Why domainers must become developers

In the early days of domaining, say up until  2002, domaining was easy (well easier).

You bought generic domains and, with the rise of domain name parking companies, you parked them and watched the money flood in. I accept there were many late nights and many problems for early domainers to overcome, but it is safe to say things are harder now.

Not all of the best domains are gone but domainers have to work hard to make money now and need additional skills. One of the most vital skill sets domainers need is web development skills, or at least an appreciation of what is involved in web development.

Many domainers do not want to worry about web development or site creation. Perhaps they are better off spending their time prospecting for domains or are better off concentrating on other business activities. (Those domainers will be sharing the revenue their domains attract with domain name parking companies, and thats not always the best possible option, for them.)

However, I think most people are not in that position.

For most domainers, developing out domains in their domain portfolio is a worthwhile use of their time and will lead to greater profits. I am not suggesting the creation of numerous minisites, but domainers should know which of the domains they own can be developed into profitable sites.

Lets be clear about this.

If you do not want a significant proportion of your profits to go to web developers in development fees, or if you would prefer not to share your revenue with domain name parking companies you need to acquire web development skills.

What skills? Well to start with a working knowledge of HTML, CSS and at least know what PHP and MySQL can do when integrated with one another. Ability to install Wordpress on a paid hosting service. Knowledge about website monetization options and search engine optimization is vital.

If you have no choice but to use web developers, perhaps because of time commitments, you should still have a good appreciation of the topics I mentioned above. That way you can talk to your developer in a language you both can understand, and are able to get from your developer exactly what you want.

Are you a domainer with web development skills? How important is it for a domainer to have those skils? Have you used developers to develop your domains? Would web development skills have saved you money and time? Share your experiences below….