Flipping websites is really about the process of buying websites with hidden value, fixing them up, and then selling them later for a profit. The buyer is happy because they have a new site, the seller is happy to turn a profit, and the user gets a better site. Everyone wins!

That said, there are many instances when flipping a site is a really bad idea. Figuring out if you should keep your site for the long term depends your goals among other things. In some cases it’s best to hold onto your site and just keep improving it over time.

Here are some questions to think about when deciding whether or not to sell your site:

• How profitable is the site?
• How much work is it to run the site?
• Was the site created only to make money?
• Are you using the site to establish your brand or online presence?
• Did you put the site together for fun?
• Can you leverage the site into something else?
• Is the site in question making money in an evergreen niche?
• Is the site fad?

If you just want to make a quick buck flipping your site then go ahead! If the site is holding you back, taking up too much time, or you need some money to move on to bigger and better things that by all means sell the site!

However, a better strategy is often to really invest in your website and build it out really well. Add real value to it. Work hard on it. This will increase your revenue on an ongoing basis as well as dramatically increase the valuation if you choose to sell down the road.

The key is to always be adding value for your users no matter what you do. Make your site faster, add better content, add the features your users want.

There are loads of places where you can list a website, but the question is, how do you know which is the best? With forums, auctions and dedicated site flipping marketplaces, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Using a Forum as a Marketplace

Digitalpoint, Webhostingtalk, Namepros are examples of popular forums that have sections dedicated to buying and selling websites. From here you can execute the whole transaction and you can also get your site appraised by the community for free. In general though, using a forum is a great way to get interest for a site, but it doesn’t afford either party anything in the way of protection as the transaction is entirely between seller and buyer.

Using an Auction as a Marketplace

eBay is the main example here and as more and more people use eBay, more and more people find out that it’s perhaps not the best tool for the job. Whilst you can successfully flip a site with eBay, it does nothing in the way of verifying any information, other than listing what you provide. As a result, whilst eBay does offer some level of protection, you are still largely responsible for what you buy.

Using a Dedicated Flipping Site

Flippa is the best example of a dedicated flipping site. It is one of the best places to go and because it’s the most popular you really can gain some valuable market insights. The site is highly reliable and they also can authenticate data such as traffic stats to provide some level of safety. By using a site such as Flippa you can take advantage of escrow services which afford both parties some degree of protection. The community on Flippa is knowledgeable and helpful in preventing scams and other fraudulent activity.

Perhaps another option not many people think of is selling the website directly. Many people simply advertise a website for sale on the site itself, but you can often get a lucrative deal by marketing your site to other sites in the same niche, suppliers and even business associates. After all, a good website is worth its weight in gold, and selling your site to someone that’s familiar with it is a lot easier than selling it to someone that’s not.

Whilst many of these sites have their own weaknesses, the reality is that they do work for selling websites. If you are careful when it comes to buying and selling, if you shop around you can find some really good deals simply because some people haven’t heard of the more popular sites such as Namepros and Flippa.

Do your research thoroughly and don’t walk into deals blind. Know exactly what you’re getting in to and don’t become a victim. Whilst you should always be careful, there are loads of bargains out there, you can find a profitable site for yourself, or a lucrative opportunity for resale. When it comes to selling however, save your site for the best marketplaces and make sure you get as much exposure as possible.

Flipping websites involves a lot of work, and if you know what you’re doing and you work very hard you can make a decent income. After all it’s just like working as a web site designer, SEO consultant and internet marketer. In fact it’s a fusion of the three jobs, and if you can do them reasonably well, you can be assured that you have an opportunity to make a consistent income from buying poorly designed / optimized / marketed websites, improving them and then re-selling them for a profit.

The secret to website flipping is knowing exactly what a sites worth and more importantly, how long it will take to get a return on your initial investment. Remember that the investment you make is both a financial one and it is also time based.

When you’re thinking of turning website flipping into a full time income, the first thing you should do is work on it as a part time hobby. Build up a collection of short-term flips, longer-term flips and also sites to keep because they generate a good passive income. There is no reason to flip a good passive income website is there?

The golden rule of online business and Internet Marketing is passive income. As a site flipper you will get the opportunity to buy and sell sites that have this as the primary goal. Spend the time to build your own personal portfolio of the best performing earners so that there is always something making you money.

Getting good at site flipping isn’t difficult and after a while you will start to realize how much time it takes to get a site into shape, and most importantly you’ll know if a site is worthwhile. Remember, $30 an hour for 30 hours a week is a lot better than $15 an hour for 60; so don’t fall under the spell of online business, keep track of your hours and treat it like a real brick and mortar enterprise.

If you can make a success out of flipping websites then you can also market your services and experience to other people. Internet marketer’s long for the abilities of someone that has the skills of a good site flipper and as time goes on, those high ticket-price websites won’t look so scary. Whilst a $10,000 dollar website sounds like an insane prospect at first, you could soon be turning that into a $50,000 website.

Can you make money flipping websites? The answer really depends on the person. It’s like anything really.

If you can commit yourself, show passion and enthusiasm and exhibit creativity in your work, then you can certainly start to make a regular income from flipping websites.