CallTracking.com: The $20K Investment That Became a $120K Exit

Peter Askew, a seasoned domain investor known for his expertise in identifying valuable domains, made a calculated bet in 2015: he bought CallTracking.com for $20,000 with plans to build a simplified call tracking application.

The project failed. But the story didn't end there.

The Vision

Peter saw an opportunity in the call tracking space. Marketing agencies and businesses were increasingly interested in attribution—understanding which marketing channels were driving phone calls and conversions.

CallTracking.com was the perfect domain for this niche. It was descriptive, memorable, and exactly what people would search for when looking for this type of service.

With the domain secured for $20,000, Peter set out to build a simplified call tracking app that would compete with existing players in the market.

The Failed Project

Despite his efforts, the project didn't gain traction. Whether it was timing, execution, or market fit, the call tracking app Peter envisioned never materialized into a sustainable business.

For many entrepreneurs, this would be a disappointing outcome. You invest money and time into a project, and it fails. End of story.

But Peter Askew had an asset that held value independent of his failed project: the domain itself.

The Turnaround

About a year after purchasing CallTracking.com, Peter received inquiries about the domain. Call tracking was still a growing market, and other companies were interested in owning the exact-match domain.

CallRail, a well-funded call tracking and analytics platform, saw the value in owning CallTracking.com. The domain would give them instant credibility, improve their SEO, and make their brand more memorable.

After negotiations, Peter sold CallTracking.com for $120,000—a 6x return on his $20,000 investment in just one year.

The Math

• Purchase price: $20,000
• Sale price: $120,000
• Net profit: $100,000
• Time held: ~1 year
• Return: 600% or 6x

Not bad for a "failed" project. CallRail got a perfect domain for their business. Peter got a 6x return in a year. And the failed project? It became a footnote in a much more successful story.

You can follow Peter Askew on Twitter at @searchbound for more insights into domain investments.