How to Find and Buy Emerging Growth Websites
Everyone is looking to make the most profitable website sale when it’s time to unload an internet business, but as an investor, you are looking for just the opposite - a sweet baby deal! Learning how to find and buy emerging growth websites is something that comes with experience, but there are many tips WFSBO can share with you in the early stages of profiting from an acquired website.
What is a website worth?
Simply put, a website is worth what it’s worth to YOU. Before you throw all your chips in, you’ll want to know what you are willing to spend, what you hope to gain, and where your investment interests lie. Are you buying for one-off successes or are you looking to build a niche empire? Exercising due diligence is key, even if you know what you want. There will be tempting offers and times when the price feels right, but a little bit of research goes a long way in determining true, objective website worth, so you can buy with confidence.
- lets you quickly check the content quality, meta tags, links, speed, vulnerabilities, and opportunities of any website simply by entering the URL. Our Website Appraisal section provides at-a-glance Alexa ratings, social likes, Google + scores, and estimated valuations of listed sites.
SEM Rush
- Find out which ad types promote a site, and what keywords the site ranks for - or could rank for.Magestic SEO
- Determine the number and health of backlinks.Internet Archive WayBack Machine
- Get a virtual snapshot of a website’s traffic history over the years.Copyscape
- Find out if the content on a website it 100% original or cut, pasted, and plagiarized.Domain History
- Use the “Who Is” tool to see past owners of the website and a list of major changes.Google Analytics
- An honest seller will add your email to allow you “view only” access to their site.
In looking at traffic, steady is good... a boom time followed by a lull could spell opportunity for the right person... erratic spikes followed by drop-offs is a red-flag. Before buying, you want to know where a website earns its revenue, how stable that revenue is, and how diversified it is.
Should you shop at a website auction?
There are many places to shop for and buy emerging growth websites - WFSBO included! The vast majority of established websites are bid upon and sold in a website auction - much like goods are sold on eBay. The buyer lists the website for a suggested price or bid, which you can negotiate up or down from there, along with other contenders.
While this may sound like a stressful way to buy, they are also a safer way to buy websites because there is more information publicly available to the community. Certain statistics are required for a listing, which gives you added peace of mind while shopping around.
Your other option is to buy a website privately. You conduct your own research and approach a website you feel has potential and ask the owner directly if they would be willing to sell. You’ll have to spend some time learning all the details of the site, go back and forth with offers, and risk the possibility the seller will not be interested.
Getting a Good Deal On Established Websites For Sale
Once you’re fairly certain you’re ready to buy, you’ll want to make sure you get a fair deal.
Get the facts.
A legitimate seller will share personal details like name, phone number, address, and tax numbers. You want to know what you’re buying and who you’re buying from.Get protected.
Consider getting a contract drawn up by an IP lawyer with experience in protecting buyers’ rights. Add a non-compete clause if you’re buying from someone who is well-connected to your industry, as you don’t want to end up competing against their next website.Get an intermediary.
We deal through Escrow and PayPal to provide added buyer protection.Get guidance.
Ask for a period of onboarding support to help you get some content up, redesign the look of the site, or answer any pressing questions before you’re on your own.
Relatively established sites are always better for beginners than startups because there is more predictability based on past performance data. Ideally, you’ll find an emerging growth website in our marketplace that shows a steady upward trend with even more room to grow.
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