Old Domains = New Business?

Big online names like AOL and IAC are snatching up smaller online media outlets, sites like College Humor and Urban Baby. These websites have an already built in popular niche audience, making it easier to build up a brand.

by Kristina Knight

When IAC picked up CollegeHumor.com, the site was already getting about six million unique hits each month. The audience, mostly watching videos of college kids pranking, is the type advertisers’ love. High school and college age kids with a few 30-somethings thrown in for variety. So far the site is pulling in only about one-quarter of its advertising potential, which could spell huge profits for both IAC and CollegeHumor.com.

But does the system of buying established domains instead of building your own from scratch work? With the number of large firms buying up smaller, it’s expected to.

To open the biggest revenue stream, the audience has to be interested in what your company has to offer. Marketing baby clothes to hard-core gamers won’t work.

The key for these buyouts is cross promotion. Advertising each website on each site owned will tap even more potential customers for your products. Not every established domain will work with your company so do your research first. Then get in the game.