General Tips on How to Properly Buy or Sell a Website

By | January 7, 2009

Website flipping is a buzz term for short term investing in websites. Many people worry about buying from a seller who is unlawful and a possible scam artist, but while this is a legitimate concern, it is also likely that the seller is worried about the buyer being less than savory. There are lots of aspects of becoming successful at site flipping, but having said that, it is considered one of the easiest and straight shooting businesses to run online in recent years. Buying a website involves research and strategy. Reputable online website marketplaces allow you the opportunity to get a feel for the market and search for various categories of good but affordable sites within your price range. 

Web-based services are good types of sites to look at, as are sites that sell physical products. Forums and other types of communities can also offer a lot of opportunities. Perhaps the site seems to have traffic, but it doesn’t look as if the owner has monetized the site very well. Maybe the site offers a good product or service, but hasn’t gained traction in its marketplace. Every site has compelling factors and problems. For every good deal, there are dozens of duds.

The most traditional mechanism for evaluating a deal to purchase a web site is the amount of traffic the site is generating. Another angle is to buy a website for advertising purposes. Apart from being aware of the different steps involved in selling their web based business, business owners should also take some steps, which include being organized, effectively communicating with buyers and brokers, and being honest in dealing with buyers. Businesses holding enough funds to build a website should always go for a professional web designer.

Although a small group of savvy flippers are likely to be making the big bucks, it’s not difficult to grasp the keys to profitable web flipping. Apply the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to increase the value of the site. Sell the website at the right price in order to achieve the desired Return on Investment, or ROI. Repeat this process over and over.

Another aspect of preparation is the actual packaging of the website. The goal is to simplify. With millions of domain names already taken, what domain name to purchase will largely be determined by what is still available. Domain names can be purchased from the many online registrars. It pays to shop around, not only for price but also for reputation and ease-of-use of the site and online account. Many services offer extensive collections of names with the ability to bid on or buy addresses. It is important not to underestimate the significance of a website name in developing a successful online identity. Most people develop a strong impression of a particular web identity from the name used to identify that web site. If people are able to remember a domain easily, they are more likely to visit and re-visit that particular website. Memory retention is an important aspect of a name’s ability in maintaining targeted visitors.

Additionally, when it comes to selling a website, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way. Before you sell, it’s a good idea to know how much the domain is worth. Market prices for domain names can run from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for premium names. The key to deciding whether or not to sell a domain name you own is to determine its worth to you if you keep it and, alternatively, how much a buyer is willing to pay. Every domain name is applicable to a different target market.

Determine who your potential buyers are before determining your asking price so you don’t over or under estimate that price. Truly great names can command what a seller requests, unless that amount is unreasonable. Names that have ridiculous or greedy asking prices rarely sell.

As you can see, selling virtual real estate is a lot like selling physical real estate. When determining your site’s value, you may need to do some research online. It is often a good idea to compare different websites on the Internet and to see which sites catch your eye. You can make a mental note of the methods used on websites that were appealing to you; then you can use those ideas when creating or updating your own website. The design of a website is very important when you are trying to sell an existing site online. The design should be bold and colorful, but should not be too busy. You may want to use colors that relate to the theme of the site as well. However, no matter how brilliant the website design is, the purpose of the site must also be useful for the website to sell.