Comments on: 10 Steps to Making a Profit Buying and Selling Websites

By: Ricky Nyll Park

Ricky Nyll Park — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:23:51 +0000

I agree with you Darnell. Perhaps we could be better of by buying these web properties then. Some website owners do not realize how to take their sites to their full potential so they end up selling it for quick profits. There are a lot out there. The hard part is taking the proper steps in order to look for the best deals.

By: Ryan Sorensen

Ryan Sorensen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:59:14 +0000

Hi Joseph, thanks for the question.

Consider domains to be like owning empty plots of land. A piece of land that is within a commercial zoning area, next to high traffic areas like a highway off ramp, next to down town, good views, etc. will not only command a high price in comparison to other land without these qualities, it will go up in value over time as the supply decreases.

Similarly, a domain that is generic, intuitive, easy to remember and/or can be turned into a brand, and based on competitive money making niches like insurance, beauty, fitness, etc. are in short supply and will continue to go up in value. Examples include incomediary.com (Michael has built a brand on this domain and readers know they can expect quality, helpful content), hulu.com, autoinsurance.com, basketball-equipment.com, etc.

Plots of land by themselves aren’t always as valuable as an income producing structure like apartments, commercial and retail buildings.

I suggest not only investing in domains but consider how they can be turned into income producing web properties.

By: Ryan Sorensen

Ryan Sorensen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:46:19 +0000

Thanks for the comment Darnell. Some of the main reasons why people sell steady earning or growing sites are 1. they have a financial emergency like a medical bill, owing back taxes, death in the family, etc., 2. if there are still some daily time requirements and they can’t stand being in the niche any longer, 3. if they suspect that the niche will no longer be as strong within say the next 6 months to a year, and 4. they may be regular site flippers and want to sell when the site is performing well.

There are other personal reasons as well. But otherwise you’ll find that people who have built their sites from the ground up are the hardest to persuade to get rid of them, even with very competitive offers.

By: Ryan Sorensen

Ryan Sorensen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:26:49 +0000

Good question Michael. Two things that will most impact the asking price when they decide to sell:

1. Increasing traffic and income every month if at all possible, but in the very least keeping it level. Buyers will pay more for a site they believe to be healthy. Expect a site to sell for less if it’s been recently hit by a Google update or if earnings are down due to switching affiliate programs, changing product lines, etc.

2. Automating it. If you are spending 15 hours a week writing content yourself and updating your social media pages, don’t expect the buyer to be as excited and willing to pay premium for a site that they’ll have to run as a part-time job versus one that has hired writers or content produced by guest posters. Look into also hiring out quality SEO work and other traffic campaigns. Buyers are willing to spend more for less maintenance time.

By: Joseph S.

Joseph S. — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:10:00 +0000

How about buying and selling domain names??

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:04:56 +0000

I’ve thought about buying and selling site in the past, but it seems too easy for someone to fake the traffic and/or sales stats. However, you do offer some good ideas for confirming the info. that’s given.

By: Darnell Jackson

Darnell Jackson — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:13:29 +0000

Good post but the only reason why I would sell a site is if it was taking up too much of my time and I wasn’t happy with my income from it.

Why sell a real asset when you could keep it?