerge from my gut.
    
14. Check stats again. Ponder. Look at my current cash flow.
    
15. Alter the balance of the universe and my cash flow.
    
16. Look at domain list again.
    
17. Click certain boxes.
    
18. Hit renew button.
    
19. Try not to think.
    
20. Try on thoughts, like "I'm experienced. My judgment is good. It only cost me $278.00 to renew this small collection. All I need to do is sell 1 in the next 4 years to recoup . . . I know what I'm doing."
    
21. Drink coffee. Get out development notes. Try to stop thinking about domains.
    

Ugly inefficient little process, eh?

So, what's the process like that you go through when it comes to answering the domain decisive question:

Should these domains stay or should they go?

If I don't renew then will I be troubled? If I do renew them will my trouble double?

Queue Pet Benatar . . "C'mon and hit me with your best shot . . fire away . .

[edited by: Webwork at 6:48 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2008]

[buckworks]

It only cost me $278.00 to renew this small collection.

And it will cost that much again next year ... and the year after ... and the year after that ...

Bwahahahahahaha ....

[Rosalind]

My view is, it's all a gamble, and the odds are getting slightly longer each year because more tlds keep getting released, and the cost of domain renewal is rising. But the formula is always the same, and it's simple: don't punt any amount of money you can't afford to lose.

[gpmgroup]

New gTLDs will have less and less effect on the value of existing TLDs because each one makes it harder and harder to gain critical mass (mind share). Critical mass takes years look at .info it's only just becoming accepted / known.

Most people want to follow not lead. As new gTLDs get released the people leading get spread out thinner and thinner until very few will be prepared to risk ridicule of peers or afford the losses of failure.

[MamaDawg]

Hah! I go through that every month (minus Sigourney).

Several weeks ago I was planning to drop an entire vertical from my portfolio because it was just taking up space. There wasn't the chance of a snowball you-know-where that I'd ever develop any of them. I was adamant. This time I meant business. They were as good as gone...those slackers were out the door!

...Then out of the blue I got a $500 offer for one of them.

So much for "out the door"!

Random reinforcement of my indecisive behavior - I hate when that happens!

[Webwork]

MamaDawg, if I remember my lessons in behaviorist / Skinnerian psychology it's "random reinforcement" that creates the strongest habitual behaviors.

Unfortunately, random reinforcement is a fairly strong pattern in domaining.

We're doomed! :p

don't punt any amount of money you can't afford to lose

Rosalind, truer words were never spoken when it comes to domains and other games of chance.

Ummm . . PubCon Vegas, anyone? :p

[MamaDawg]

MamaDawg, if I remember my lessons in behaviorist / Skinnerian psychology it's "random reinforcement" that creates the strongest habitual behaviors.

Exactly my point :) - darn things are worse than slot machines, curse them!