How You Can Be a Shark in the Online Business Tank
Introduction: You’re Busted—Face the Camera
1. Why Buy Websites?
Is Website Investing Truly Passive?
Traditional Businesses vs. Websites
Case Study: Healthy Business
2. Where Do You Find Websites for Sale?
Website Brokers
Marketplaces
Flippa
Private Deals
Networking
Website Buying Groups
Case Study: Abracadabra
3. Narrowing Down the Search
Niches
Purpose
Let the Opportunities Come to You
4. Business Models
Advertising
Affiliate Marketing
Services
A Quick Word on Outsourcing
eCommerce—Selling Physical Products
Leads
Subscriptions
Email Marketing
Comparison of Revenue Sources
Case Study: Me, a Media Mogul
5. Evaluating a Website
Source Documents
Ownership
Revenue
Expenses
Estimating the Cost of Your Time Invested
Financial Risk
Evaluating Customers
Traffic
Links
Content
The Competition
Reasons for Selling
Dependencies
Your Knowledge of the Website’s Business
6. Evaluating Future Potential
7. Other Countries
Domains
Websites That Target Specific Countries or Cities
Language Differences
International Market Potential
8. The Fast Flip
9. Valuation: How Much Should You Pay for a Website?
Assess the Risk Profile
Adjust for Future Potential
What Multiples Are Sites Selling For?
Your Time
Other Valuation Considerations
Other Valuation Methods
Case Study: Being Conned
10. The Auction and Negotiation
Ingratiation
The Auction
Reserve Prices
Seller’s Reputation
Communication
Non-disclosure Agreements
Non-compete Agreements
Getting Creative
Case Study: Pure Mountain Pee Pee
11. The Handoff
Sales Contracts
Non-compete Agreements
Paying for the Website
Escrow
Physical Transfer of the Website
The Inspection Period
Pulling the Trigger
Case Study: The Furniture Business
12. It’s Mine; Now What?
Getting Help
Measure, Measure, Measure
Financial Tracking
13. A Word About the Mobile World
14. Do You Need a Business to Own a Website? No, but…
15. When to Sell and How to Do It
Getting the Best Price and Developing Relationships
Preparation
The Sales Listing
Frequently Asked Questions
Listing Your Site for Sale on Flippa
The Auction
Communications
Case Study: A Soft Spot for Software
What To Do Next
About The Author
Acknowledgments
Resources
The Website Buying Process
Effective Sales Pitch Components