Hi, I would like to introduce myself. I am Eric, the owner Impulse communications, Inc. I run several hundred websites such as Dumb.com, CheapFlowers.com, and Adoptme.com and also own over 9,000 domain names such as BuyWine.com, WatchMovies.com, and Inventing.com. I started on the Internet back in 1995 creating web sites for other people, while at the same time I was buying up domains and starting some web sites of my own. Eventually I stopped doing sites for other people and just focused on developing sites on all the domains I was buying. Many of the domains were ones I was able to buy because the previous owner did not pay the bill and Network Solutions reclaimed them and made them available again to the public. Back then there was no automated software to find these type of names, so I used to manually look for good domains that were no longer working and write them down on a list. Each morning around 4am-5am Eastern time I would get up and check this list to see if any became available, because that was the time each day Network Solutions released new domains, and if I did not do it early other people would grab the good names.
Back in the early 2000’s I opened a bunch of ecommerce sites selling vitamins, candy, fish, and pretty much anything else I could get companies to dropship for me. But, it was a huge headache dealing with upset customers, shipping problems, credit card fraud, shopping cart problems, and supplier problems so I eventually closed them even though they were making money, and instead focused on creating more free entertainment type sites like Bored.com (Bored.com gets over 2 million visitors per month). The only ecommerce site I kept open was CheapFlowers.com, because I put a lot more work into setting that business up and it makes good money.
Now in 2008 I do pretty much the same thing I did when I started 13 years ago, which is that I do anything online that I think will make money. The great thing about the Internet is that I can think of a new business idea today, and by tomorrow have a rough version of it up and running and actually see how well it does. No business plans, no meetings, no projects, no budgets, no delays.
Great stories. Domain business is simple, but need more effort to flip domain to end user.
In one of your other posts you mention coding your own sites in Cold Fusion. Do you still do your own coding? How important do you think that’s been to your success? What do you like to code in these days?
You also mention selling a couple of domains a month. Is that consistent enough to say what % of your 9000 domains you sell a year?
Thanks for taking the time to share your story.
JohnH
Other than Cold Fusion and html, I never learned any programming. I can edit php sites (almost all my sites are php/myql) other people create, but that’s about it. I use low cost overseas programmers to build my sites instead of learning things myself and doing it. But, I think it is very important that I at least know enough to oversee what they do. I can easily spot mistakes and many times I give suggestions on how things can be improved.
I usually sell around 50 domains a year. Lately I have been getting a lot of small sales, but few big ones.
Eric, I got to your site from one of the “mini sites” on one of your domain names when searching for projects similar to what I am trying to one I am funding right now. The mini site was so impressive that I looked up the domain name owner and got to Impulsecorp. I must say that you are a very smart and innovative person. Respect!
I developed one of the first online domain generators called the DomainFellow.com back in 1999 and got a portfolio of about 100 domain names related to biotech and aging since then (OncologyBiomarkers.com, BiotechnologyMeeitings.com, AgingCell.com, PNano.com, CharlesCantor.Org, Biogerontology.Org and many others). I never planned to make money off these and wanted to use them as a resource to promote some of my ideas, but you just opened my eyes. Thank you!