Bought a Website, Now What Do I Do?

That’s the question. Seriously, most of the people who buy start-up websites may not know what to do with them.


The buyers may have been blinded by the flashy designs of the websites, which were set up with a paid premium theme, and one would even have to run Copyscape to check for unique content on the site.

Buying a Website

How does one find a good website to buy?

In the course of learning how to flip websites, I have been in the position where I was overwhelmed with the choices of startup websites with flashy designs and money-making, established websites which were priced way over my budget.

In the beginning I made a number of bad choices, although I prefer to regard this as the price you sometimes have to pay to learn anything new. And, certainly, owning some of those less than perfect websites really taught me a lot about marketing.

Flippa – the new Sitepoint Marketplace short review

Towards end of June 2009, all websites on sale at Sitepoint Marketplace were transfered to Flippa.com, the new home for buying and selling websites.


Boy, if you were one of those people lucky enough to read a whole load of comments prior to the change of venue, one sentence summed it up.  A whole load of resistance.  From sellers, buyers, on the fencers.  As for me, who has sold a couple of websites on the original Sitepoint Marketplace, I haven’t any opinions yet on the new marketplace, Flippa as I haven’t used Flippa to sell my websites yet.  I supposed I should try out.  I must admit however, that initially I have reservations doing so, as all things new.  Having said that, after browsing the new Flippa listings for sometime and using the filters and so on to get a hang on the feel of the new place, I have a few good things to say.

1) You get to see the domain name of the website for sale  – directly underneath the listing line.  Why? I was taught by Saj P’s The Site Rush that it’s best to look for website names that’s not too long, preferably no hyphens or weird characters, and at least a .net (best is .com)

Selling My Website

Before I sold my first website at Sitepoint, there are a list of things that I jot down from studying other seller’s listings, especially the ones that got bids or were sold off.


From the auction’s listing headline to the bonuses I give away when buyers buy at BIN price, I made sure that I showcase the best facts and features of the website in selling my website.

First off, the listing headline need to capture people’s interest right off the bat. There are many websites listed in a day and if you do not have a great headline, your listing may descend to obscurity at page number 7, never getting a passing look by potential buyers. Not to mention that generally 50% listing would not even get a look, let alone sold.

Buying Websites – Best Marketplace and Places to Avoid

When buying products, be it everyday items like groceries, or a once-in-5-years perhaps, like cars, we search for the best venue and avenue to do so.  For, the right kind of venue and avenue could save us some time and costs in the long run.


Same goes to buying websites.

Here’s an overview of a few places to consider when shopping for a website.

How to Buy a Website

Depending on the kind of website you are looking for, or hope to achieve from buying one, online auction sites could be a great venue for getting a great bargain. There are a few, oft-mentioned online auction sites, and will be mentioned as we go along.



Here are some tips on how to buy website at auction sites:

a) Feedback -  for Ebay, the feedback  must be at least 10; more would be better, and in terms of percentage should be at worst, a 99%. For other sites, like Sitepoint, check for at least a verified phone number, which should give the seller a 60% trusted level.  The other 40% is achieved after a positive feedback is given by a buyer.  100% trust level coupled with a few successful listing is desirable.  Do read the a few comments left for the buyer so that you get a base picture of the kind of seller you are dealing with.