HitFarm.com is closing up its operations effective October 1, 2014
Here is an email we just received with the subject line “Re: Notice of Permanent Closure”
“We regret to inform you that Hitfarm will no longer be in service effectively from October 1st, 2014.”
“Accordingly, you will need to update your name servers for all domain names parked at Hitfarm.com by 11:59pm PST on September 30th, 2014. ”
“All outstanding payments as at September 30th will be made at the end of October.”
At this time we want to thank you for your past business and tell you how much we have appreciated having you as a client. We wish you continued success.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries before October 1st, 2014.”
HitFarm.com is one of the oldest domain name parking companies and was started by the Ham brothers who are among the most successful domain investors in the world in their own under Vertical Axis.
Kevin Ham was once referred to in an article as the “Man who owns the Internet”
Best of luck to the team wherever you go next!
Well, I certainly am stunned. I wonder whether this is the result of the downturn in parking revenues that began in 2008 or something else.
so, Hitfarm is breaking?
>:)
This is another instance of recent industry consolidation.
– Marchex got rid of their Google feed, and started parking elsewhere.
– ParkingCrew acquired DomainParking.com/DomainSpa.com.
– RookMedia acquired DomainSponsor.
– DomainHoldings pivoted their traffic business, doing native ads instead of traditional domain monetization.
– Matomy Media acquired ParkingCrew.
Domain traffic is still out there, but margins are thinner and thinner, especially when competing against companies located in countries with more favorable tax structures. Google has also been squeezing margins with the parking companies on the backend. Not only that, Google has totally clobbered Yahoo, and completely owns all the good domain traffic now.
Hitfarm was largely a vehicle for Ham’s O&O. I know he has dropped a lot of domains, and probably sold a bunch more, so it sounds like the additional margin was no longer worth the hassle.
I don’t know anyone still using Hitfarm although there might have been some stragglers. This more likely relates to formalities and closing the loop on future IP risk from the old days