Home The Ultimate Domain Name Resource Guide

The Ultimate Domain Name Resource Guide

by Mike Sullivan

Welcome to Sully’s Blog Ultimate Domain Name Resource Guide, a list of tools and resources I have collected and leveraged over the years to buy, sell and develop domain names and  run  my business successfully.  Everything listed on this page is a resource I have had personal experience with and has contributed to where I am today, or I have knowledge of based on my colleagues.  You’ll find a wide variety of items from those that are very obvious to domaining and those you may not have considered but should!

If you have a product or service that you feel contributes to the domain community in a positive manner, please contact me for consideration of inclusion.

Some of the links below are affiliate links (most are not), meaning that if you click and purchase from that link, I will earn a small commission on the sale to help support this site.  This does not add any cost to you.  I am very honored by your trust and I assure you that I only endorse business I trust.  

This list will continue to evolve and change as I progress through my domain journey.

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Learn Domaining

DNAcademy

Start Here!!  No BS.  If you are new to domaining and want to shave years off of your learning curve then DNAcademy is where you need to be.  If this existed when I started in the business, I would have slingshot ahead by at least three years.  Look for my full, detailed, unbiased review coming soon.

DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION

GoDaddy.com

I moved the majority of my domains to GoDaddy for a couple reasons.  First, most buyers already have a GoDaddy account which makes transfers much easier.   Second, I buy a lot of domains so I joined the Discount Domain Membership which allows me to hand register a domain for $8.29 per year.  Can’t beat it. Add the fact that there is hosting, domain aftermarket and auctions, and it’s a great fit.

Domain.com

Domain.com is a new one for me.  I have used other services to register domains but felt they were lacking the bells and whistles (customer service) that GoDaddy.com provides. Domain.com seems to have it all together and is a good alternative if you’re not looking to put all your eggs in one basket.

Fabulous.com

When I first entered domaining, Fabulous.com seemed like the cool place to be.  It was due, primarily to someone I had come to know as Mike Fabulous.  I actually thought it was his name.  Turns out he was just a good guy, working for the company that gave it a face.  Fabulous is still a good place to register names at competitive  prices.

NameCheap.com

I don’t have any names registered with NameCheap at the moment but it is a popular registrar with good pricing.  Definitely deserves to be on the list.

HOSTING SERVICES

GoDaddy.com

There are many options for hosting these days and in my opinion, GoDaddy is a little more expensive then other options.  That said, their customer service has always stepped in for me in a pinch when something goes wrong.  I’ve used some super cheap services that are not top bad, but when there is an issue there is no phone support.  This puts Godaddy on the top of the list for me.  When I have a site that’s important and I need it to be online without fail, I go with GoDaddy.

HostGator.com

HostGator makes web hosting pretty damn affordable at any level.  You can get monthly shared hosting for just a few bucks and Virtual Private Hosting for (at the time of this writing) under $30 a month.  That’s pretty sick.  If you are looking to host a site or even several sites, check out what they have to offer.  It’s friendly on your budget and provides quality hosting.

1&1

While you can register domains with 1&1, the hosting package is what initially caught my attention.  There are packages starting as low as $4 a month which is next to nothing.  The packages are scalable as well so you are not limited once your site or your traffic grows.

Domain.com

You’ll notice many of the domain registrars also offer hosting.  That makes sense as it’s a complementary service.  Domain.com makes the list again in that very fashion.  With packages starting just south of $4, and customer service to back it, this is a good bet.

DOMAIN PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Efty

Efty was a game changer for me.  The best thing to come to domaining since parking.  I joined Efty’s platform and shortly after had a couple inquires.  That quickly led to some sales.  That’s a simple combination that had me hooked.  I joined the premium services and have been going strong ever since.
They continue to make improvements to the system which you don’t see in many other solutions.  While, I’ve interviewed Doran and posted about my experience with Efty before, I encourage you to head over and try the free version.  You’ll love it.

Watch My Domains

Domain Punch offers a variety of software related to domaining but the one I tried out was Watch My Domains for Mac.  It was several years back but I was impressed by what I saw.  This was before Efty came along.  Watch My Domains offers a solution to manage your domains on your system.  Efty offers more than domain management and is a more complete package.  But if you are looking just to track your domains. expirations, and registrars all in one place, this software will do that.

Tough Domains

It’s been a couple years ago now, but I interviewed Tim Koutroubas, the founder of ToughDomains back when the service was in beta.  It has come along way since. The platform allows users to manage their portfolios and sell in the Tough Domains market place.  Worth a look into if you are considering any of the options in this section.

DOMAIN NAME AFTERMARKET

GoDaddy.com

GoDaddy makes the list again with their domain auction and premium domain listings.  I haven’t spent much time in the domain auction space here but I do have several of my domain names listed as premium domain names.  GoDaddy has partnered with Afternic and which not only gets your names listed in the GoDaddy search on their home page, but all in 100+ reseller sites.  Great exposure for your domain name if it’s a good name and priced right.  I’ve successfully sold a couple names through this service.

Sedo

Sedo is a very well known platform for domainers to list domains for sale and to pick up some names as well.  You can list your names for free, set a price or choose not to, and anti up for some additional exposure.  If you have domains and you want to sell them, you are doing yourself a disservice by not listing them here.  My only advice is that if you set a price, be sure to set the same price on everyplace form you use for a particular domain name.

Flippa

Flippa is probably best know as an online business selling platform.  But they do also have options for selling domain names.  I’ve sold at least one domain here, or as a result of listing it here, but haven’t had the greatest luck.  I’ve heard others who have had solid results.
I’m not a fan of paying to list my domain and paying for additional premium placement or visibility.  I’d personally rather just pay a commission if it sells.

SnapNames

SnapNames is also an aftermarket platform.  I used it long ago when it was tied with Moniker and I could easily list my names.  I haven’t. used in some time but I do see several postings about sales completed there so I know the platform is viable.

Uniregistry

Uniregistry Corporation was officially founded in 2012 by Frank Schilling, one of the largest private domain name portfolio owners in the world.  I’ve never met Frank but I do have mad respect for what he has accomplished. Check out the domain market.

DOMAIN BROKERS

Evergreen

Evergreen was co-founded by Adam Strong and Jen Sale.  Adam was one of the first domainers I met on my quest and was very kind from the start.   The more I learned about him the more I respected him and his reputation. He will always be my #1 recommendation when it comes to ethical, experienced brokers in the business.

Buckley Media

Buckley Media specializes in domain name brokerage and acquisition, naming and branding. Our experienced team, known for its exemplary customer service and strong, authentic relationships in the domain industry, startup industry, and established corporate universe, provides targeted, strategic outreach and stellar service to our valued clientele. Specializing in maximizing value in both buying and selling ultra-premium domain names, the Buckley Media team epitomizes professionalism, expert guidance, a throughly customized approach, and trust.

Dave Evanson - Sedo.com

Dave Evanson Broker

Dave Evanson has made some great sales and if you follow him on social media, you already know that.  I interviewed Dave Evanson a while back.  Definitely a great guy to work with if you need to buy or sell a premium name.

Media Options

Media Options

Andrew Rosener captains the ship at Media Options.  With proprietary tools, a global reputation for confidentiality, and a network developed from decades of expertise and access, they are a domain broker who can work with virtually every domain owner or seller worldwide.

DNPost

Domain Broker

DNPost Domain Broker Service is not just a company; they are a dynamic team driven by passionate, inquisitive, high-energy, exceptionally motivated, and integrity-driven leaders dedicated to serving their clients.

DOMAIN RESEARCH TOOLS

DOFO

Dofo.com collects information on domain names. Their engineers comb the Internet using unique algorithms they have developed and provide you with an overflow of data on more than 350 million domain names.  All in a truly clear way. Dofo.com saves you the time of sifting through multiple sources, and it’s free.

DomainTools.com

domain tools

DomainTools has over 10 billion related DNS data points to build a map of ‘who’s doing what’ on the Internet. Government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and leading security firms use our data as a critical ingredient in their threat investigation and cybercrime forensics work.

DomainIQ

DomainIQ was a great suggestion from Logan Flatt (@LoganFlatt).  They have three plan levels and plenty of information to offer.

DOMAIN VALUATION TOOLS

Estibot

Estibot was the first automated valuation tool I discovered.  It uses an algorithm unknown to me, but clearly incorporates some stats such as popularity of individual words, uniques searches on the exact match term, etc.  Because of those things I do believe that it has value as a tool, but I don’t recommend you ever use an automated tool as your end all be all source.  Aside from just estimating value, it provides other tools as well and assists in discovering leads.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy now offers domain appraisals using an automatic system.  I have found GoDaddy to be a very generous an loose appraisal system, favoring high values when I don’t believe they are nearly as valuable as stated.  Use at your own discretion.

DOMAIN NAME SALES HISTORICAL PRICES

Domain Name Journal

Ron Jackson, aside being one of the industry professionals that I respect most, runs DNJournal and the sickest list of domain sales dating back to 2003.  Ron’s site is a wealth of information at zero cost to you.  This is one of the most valuable tools you are going to find on the web, period. It’s free and it’s incredible.

NameBio.com

Yet another crazy valuable resource is Michael Sumner’s NameBio.com.  Enter the domain, keyword, tld, or pretty much whatever you want and get a list of results to help you gauge your domains or make a decision on a purchase.  Priceless.

DOMAIN BLOGS

DSAD.com

DomainShane, now DSAD.com was founded in 2009 and is a blog that talks about domains from the views of normal working guys.  Daily domain lists injected with premium domain owner interviews make this my favorite.  That and the fact that I write for DSAD.  Plus Shane is one of the coolest dudes in the industry.

TLD Investors

Raymond Hackney is the founder of TLD Investors, one of my favorite blogs in the industry.  Raymond knows the domain industry and keeps you up to date with what’s happening in a timely manner. 

DomainInvesting.com

Domain Investing

Elliot Silver runs Domaininvesting.com.  Back when I first found his site it went by the name ElliotsBlog.com.  I had dabbled in some domain names prior to reading Elliot’s blog, but once I stumbled across it, I decided to dive in to domaining head first.  The rest is history.

The Domains

Another of my favs is The Domains, run by Michael Berkens and Raymond Hackney.  The site has been around since 2007 and is loaded with great info.  Definitely one to read on a regular basis.

Domain Name Wire

Domain Name Wire

Andrew Allemann is Editor at DNN.  Residing in Seattle, he’s been in the industry since ’97 and is well respected.  The blog is supplemented by one of the few domain podcasts of any quality that you will find.  I highly recommend the podcast as well.

DOMAIN BOOKS

Domain Sales Emails That Work!

This book reveals gripping emails that have been proven to successfully sell domain names to end users and earn profits flipping domain names!You’ll get actual, real-life examples that can be easily modified to fit your specific domain names.You’ll learn how and why these emails work and the benefit they bring to you and the end user purchasing the names from you!If you follow these email templates and the strategies that go along with them, you are sure to increase your domain name sales and take your game to a whole new level!
Available at Amazon and GumRoad

The Domain Game

The Domain Game

The book opens with some interesting stories of the early domaining days and Internet successes. A watermelon farmer with a vision, a bankrupt furniture salesman (Rick Schwartz) with forward looking business sense and many more similar stories. All presented in a way that paints a historical and promising view of the dawn of domaining.  Highly recommend!

Domain Name Arbitration

Domain Name Arbitration

I interviewed Gerald Levine, author of Domain Name Arbitration, on DSAD.  I had the book on my shelf for a couple of years, but the interview was so insightful it triggered me to dig deeper into this process that Gerald has demystified for us.

DOMAIN PODCASTS

Domain Name Wire

Domain Name Wire editor Andrew Allemann reviews the latest news in the domain name business including: buying and selling domain names, domain name monetization, legal issues, new top level domain names (new TLDs), and businesses.

Kickstart Commerce

KickstartCommerce podcast shares insight pertaining to search marketing and domain investing ideas to grow your business.  Launched by Alvin Brown, the Neil Patel of domain industry content.

Domain Sherpa

DomainSherpa is the source for unbiased, authoritative information to help you discover, acquire, manage, monetize and sell domain names.

DOMAIN NAME NEWSLETTERS

JustDropped.com

Would you like a list of recently dropped names available to you at two digit prices delivered right to your inbox?  Dan Rubin’s JustDropped.com is the newsletter for you.  Sign up here or just check out the site.

qeip.com

I discovered qeip.com on DSAD as an advertiser at one point.  Great domains with many at reasonable prices.  You can check out their site and sign up here.

Brannans.com

Brannans is a domain brokerage run by Dave Clements. I categorize them here because they put out a fairly regular newsletter that I’ve received and enjoyed for some time now.

DOMAIN FORUMS

DBR

DBR is home to me as far as domain forums go.  This is where I “grew up” domaining, learning from this community, lead by Donna Mahoney.  Some refer to this as the “elite forum” or the “exclusive forum” of the industry.  Call it what you will but this community is the finest group I have ever interacted with.  Willing to share, happy to engage and ethics are the backbone of this group.  Bullshit is not tolerated.  It is a private forum which contributes to high standards.  Special thanks to Donna for all she does!!!

DNForum.com

In 2003, Adam Dicker purchased DNForum.com, one of the most popular domain name forum today.  The site has a friendly community and welcomes both beginners and domain industry experts alike.

NamePros

NamePros is an another popular forum for domain name investors. Its services include forums and domain name auctions. The forums implement a freemium business model, whereby membership is free, but paid subscriptions offer additional features.

DOMAIN CONFERENCES

NamesCon

Namescon

NamesCon, or the Domain Name Industry Conference, is an annual event that brings together companies, representatives, and individuals in the Domain Name industry.  Co-founded by Richard Lau.

ESQwire.com

ESQwire.com was founded by entrepreneur Ari Goldberger and is an Internet law firm with a wide range of services.  I haven’t had to leverage any legal services in my domaining career, but Ari’s reputation is solid.

Berstein IP

Bernstein IP is a boutique law firm offering legal services  in connection with international Internet law issues with a focus on Internet Registries and New gTLDs.

Business Tools

MyCorporation

Incorporating For Domainers

If you are serious about domaining you likely need to take it to the next level.  MyCorporation provides a highly cost effective means by which to establish your legal entity (LLC, S-corp< etc) in an simple, on-line format.  I have interviewed Debrah Sweeney a number of times and learned so much from her.

DOMAIN GOVERNANCE

ICANN

ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.  This is a nonprofit agency that basically organizes the internet.  The URDP is the policy that is used to govern domain name disputes.

DOMAIN DEVELOPMENT

Template Monster

template monster

TemplateMonster has tons of WordPress Themes, HTML templates, various graphics, presentation templates and more. I have been using them for years for quick development needs.  You need minimal tech skills to get a site going.  If you’re domaining, this site can come in handy,

Let's Encrypt

ssl

It’s common knowledge that even your parked pages should have SSL security (https) these days if you don’t want any issues from Google or Chrome telling visitors that the site is not safe.  If you have a good relationship with your host, you might get all your domains covered at a low cost.  If not, I have seen SSL prices as high as $89 each.  How does free sound????

DOMAIN AGGREGATORS

Domaining.com

domaining

“There can only be one.”  While, in my opinion, there are a few too many low quality blogs in the domaining space at the moment, Domaining.com showcases a great sampling of some of top blogs in the industry.  I credit domaining.com for the great network of domainers, experts, dialog and discussion in the industry.   Many of these blogs would have few followers and fewer comments and discussions without it.  Thank Francois!

ESCROW

Escrow.com

Escrow.com was the first escrow service I used as a domainer.  It was for the purchase of my first $x,xxx name.  It felt like a leap at the time, but got me headed down the right path.  Transaction was flawless.
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