This site: http://www.militarysos.com/forum/
Just sold for: $55 000
http://flippa.com/auctions/76386
Lucrative Website Flipping Strategies Revealed
October 13th, 2009 comments »
While flipping websites is easier than many people would think, it’s not always easy and straightforward. With so many options available, you can often end up building or buying something that actually isn’t worthwhile. Take a look below for our top five tips that help you get the most out of flipping.
Set and Forget
You can flip all sorts of websites, but the first thing you need to reassure people is that your website actually works. Your site needs to have a relatively strong growth curve, so spend time to ensure that the niche the site is in can grow. If you can demonstrate this to the marketplace, then you can sell the site just like any other business. Valuation’s vary based on a variety of thing, but if you have a site that’s got good regular growth, you can sell based on projected revenue alone, that is as long as you have the historical evidence to prove it.
Double Flip
Whilst many people think that website flipping involves simply the sale of websites, it can also involve the purchase of undervalued and underperforming sites that just need a little care and attention to boost their traffic, and profit potential. With just a little bit of work, you can transform a website bought for just a few hundred dollars into something that can sell for a couple of thousand!
Don’t Just Think Websites
Another great idea for flipping is to sell forums or community sites that you’ve spent the time to create. It’s easy to find a niche and all it takes is a bit of forum / blog marketing to raise awareness and as soon as you have a respectable number of members, you have something that people will buy! It’s really easy to monetize forums and other community focused sites, so if you have one that gets traffic but you’re not exploiting, then why not sell it?
What’s a Name Worth?
When it comes to flipping a website, often the domain name can be worth a lot more than the actual site itself. Before selling it’s always good to get a domain name appraisal so that you know how much the domain is worth and also to make sure that you’re not undervaluing your website. It’s also something to consider when buying a website, because if it’s a really good domain name that the seller has failed to realize, you may be able to sell the domain for more than the whole site cost you!
Sell To The Competition
If you’re simply desperate for a quick sale, then selling to your competition may be a great way to get it. But be prepared for the fact that once the sale is complete, they may very well kill your site and simply absorb your customers. It’s a great way to make a few dollars, but if you care about your site, then it may also be quite heartbreaking to see your hard earned work simply disappear.
How to Sell a Website
September 14th, 2009 1 comment »
Selling a website is one of the last steps in a successful “flip.” Online entrepreneurs make a living by finding websites with a potential to grow (and make money), purchase the site, renovate it and expand on the audience, and close the deal with a sale that yields much higher profits then what it took to originally buy it. Oh, the world of flipping websites.
If you have made it to the “selling” phase then you should pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself. You’ve already put in most of the hard work! Careful though, take your time on the sale as you want to make sure you got the very best deal possible and deal with reputable buyers.
There is no easy way to figure out what the valuation of your website should be. However the simple fact is your site is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Easier said than done right? You need to find a value that will answer questions when interested parties ask, “How much?”
Again, it’s quite hard to determine a selling price. Factors such as what industry your site operates in, the competition, amount of labor and technical skills, operating costs, and overall potential all are variables in the equation.
Keep in mind that standard business practices such as supply vs. demand and other basic economic concepts play a role in online commerce.
Some say that a business should be sold for ten times its gross profit or five times the average revenue. But these standards vary according to who you talk to.
Sometimes you’ll need to ask for much more than the norm, especially if you believe the site has a huge amount of growth and money-making potential, just be prepared to have less interested buyers.
The more information you provide to potential buyers the better. It’s just that simple. People want to know what they are getting. If you do the homework, people will respect your hard work and become much more likely to trust you and reward you for your efforts. Don’t hide anything either.
Raw statistics are especially important. Include traffic statistics such as unique visitors, page views, growth rates over time, which countries they are from, how much traffic derives from search engines and direct bookmarks, which keywords your site is popular for, and the PageRank of the site.
Financial figures such as the profit and loss statement are also sought after from buyers. Record the profits earned from advertising, bills for expenses (such as hosting and domain names), and income from the site.
Including screenshots of these figures will increase the likelihood that people will buy from you.
If you’re having trouble selling your website you could draft a sales letter introducing the website and yourself. Include the mission, design, and history of the site. Provide interesting facts, the original roots of the site, etc. Also provide a paragraph explaining why you want to sell the site, what the site will offer to the new owner(s), and any other important information. Provide statistics about the site to help give each prospective buyer an idea as to how successful the site is and ultimately how much it will cost.
Settle on a rough estimate for what you would like to receive for the site. Some may believe that selling is a passive action. Not the case in the world of online commerce. Unless your site is extraordinarily popular (MySpace and Twitter come to mind), buyers will likely not pursue you. This is different from the world of real estate where you can afford to sit back and wait for the offers. Remember you cannot plan a “For Sale” sign on your home page. You need to be the one pursuing leads.
Sellers can also pursue perspective buyers by searching through classifieds of web entrepreneurs or other individuals interested in flipping websites. eBay’s “Business/Websites For Sale” section is a great place to start. Just beware of scams and scammers on eBay. Some may avoid the hassle of bargaining on eBay and turn to forums like SitePoint SiteSell.
Owners can list their site for sale and get exposure as well as search archives to see what others sites have sold for in the past.
Visit our links section to find places to buy and sell websites!
Buying a Website
August 17th, 2009 comments »
In the real estate business, an individual or company may purchase property at a discounted price, renovate it, and then sell it a few months later for a major profit. They’ll continue this process with several different properties and if successful, they bring in a steady income. This is known as flipping houses or flipping properties.
Individuals purchase websites everyday for a wide range of reasons. Many purchase a website to show off personal photos or to create a “me page.” Others purchase domains for businesses or services, while others buy websites for the sole purpose of flipping them for a profit…
Flipping websites is much more appealing when compared to flipping property because it’s much cheaper to purchase. It’s a great business opportunity especially for young entrepreneurs because of the low start-up costs who also understand the digital era. However, just like any investment you can lose a lot of money. You need to understand the ins and outs of flipping websites, which all begins with buying a website.
The Internet is still relatively new, which means successful online commerce marketing strategies are just beginning to become proven to work. A wide percentage of online marketers have yet to understand how AdSense and other search engine optimization techniques could greatly change the monthly income of their site.
For some, “where there is a need there is an opportunity,” and the online commerce industry definitely is granting business opportunities to those willing to put in the extra work.
Most individuals who invest in website flipping purchase a website that was already created, which means it will save the buyer time and energy developing an audience and search engine index. Concepts like link exchanges and back links will help improve search engine results. Those concepts are hashed out later. The main point is “Will the website grow?”
If yes, you can find a wide variety of websites that will put up a profit with improved search engine results. Buying an already developed website is a great way to get a jump on the competition. Most online entrepreneurs will target a “mature site,” one that is at least 12 months old.
The previous owner of the website will gauge the value and sell the site for a value they find reasonable based on traffic and other factors. Here’s a quick run-down on what “website traffic” all entitles:
- Unique visitors (averages and totals)
- Page views (averages and totals)
- Growth rates over time
- Keywords
- Page Rank
Online entrepreneurs understand the market, its potential, its risks, their idea, and how it fits into the overall business strategy.
When you buy a website, consider these options:
- Buy a site that has targeted traffic for a product or service you already produce or sell.
- Buy a site to generate advertising revenue.
- Buy a site specifically to flip it quickly.
- Buy a community driven site.
- Buy a site specifically for its domain name.
- Browse for a site operating in a highly popular keyword niche or one you expect to become popular in the near future.
- Remove the competition or merge with the competition.
All of these are profitable options when considering what type of site you want to purchase.
Individuals wishing to buy a website could visit specific website trading sites (although bargains are hard to find) or they could do some extra homework and search deep into the World Wide Web. Search based on the industry you want to get into. Popular sites (like the ones on the first few pages of Google) are expensive to purchase. Rather look deep into the search or find a market with low competition.
Find websites with single webmasters who do not take the site too seriously or would rather shop it for a reasonable rate. Remember you want good sites with potential not great sites with little room left to grow.
Once you find a site, monitor it and research its potential. This will give you an idea as to how much the site is worth and what price you could offer to receive a nice deal. Contact the owner and mention your interest in purchasing the website and go from there.
photo by annia316
How to Flip Websites
August 13th, 2009 comments »Before you get into the business of flipping web sites, it’s important you understand how the internet works. Secondly you need to understand how a web site makes money. If you do not understand keywords or SEO optimization, you need to do a crash course first. You need to know how you can make money for your web site. This doesn’t mean you need to charge customers.
Most successful sites are popular for a reason. They’re free. Yet they still make money through programs like Google Adwords and other forms of advertisement. If you do not have a clue how to make a single dime online, again, you need a crash course.
Major benefits of getting into the business of flipping web sites include:
- Little start-up headaches involved which usually are associated with a launching of a new product or service.
- Easy to create, retool, and remodel your web site. Presentation is vital on the internet and thankfully more and more resources exist to help with the presentation.
- Individuals may position a web site for maximum selling value and build it accordingly – ahead of time.
A successful entrepreneur will recognize opportunity and seize it! He or she will separate the good from the bad, the losers from the profitable.
Individuals with power in the internet world can quickly assess a site’s current income and gauge how well it will be sustained. Individuals will also learn how to master and understand online features such as the Alexa ranking, hidden adword links, SEO optimization, and understand “Black Hat” techniques.
Buying Power
Flipping a web site all starts with the purchase. Individuals may purchase a new web site and start from the ground up. This will start out with a business plan followed into action by purchasing a domain name and web hosting service. The site then must be created, which is usually done by a professional web designer – although you can give it a shot.
Other individuals will opt to purchase a web site already in the business that needs a new makeover or fresh kick in the butt. You could compare this to the nearest thing of online real estate.
The Flip
Once the investment is made, it’s now time to make good on it. The second step is what I like to refer to as “The Flip.” How are you going to transform this idea/web site that at the moment has no content, photos, video, or users?
The Flip transforms the idea from paper into an actual reality. It’s like the construction of an infrastructure for an actual business. What will your web site house? How will the content be presented? Who will run the site? How do you plan on landing users?
There is so much involved in The Flip that you could dedicate an entire hour or two to it.
The basic formula of transformation:
PRESENTATION -> ADVERTISING -> PROFITABILITY -> THE SELL
The presentation is the first step and very important. Your web site must look and feel good. Users will not waste their time with an unprofessional appearance. Invest in a professional web designer and have him or her execute your vision.
Advertising will not only help entice users to check out your site or join it, but it will also provide a steady income if you know how to use it. Split-tests and other practices help online business entrepreneurs get a grasp on their market, what works, and what does not.
Sell
If you create a steady fan base and advertising campaign, your web site will become a profitable venture no matter if you are selling a product or just offering a simple service free of charge.
If your site blows up, reaches the top ranks of search engines, and receives hundreds of thousands of hits everyday – you my friend, will be living in luxury very soon.
Once your web site has reached its full potential you need to know when to cash out. Maybe you want to take the first offer that comes your way. Maybe you do not. Just know that the offers will come to those sites with original ideas and amazing popularity.
Check out the stories behind MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Craig’s List, Twitter, and other extraordinarily successful web sites that all started out as simple ideas.
