Whether you are first starting out, or a seasoned domain investor, you need quality resources and tools at your disposal. Without quality tools, informative content, and a little bit of humor, becoming successful would be an even harder task than it already is.
On my domain investing journey, I have been blessed to find these tools, educational resources, and have spent countless hours researching and finding the perfect combination to help me on my path to success. This list is not a full list of all the tools and resources available to you by any means, it is, however, my personal list of favorites.
The list is in alphabetical order (except the first one).
DomainSherpa
DomainSherpa.com is number one for an infinite amount of reasons. It is also the only resource that I am showing bias towards on this list. Why? The content on this site made me who I am as an investor.
When I first started, I had the opportunity (donation or not) to have my domain portfolio reviewed by the Sherpas. These are people I look up to, and they are investors I admire. So it was an honor to be on the show and get the feedback from these industry thought leaders. Even thought it wasn’t the most enamoring feedback, I had a lightbulb moment when one of the Sherpa’s said something that changed everything about my investing process.
However, being on the show is not the only reason I believe DomainSherpa is the best resource for domain investors. It did help a lot, but the main reason DomainSherpa is my favorite resource is the excellent quality of content that Michael Cyger and the Sherpas put out every week. The videos are very thorough and feature of some of the brightest minds in our industry. If you haven’t watched every single video on his site, you aren’t investing right. Instead of watching Netflix every night, tune into a DomainSherpa video. I guarantee you will pick up at least one golden nugget of information from each video that will make you a better investor.
DNAcademy
DNAcademy.com is still under beta testing, but I can tell you right now that this will become your ultimate resource. I’ve had a first hand-look, and you’re going to love it. I will be providing a far more detailed review once the site is live. But for now, be ready for the awesomeness coming your way soon.
DomainIQ
DomainIQ.com is without a doubt one of my favorite tools. Aside from the epic amount of tools you get access to as a DomainIQ member, you also get access to my favorite tool, the DomainIQ related domains filter. I use this tool daily as I am always hunting for my next acquisition. When I find a domain name that sparks my interest, I seek out to find out what other domain names the registrant owns. Sometimes, I will find that they only own a few names, perhaps they are not an investor, and I can get a real bargain on the acquisition. Other times, I find that they own well into the hundreds of thousands of domain names, and I spend time filtering through their portfolio to see if I can put a package deal together. Whatever the reasons, this is a must-have tool for any serious domain investor. From their anonymous email service, all the way to their domain snapshot history tool. If you don’t have DomainIQ… you need it. Period.
Domaining
Domaining.com should be open in your browser 24/7. There is no excuse not to have it open, and there is no excuse for you not to read every single post that is aggregated through the site. While I haven’t listed every single domain blog in this post, Domaining.com has a feed of just about every authority site that matters in the industry, and it is a great place to scour through all the industry relevant posts! There are some very talented writers in our industry, Domaining.com allows you access to their feeds from one centralized place.
DSAD
DomainShane.com is a phenomenal resource for witty remarks and great insight into the current industry trends. I spend a lot of time perusing the site, especially for his daily auction list recommendations. I’ve found a some great gems on there all because he took the time browse the marketplaces and do the work for me, and he’s done a phenomenal job ensuring that every day, a new list goes up.
EstiBot
EstiBot.com is far more than a valuation tool. With an account, you get access to roughly 30 different tools! My favorite, of course, is the appraised drop lists. I scour those on a daily basis! Seriously, every drop, pending delete, pre-release, auction and closeout can be accessed with EstiBot stats through just that one tool! From a domain permutation tool all the way to a typo generator, and on top of the many other tools you get access to, this is a must have tool for any serious domain investor to keep in their arsenal.
ExpiredDomains
ExpiredDomains.net is without a doubt one of the most useful tools there is for any domain investor. I use ExpiredDomains.net like my life depends on it. It’s how I find 99% of the domain names I acquire, and I sincerely recommend you do the same. It will blow your mind. They offer the most advanced search filters I’ve seen to date. You can search for domains on just about every marketplace, and you can filter your search results down with the precision of a surgeon. If you’ve never used ExpiredDomains.net, you can learn how to set up their filters here. Once you get comfortable with the interface, you will likely spend all day on their platform. You have been warned; it’s that addicting.
FollowUp
FollowUp.cc is phenomenal email tracking, and follow up reminder tool. I cannot recall every single email I sent, no matter how great I think my memory is ;). FollowUp has a very simple to use service that allows you to CC yourself with a follow up reminder. For instance, if I send an email and I want to remind myself to followup exactlu one week from now, I would CC myself with 1week@FollowUp.cc. It’s that easy! And I believe with some mail apps you can set a rule to always add a CC automatically. So eventually, you won’t even need to add a CC, just send the email and be reminded in 1 week (or however long you choose) to follow up! Fantastic tool for salespeople, because it is well known that if you don’t follow up, you don’t make sales.
Sidekick
GetSidekick.com is a must have for any serious salesperson. It is an easy to use mail extension that allows you to see when and if your emails have been opened. But that is not all they offer, you can even schedule your emails to be sent at a specific time and, as you compose an email, you’ll have all the relevant information about your recipient. See your past contact history, social media content, mutual connections, and a whole lot more.
Google Keyword Planner
Google AdWords Keyword Planner is the tool I use to find a wealth of information. Specifically, search volume, CPC, and relevant searches. I also use it when I am registering fresh domain names. If I want to register something, say around the keyword “Travel”, I will type it in, and look through the entire relevant searches and if I can find a great keyword combination that hasn’t been registered, I can immediately see the search volume, CPC and competition for it right there. It is definitely a notable and worthwhile tool to use.
Google Trends
Google Trends is perhaps the most useful tool when it comes to solidifying a purchase or fresh registration. Why? Because if I am buying domain names that I believe will be valuable in the future, I want to see a rising trend. I also want to compare it to other keywords and see which one is currently trending, rising, and has the most potential for the future. You can compare numerous keywords at once with a hand color coordinated graph. It’s a gem when you have to choose between two similar keyword domains. I’ve used it multiple times when I was stuck between choices.
NameBio
NameBio.com is the best database of recorded domain name sales there is. I spend a ton of time on NameBio researching comparable sales to help me better valuate my domain names. They have the best search filters I’ve seen for any sales history database. You can narrow down the search results to show you only the most relevant comps. They update the database almost instantly, and they provide you with a direct link tool so you can always recall or share your search results.
NamePros
NamePros.com is the biggest domain community on the web. There are so many different things you can learn, buy, sell, and accomplish on their forum. Most importantly, you need to build a network, and it all starts with socializing with your fellow domain investors! There is no better place to do so than on NamePros. Check them out, create an account, and start getting to know everyone in the industry. It’s a small, tight nit group of folks – and as the saying goes “your net worth is only as big as your network”.
Ricks Blog
RicksBlog.com, heard of it? If you haven’t, you’ve likely been living under a rock for far too long! The Domain King himself, Rick Schwartz offers a massive amount of insightful content on his website. Much like you should be watching every DomainSherpa video; you need to read every blog post this man has ever written. Seriously. You can start with my all time favorite from his blog, Make a Million Dollars in Domains. 12 EASY steps and 36 Months! REALLY!
TextMechanic
TextMechanic.com is a phenomenal, and yet a simple to use tool. I absolutely love this tool. I use it for everything. From their line combination generator which I used to create my entire selection of 5L .com’s to their letter case converter that allows me to change quickly the letter casing on my big list of ALL CAPS domain exports. You can generate lists of numbers, sort text lines with numerous filters, and a plethora of other useful tools.
ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo.com is a must have for any serious lead generation. It has helped me find numerous end-users and has been the sole reason for quite a few sales. Their interface is simple but effective. You can narrow down your searches incredibly well with their filters. From narrowing your search results down by company revenue, niche, management level, keywords, and many more great filters. Sure there are other lead generation tools; this one just happens to be my favorite. I use it daily, and I have never had a problem with their service!
In Summary
There are a plethora of tools and resources at your disposal. The best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with your favorites, learn from the resources, and master how to use the tools within your workflow. That way, you can work smarter, faster and more efficiently. These are my favorite resources and tools, and they help me everyday!
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