Octane360 Takes Domain Monetization Beyond PPC: Success Story

Firm brings multiple revenue streams to domain names.

In December I wrote regarding Octane360, a startup that promises to bring fresh monetization options to domain names. I’m happy to note that the firm is delivering on its promise.

The firm’s bread-and-butter is monetizing long tail geo domain names, such as CityDermatologist.com or CityPlumbers.com.

The firm creates a modest directory web site on each domain name. But unlike many other domain development solutions, Octane360 doesn’t just try to get traffic that will monetize with pay-per-click ads. Octane 360 uses multiple monetization methods for each domain: pay-per-lead, ppc, directory listings, and sometimes pay-per-call.

The real power behind Octane360’s system is its salesforce. The firm has contracted with an outside call center to sell listings on the domains over the phone. Within a couple weeks, this salesforce will grow to 100 people solely selling listings on Octane360 sites.

And it works. A few months ago I set up regarding 200 long tail geo domain names on the system. It took regarding 6-8 weeks for the domain names to start getting good search engine traction; now regarding 90% of them are ranked on the first page of Google for their primary keyword. Once the domains get good search rankings, they are added to the call center’s database to sell listings to local businesses.

Although it’s still early, a handful of my domains by now have paid listings on them. (Here’s an example for Anaheim Custom Homes.) Since of the commission Octane360 pays the call center, most listings will bring in regarding $5 a month to the domain owner. But that’s $60 a year per listing. The sites Octane360 has been successful selling listings on used to make less than $10 a year from pay-per-click. Between a couple listings, some pay-per-lead revenue, and PPC, decent domain names could make between $120-$200 a year on Octane360’s system.

It gets even better if someone uses the self-service feature on the domains to add their own listing. On one of my domains, a dermatologist added a listing for $60 a month. There’s no call center commission, so I’m earning $30 a month as long as that dermatologist keeps its listing. (Octane360 gets a revenue share on directory listings and leads; domainers keep 100% of pay-per-click revenue.)

Octane360 also gives you the tools to sign up advertisers yourself, which of course means you keep more money than a a listing sold by the call center.

The firm is still innovating and working out its business process. But in a sea of fresh solutions for domain name owners, Octane360 shows some of the most promise. Not only does it get your domain names ranked in search engines, but it doesn’t rely solely on PPC.

The firm isn’t making empty promises — it is delivering real revenue to domain names that previously made little money.