Old websites / domains going to waste

[golddiggerguy]

What do you do with a website or domain a client no longer wants or have maybe stopped trading altogether? To let the domains drop and the site get deindexed would be a shame.

I have put a few holding pages with generic relevant info on a sites with Adsense banners and 1 of them makes on average £1 a day. ( a nice stream)

The domains are regged under my company name and don't pretend or portray to be them.

Anyone else done this and any thoughts please.

 

[wb]

Are they generic style domains or business name domains?

If the domains were bought for the client then I believe they will still legally belong to them even if they're registered to your company name (was reading a related DRS recently). If the clients are not likely to mind what you're doing then you may want to get written confirmation from them that they approve or perhaps buy the domains/website for a nominal fee?

Most web design companies will probably cancel domains or leave them to expire, which does seem a waste I agree. What you're doing (if done as above) could be a nice alternative...

 

[golddiggerguy]

Yes a generic e.g. HoldernessOak.co.uk (not the site) and the business name is longer and a mix of that so maybe. Holderness Pine and Oak Furniture Limited

If any wanted to have them removed or stopped they would have said and TBH again they arn't sites at all really more holding pages with a bit of generic info and then the ads.

 

[golddiggerguy]

Just picked a site thats dropped with backlinks still in place and with 6-8 years of History vie http://web.archive.org and I think people would still be searching for in Search engines.

I'll see what I get from a simple holding page with content and a few Graffic banners.

If I get £10 fair enough if I get £100 cool if i get £1000 happy days

I'll reveal in a week or so my findings

 

[neeorg]

Actually I was looking at buying a name 2yrs ago, it gets about 900 exacts each month, and has advertising in the name.

Its had a client purchased page all that time, contacted the owner who said he is making a website, that was 2yrs ago, missed out on a load of traffic and the name is going to waste.