What to do with unused domain names

[Blue Cat Buxton]

What is the common practice with regard to domain names you own but dont yet have a site built for?

Point them nowhere or point them to a holding page?

If I point a domains to a holding page and list it with search engines (so it is spidered for when the site is ready), and then move the site to another server will the search engine links still work? (Or is this just a bad idea until the site is ready)

[paul]

I had extra hosting space so I used to always create a hosting account immediately. Then I discovered how fast Google finds the new sites (a few days for me lately). Now I have a number of domains where Google has the default under construction page. Not exactly helpful.

Lately I made a game out of throwing up something for every domain. I take a template (I have been using Xara Webstyle), look up keywords that are relevant to that domain and then write a home page. Since I always have some sort of idea in mind for a new domain, it isn't hard to write a page or two. I don't spend a much time on them-maybe an hour or two.

I figure that "gets me on the books" for the keywords and there is a least a chance someone will find the site and be interested in the idea. And, in fact, I have gotten a few solid inqueries and some page rank from doing this. Take a look at:

www.tastewithaface.com
www.woodwebs.com
www.usgop.com

[Chris]

I point them no where, or rather I point them at my servers but do not setup my servers to host them so they go no where.

[MarkB]

Same as Chris. The added benefit to this is once you do setup an account for the site, and upload it, it's live immediately.

[ozgression]

Yeah, that's what I do too.
________
Chevrolet Cheyenne (concept) (http://www.chevy-wiki.com/wiki/Chevrolet_Cheyenne_(concept))

[Blue Cat Buxton]

Whilst I quite like Pauls 'getting on the books idea', this is probably because I am impatient waiting for PR to update and my ideas on sites and domains are running ahead of my time resources to build them.

Having them already pointing at the server for ‘instant initialisation’ seems to be the way to go.

[pulsetoday]

I park them at sedo... Example : fashioninnews.com

email setup by godaddy.

[pulsetoday]

opps! forgot to add... You are not obliged to sell your domain if you park it with them.

[Blue Cat Buxton]

Some of the prices there seem a little optimistic - 10,000 euro for weddingnight.com

Or is that realistic?

[incka]

I send them to my servers and upload a page that just has the company logo with a link to incka.com (get's PR to the site if the domains get any pr)...