DomainTools Blog

Following up on our previous post about our new website and membership options, we wanted to take a moment to talk more in depth about our new Learn section on DomainTools.com. In our continuous effort to help more novice visitors of our website who often write in to our support team asking questions such as “What is a domain name?” and “How do I buy or sell domains?”, we wanted to start a resource section of our website that talks about these topics more in depth. You may recall our article on domain valuation that we posted back in January on this blog – that was a sneak peak at the type of educational content to be featured on the relaunched website. In fact, the domain valuation article was one of our top performing posts in terms of the volume of people who read and shared blog content via Twitter, Facebook, etc. compared to other blog posts over the past year. We took that as a sign that we should be producing more valuable “How to” and “What is” focused articles.

Here’s the collection of educational content we have shared in our Learn section so far:

• What is a Domain Name and What Does it Do?
• What is Whois Information and Why is it Valuable?
• What is ICANN, and How is it Related to Registries and Registrars?
• How to Select the Right Domain Name for Your Business
• How Do I Register a Domain Name?
• How Do I Buy a Domain Name Currently Owned by Someone Else?
• How Do I Sell a Domain Name?

We hope to generate more insightful articles over time, continuously adding more advanced topics to our Learn library.

Do you  have any ideas on content you’d like to see? Please feel free to comment on this blog post.

An Improved Website, Plus More Flexible Membership Options

DRUMROLL please…DomainTools launches a fresh, new and improved site!  We are excited to announce that now DomainTools.com is even better! The new website is now LIVE(be sure to check out what’s new)!

The goal of the revamped DomainTools.com website is to create a more user-friendly experience for all visitors while offering more customized, flexible membership and service options. We listened to feedback from our core user groups and analyzed usage patterns, breaking things down to create a membership system reflective of activities that provide the most value to members across the board.

For those who kept suggesting a universal utility bar, it’s now ever present on the website. For those who wanted the ability to only buy Hosting History or some other service, now you can. For those that demand more insight into account usage, you can have it.

Overall DomainTools Improvements Include:

• New Look and Feel to DomainTools.com
• Easier Website Navigation
• Flexible Memberships and A la Carte Pricing
• Enhanced Account Reporting

We hope that you find the new website to be a more engaging experience, and that all of our service options better accommodate your needs. We encourage you to navigate the new website to see the improvements and to review all of the membership and service options now available! For those who kept suggesting a universal utility bar, it  is now ever present on the website.

Additional Resources:

• Take a tour of what’s new!
• Visit our Relaunch FAQ’s to find answers to common questions you may have regarding the new website and membership options.
• Leverage the  DomainTools Knowledge Base. It is also a great resource to find answers to any other DomainTools questions you may have.

We have already received some great feedback regarding the website, including this one from domain industry expert and editor of domainnamewire.com, Andrew Allemann. “One of the big DomainTools improvements is simplifying account usage.  I no longer have to calculate how many credits certain services cost and it’s much easier to understand.”

For more in-depth details and background information around the new website and membership structure, be sure to read our press release.

We Welcome Your Feedback:

Please send any comments you may have to memberservices@domaintools.com. Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

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To kick things off with the new DomainTools.com and membership options, we are stirring up some fun:

*********’Like’ DomainTools on Facebook and Win One of Three Prizes!**********

Choose from One of the Following:

One Year DomainTools Professional membership or Extension to your Current Membership

Conference Ticket to Domain Roundtable 2012

An Apple iPad

**How to Enter**

1) ‘Like’ DomainTools on Facebook by March 31, 2011

2) Leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us about your

favorite DomainTools product or service by March 31, 2011

**Announcing the Winners**

2 Winners will be selected at Random by DomainTools’ CEO, Tim Chen, on April 1, 2011.

A video announcing the drawing will be posted to DomainTools’ Facebook page!

Buying and Selling Domains – Advice from the Experts
One of the workshop sessions on Day 2 of Domainfest featured a panel of experts who talked about the best tips and strategies for buying and selling domains. The panel included Michael Berkens, Larry Fischer, Tessa Holcomb, Jason Miner, and Kathy Nielsen. Whether you’re a domain investor, buyer or domains are part of your job description, the session was very informative.

Predictions for the Domain Market in 2011

Among the panel, the first prediction for the domain market in 2011 was that it will continue to grow with new players looking at domains for acquisition, monitization or brand building purposes. The second prediction was that the largest domain sale will likely happen this year, perhaps in the $20-$30 million dollar range.

Here are highlights of some of the best advice they had to share about buying and selling domains:

Selling Domains…

• Keep your Whois information accurate! Buyers are leveraging Whois, and by keeping your contact information accurate, you’ll help maximize your sales (There was a nice shout out to DomainTools.com when the panel spoke about Whois information and the best way to find it!). When buying a domain from someone you may not know or trust, make sure you protect yourself by researching the domain’s history. There are many websites that offer basic Whois lookup information, but DomainTools.com offers extensive historical information including Whois, IP Address (web hosting), Name Server, Registrar and Thumbnail History to help provide a complete view of a domain’s life cycle. Be sure to leverage DomainTools’ Whois for basic DNS checks.
• Provide a Ballpark Selling Price. If you want to sell your domain, the experts recommend starting with a buy it now price or at least start with some type of price point. This is more attractive for small and medium businesses in particular who are looking for a negotiation starting point and it also gives them a stronger sense of trust. If you simply have a ‘make an offer’ option, it may be more intimidating for those smaller and medium sized businesses to take the first step and approach you.
• Get your Domain in Front of Multiple Outlets. It’s strategic to extend your distribution points (again, make sure your Whois information is updated).
• For Larger Domain Sales, Go with an Escrow Company and Draw Up a Contract. These services protect both the buyer and seller. Escrow.com is an escrow company to look into, and you might also seek the guidance of a domain lawyer.
• Negotiating a Sale? It’s All About Speed to Market. As a seller, be sure to name your price, provide a link at the top of your domain’s page, and be quick to respond to parties of interest since many buyers are simultaneously looking into other opportunities.

Buying Domains…

• Do your Research and Investigate What’s Going On with Keywords and Extensions. It’s a must –  you need to nvestigate what is going on with other keywords and extensions to see if it might be worth your time and investment. Example: if you’re interested in purchasing a .co domain name, see how popular it is with a .net or .com extension to see what traffic it’s driving.
• To Buy or Not to Buy? Ultimately, choose a vertical or find domains you are interested in so you know facts and figures well. Also look at CPC (cost-per-click) trends and other domain sales numbers in your industry over the past year, and also trust your gut.
• There is a Strong International Buying Market. Kathy Nielsen of Sedo shared trending information: .de and .eu are some of the most popular ones to invest in.
• Diversify Your Portfolio. Like investing in stocks, it’s good to diversify your holdings. You can still register many good .co domains, and the buying market for .tv is also doing well (according to Sedo).
• Domain Brokerage Services: Good for Higher Priced Names. Constant feedback, goal to generate lots of interest among many parties bidding in name.
• Domain Investing Newbies Who are Looking to Get Started:Look at Name drops. Some registrars drop into certain places (example – some drop with snapnames.com so you’ll want to check there), others drop at certain times. If you want more guidance, work with an adviser or broker who can walk you through the process of name drops.
• Popular Categories for Buying and Selling Domains are in Health, Fitness, Finance and Gaming. Look at google traffic and SEO rankings.
• Heavily Consider the Brand Value of TLDs. Also, heavily consider the content (if it is built out) as this will impact the long term value.

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