Website Flipping
What It Is:
Website flipping is the practice of buying existing websites, improving them (e.g., enhancing content, optimizing SEO, increasing traffic, improving monetization), and then selling them for a profit. It's akin to real estate investing, but in the digital realm.
Outlook:
The market for buying and selling websites is robust and growing. According to
WeCanTrack, over 10,000 websites are sold monthly on popular online marketplaces. This industry has seen significant expansion, with website flipping growing by 20% in the last five years. Importantly for new entrants, the average website flipper achieves a healthy 30% to 150% Return on Investment (ROI) on their efforts, and approximately 35% of sellers are first-timers, indicating an accessible market.
Startup Cost:
- Highly Variable, Potentially Low Entry:
- Domain Name Registration: As low as $10-$20 per year for a new domain (e.g., from GoDaddy).
- Website Purchase: Simple, established websites can be acquired for a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, or even less for very basic ones.
- Hosting: Monthly web hosting fees (if not included with the purchase) can range from $5-$30.
- Tools & Resources: Potential investment in SEO tools, content creation tools, or design assets (optional, but beneficial).
- Primary Investment: Your time, research, and skills in improving the acquired website.
Skills Needed:
- Research & Valuation: The ability to identify undervalued websites with potential and accurately assess their worth.
- Vision & Strategy: Envisioning how a website can be improved (e.g., new content, better monetization, design overhaul).
- Digital Marketing:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Crucial for increasing organic traffic.
- Content Creation: Ability to write or manage the creation of engaging and valuable content.
- Social Media Marketing: To drive traffic and build community.
- Basic Technical/Platform Knowledge: Familiarity with WordPress (most common platform), analytics tools (Google Analytics), and potentially basic HTML/CSS (though not always required for simple flips).
- Financial Acumen: Understanding revenue streams, costs, and calculating ROI.
- Negotiation: For both buying and selling websites.
- Creativity: To brainstorm improvement ideas and make a website stand out.
How to Start:
- Thorough Research: Begin by researching niches, current website market trends, and available platforms for buying and selling (e.g., Flippa, Empire Flippers, Acquire.com).
- Start Small: Focus on acquiring smaller, less expensive websites (e.g., content sites with low traffic or untapped potential) to minimize risk and gain experience. Avoid highly competitive or premium domain names initially.
- Identify Improvement Areas: Once acquired, analyze the website for opportunities to increase its value (e.g., better content, improved SEO, new monetization methods, design updates).
- Implement Improvements: Execute your strategy to enhance the website's performance and appeal.
Even more available in the eBook
