Busing and selling websites is a pretty interesting way to make money online, but it definitely requires some know-how. Here's the lowdown: Buying Websites: Where to find sites for sale: • Marketplaces like Flippa and Empire Flippers • Brokers like FE International and Quiet Light Brokerage What to look for when evaluating a site: • Traffic sources and trends • Revenue and profit history • Monetization methods • Niche and growth potential • Technical health of the site Pro tips: • Do your due diligence! Verify all claims about traffic, revenue, etc. • Use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to analyze the site • Typical valuations are around 24-36x monthly profit for established sites • Always use an escrow service to protect yourself Selling Websites: How to maximize value: • Clean up your financials and have clear documentation • Optimize the site's performance and monetization • Show a history of growth and future potential • Consider using a broker to reach more buyers Things to keep in mind: • Timing is key - sell when your site is on an upward trajectory • Be ready to help with the handover and answer buyer questions • Set a realistic price based on recent comparable sales My personal take: Website flipping can be pretty profitable, but it's not a get-rich-quick scheme. You need to do careful analysis and have some technical knowledge. I'd recommend starting small and learning the ropes before making any big investments. What about you guys? Any experiences with buying or selling websites?

I've been in the website investing game for a while now, and I've learned that due diligence is absolutely crucial when buying a site. Here's my guide to not getting scammed and making sure you're getting what you pay for: 1. Traffic Analysis: • Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to verify traffic claims • Check the traffic sources - organic search is generally more valuable than social media • Look for any sudden drops or spikes in traffic - could indicate penalties or manipulation 2. Revenue Verification: • Ask for screenshots or direct access to revenue accounts (AdSense, affiliate networks, etc.) • Cross-reference revenue claims with traffic data - does it make sense? • Look for seasonal trends or one-off spikes that might skew the numbers 3. Backlink Profile: • Use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to analyze the backlink profile • Watch out for spammy or low-quality links that could lead to future penalties • Check if there's a good mix of dofollow and nofollow links 4. Content Quality: • Read through the content - is it original and high-quality? • Check for plagiarism using tools like Copyscape • Look for signs of AI-generated content (which Google might penalize) 5. Technical SEO: • Run the site through tools like Screaming Frog to check for technical issues • Look at page speed using Google PageSpeed Insights • Check for mobile-friendliness and responsive design 6. Monetization Methods: • Understand how the site makes money - is it sustainable? • Are there opportunities to diversify or improve monetization? • Check if the methods comply with Google's guidelines (especially important for AdSense sites) 7. Niche Research: • Is the niche growing, stable, or declining? • Are there any upcoming regulations or changes that could affect the site? • What's the competition like? 8. Owner's Time Investment: • How much time does the current owner spend on the site? • Is there a team or is it all done by one person? • Are there processes in place that you can take over?

Interesting looking at all the new Flippa categories: • Digital Agencies • AI Apps & Tools • Crypto & Blockchain • Plugins & Extensions • Gaming Community has to be next! Also interesting how newsletters seem to be tied with youtube and social media in the same category? So many niche marketplaces have been launched over the last couple of years, I can't help but think that almost all will get crushed attempting to compete with the unit economics of Flippa. However, some such as https://gomerge.com/ appear to be doing very well by just focussing on one niche, i.e. digital agencies in their case. Thoughts?

I've not looked at the state of the industry reports since I was at Flippa, and was surprised to see just how much sales have reduced over the last couple of years. (Props to EF for always being so transparent). In the 2023 report, total sales were $86M Over the last 12 months on the EF scoreboard, total sales are $42M. Is this a change in the overall industry? EF is of course fine, but are the majority of smaller M&A marketplaces now struggling to get enough new deals to close?

Anyone checked this one out yet? --- Listing URL Niche: Personal Care, Health & Fitness Monetization: Display Advertising, Other Listing Price: $104,606 Avg. Monthly Profit: $3,487 Monthly Multiple: 30x Listing Description: Launched in February 2017, this Danish language Display Ads website provides informational content covering niches such as health, psychology, wellness, and culture. One of the significant strengths of the business is its excellent traffic diversification, with the top page accounting for only 1.6% of the total traffic. This diversity ensures that the site is not overly dependent on a single piece of content for its audience engagement. Additionally, the site has a Semrush Authority Score of 29. The site uses Ad Exchange via Google Ads Manager with the Display Ads account for 98% of total revenue and the remaining 2% coming from sponsored posts and links. A minimum of 2 new articles are added each week that are written by freelance employees who may be interested in moving with the business. Traffic is primarily driven via Facebook (65%) followed by Organic Search (29%).