Domain Name Business

3 Domain Name Business Success Stories [2025]

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Updated: April 17th, 2025

In today's tech-centric world, domain names business has become profitable. You can make passive income buying and selling domains while working a few hours daily. To begin a domain-flipping business, search for a quality domain and register it. List the domain for sale, and target the right buyers, so you maximize profit margin.

In this list, you'll find real-world domain name business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a domain name business that makes money.

1. Anachak Design ($84K/year)

Vathana Nguon stumbled into starting his web design agency in 2015 with low expectations, but through face-to-face marketing and old-fashioned methods, he was able to grow his business and generate $5,000 per month. He built his expertise in WordPress development through self-teaching and extensive research, eventually launching his agency that focuses on WordPress design and development. By targeting the tourism industry and offering specialized services, he was able to stand out and become the go-to web designer for tourism businesses in Cambodia. Additionally, he utilized SEO and blogging to attract customers and achieve long-term success.

How much money it makes: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 3

This Self-Taught WordPress Developer Started An $84K/Year Web Design Agency

Learn how Vathana Nguon started a freelance web design agency in Cambodia through self-taught WordPress design, attracting clients through search engine optimization and unique selling techniques, and utilizing tools like Themeforest and MailChimp to grow a steady stream of new and returning clients.

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2. Smartynames.com ($12K/year)

Kirill Zubovsky, the founder of Smartynames.com, came up with the idea for his business when he needed a domain name for a project but couldn't come up with anything good. He built a prototype over the weekend and launched it on Hacker News, gaining a lot of attention and success. In just four months, Smartynames was making about $1000/month from domain sales and ad revenue, and the business continues to grow steadily.

How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 1

I Spent A Weekend Building A Site That Generates Domain Names For Businesses Using AI

Smartynames.com founder Kirill Zubovsky used AI to create a domain name generator and within four months of launching on Hacker News, the website was making $1,000 per month in sales and ad revenue.

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3. nslookup.io ($6K/year)

Ruurtjan's idea for nslookup.io was born from his long-standing fascination with web tools and the digital space. Since his early days, running a school tabloid and attempting to create a flash game site, he always had a knack for online projects. Over time, his failed attempts and half-finished projects taught him a valuable lesson: the need to focus and commit to a single idea. Faced with a list of numerous potential projects, he carefully evaluated each one against specific criteria: longevity, potential profitability, and personal capability to execute it.

After identifying a promising concept with nslookup.io, Ruurtjan tackled the initial complexities of development, learning from past projects that simplicity often works best in the beginning. He initially struggled with a complex setup that led to technical debt and a lack of motivation. So, he restarted from scratch using familiar tech, taking shortcuts where possible, which allowed him to launch sooner rather than focusing on perfection from the start.

The founder's thought process was deeply rooted in strategic decision-making, choosing an idea with both personal interest and lasting relevance. Ruurtjan evaluated his ideas pragmatically and used lessons from previous endeavors to pick a project that not only aligned with his skills but was executable with a clear focus. By embracing the importance of starting with a simpler setup and pivoting when necessary, he learned that sometimes quick iterations and the courage to restart can save a lot of frustration and time in the long run.

How much money it makes: $6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 0

I Just Went Full Time On My Side Project That I Grew To 2.5M Visitors

A portfolio of web tools with a combined monthly unique user count of 250k, netting around $500 a month, looking to improve traffic and revenue by improving search volume and revenue per visitor, and actively looking to monetize ad space through a partner.

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