The number of websites grows every year. And currently, there are over a billion websites on the world wide web. But did you know that 83.2% of those are inactive and are called parked domains?

Now, we all know that great domain names sell like hotcakes. And if the domain name you want to secure is unavailable, there’s a chance it’s parked.

But what’s a parked domain and why should you consider getting one? Let’s find out.

What Is a Parked Domain

A parked domain is a registered domain name that isn’t directly linked to any hosted platform.

Most websites have a single domain name that leads to the main website. But parked domains point to either a “can’t be reached” page, a “this domain is parked” page, or a “this domain is for sale” or “for sale domain” page.

A parked domain can also be an “alias” or an additional domain name that leads to the primary domain’s website.

READ: Components of a Domain Name

Why Park Your Domain Name

Your website isn’t ready yet

There’s no better time to secure a domain name than at the start of your online journey. And if you come up with a solid domain name, park it first until the website is live.

You can put up a notice informing your visitors that your website is still under construction. When they try to access your parked domain, they’ll see a “Coming Soon” or “Work in Progress”.

Save it for future use

You have the most brilliant idea for a website, and the perfect domain name — but you’re not quite ready to begin working on it.

And as mentioned before, good domain names go fast. A name you come up with today may be off the market tomorrow.

That’s why a reasonable solution to this is to park your website. You can save that domain name for later and direct it to your hosting account when your website is ready to go live.

Plan to sell it

In today’s tech-centric world, domain names are one of the most valuable digital assets. They provide significant value to a business.

That’s why many investors purchase new domains for a low price, then sell them at a higher one. They park the domain, turn it into a landing page with a “This domain is for sale” on it, and wait until someone expresses interest in buying it.

Protect your brand from cybersquatting

Cybersquatting is the unauthorized registration and use of domain names that incorporate the trademark of an existing company. They purchase these domains with the intention of reselling them to the actual trademark owner.

You can protect your brand against cybersquatting by parking your domain. Register the same domain with all the relevant domain extensions, such as .com.sg, .sg, .net, .biz, and .org.

Be sure to also register as many spelling alternatives as possible like how Google secured gogle.com and gooogle.com. In this way, visitors will still be redirected to the correct website despite misspelling your domain name.

READ: 5 New Domain Extensions Worth Considering for Your Business

What Is a Subdomain

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain name. Subdomains are created to organize your website into sections to make them look like they are a separate website.

Let’s say for example you have a website called tastypastry.com. You can use a subdomain to launch a cookie site (cookie.tastypastry.com) or a bread site (bread.tastypastry.com). It’s also best to make your subdomains short to make them easier to remember.

Parked Domain vs Subdomain

A parked domain and a subdomain each serve a unique purpose.

A parked domain is an additional domain name that points to your primary domain. This lets your visitors access your main website and see all the content when they enter the parked domain.

On the other hand, a subdomain is a website with its own unique content but with no new domain name. It simply acts as an organiser to categorise the different types of content on your website.

Got An Extra Domain? Park It.

Parking your domain means you don’t intend to use it right away. It’s like parking your car in your garage to be used later. You might wait for your website to launch, reserve them for later use, or keep it to resell in the future. And even if you’re not ready to use it just yet, get it before anyone else and park it.