Website flipping is the practice of buying and selling a blog.
It’s similar to flea market flipping or house flipping, except that instead of physical, tangible products, you’re flipping websites in website flipping.
Not many people knew about it as it is still under the radar. But it is actually happening and in-demand right now in the webspace.
Some people who want to dive into the world of blogging and make money fast use website flipping as it’s probably the quickest route to make money by blogging.
On the other hand, even businesses flip websites to gain traction from their niche-related industry.
So is website flipping right for you?
In this post, let’s talk about website flipping. What is it, and where to begin?
Ultimately, we will share ten marketplaces to start flipping websites.
Related: How Do Bloggers Make Money? Blogging For Beginners 101
What is meant by website flipping?
Again, website flipping is simple and has a straightforward meaning.
Like when you flip a house, you buy an already built property, renovate it, and make a few improvements- then resell it at a higher price; the same is the concept in website flipping.
Generally, flipping means remaking, refurbishing, or remodeling something and selling it for profit.
Essentially, the goal in website flipping is to make money and earn profit. So buy low and sell high, everybody.
In the case of website flipping, it’s like digital real estate. Only this time, you are buying an online space or property.
Furthermore, there are two general ways on how to flip a website.
One is you will buy a starter website. It means you will build it from scratch, grow organic traffic, create quality content, gain followers, and monetize it. Then, if it has earned substantial revenue, you will list the website (or blog) for sale higher than the price you bought it.
Another is by buying a pre-made and already established website. It means that this website is already gaining traffic, monetizable, and up and running. Next, you have to increase or improve it or do a few tweaks here and there.
Then, sell it for profit.
The second option might be the most appealing, but both have their benefits and drawbacks (more on it later!)
10 Best Places for Website Flipping
Below are the top 10 best and free marketplaces to buy and sell websites.
1. Flippa
Flippa is known to be the pioneer in the website flipping business. Most businesses use it if they are leaning towards an e-commerce site.
Moreover, the way Flippa works is through auction. It means that customers bid on the price of the websites, and it is up to the seller whether to accept it.
However, when an interested customer pays the absolute price, then the website is automatically sold to him regardless of any other bids that may follow.
PROS: Has a solid reputation in buying and selling websites, easy to navigate, offers various price range
CONS: Potential scams and fraud, so don’t be a turkey.
2. Afternic
Another popular marketplace for website flipping is Afternic. Once you list your site there, it will also be automatically visible to other website flipping platforms they have partnered with.
PROS: Wider reach, has a partnership with other web hostings and domain registrar, speedy process
CONS: commission fees, website layout is a bit challenging to navigate
3. Website Broker
If there’s a real estate broker, there’s also a website broker.
It’s an online platform much like a free marketplace for website flipping. There are many visitors to the site, so you can expect many buyers and sellers there.
The process is through auction, so also expect many bidders.
PROS: No commission fee, many buyers and sellers
CONS: Only a standard listing fee which is upgradable so you can gain more exposure for your listing ($9.99 to $15)
4. Freemarket
Freemarket is a newly-established site created by freelancers.com. It is an excellent place to buy and sell valuable websites at a low cost.
PROS: 0% listing fees, great if you are saving money,
CONS: charge a 5% commission fee for every sale (but it’s actually low compared to other sites that charge a commission fee based on specified sale range)
5. Digital Point Forum
The Digital Point Forum is another marketplace for buying and selling websites and domains.
PROS: Potential buyers, more well-suited for web admins and freelancers
CONS: user experience is not great, and some do not recommend using it
6. Empire Flippers
If you want to buy established and profitable websites, Empire Flippers are the online marketplace to be.
From content websites to eCommerce businesses, you can find and list any types of websites here.
Moreover, Empire Flippers provide vetting and due diligence for buyers. It includes seller’s identity verification, traffic data evaluation, and verification of the site revenue. However, you can also do due diligence yourself.
PROS: Websites are vetted or have gone through proper screening, ensuring that it passes Empire Flipper’s requirements and has real traffic and proven revenue.
CONS: High sales commission fee (15%), compared to other fee-free sites
7. Trademysite
It is also known as hugedomains.com, a platform for website flipping. The process is through bidding and auction. The process is through bidding and auction.
PROS: Global reach such as USA, Australia, Ireland, Malaysia
CONS: Relatively new site but is continuing to grow
8. Motion Invest
Owning a website is a great business, and with Motion Invest, you can now buy and sell those websites that are already making money.
Motion Invest also provides vetting plus offers assistance for site migration.
PROS: Great platform to buy a website if you don’t want to start from scratch and with a lesser budget.
CONS: High sales commission fee from 15%-20%
9. Blogs For Sale
It is a marketplace to buy and sell niche websites. Aside from that, you can also buy and sell established websites or starter (not yet monetized) websites here. But the starter sites have a bunch of contents already included, plus the website files and database.
It saves you the trouble and time to set up a website from scratch (especially if you’re allergic to technology)
With the starter site no traffic and revenue yet, the only expense would be the hosting.
PROS: Ease of navigation, you can choose listings per niche, monetization, etc.
CONS: None
10. Web Hosting Talk
Like Digital Point Forum, Web Hosting Talk is another place to buy and sell domains and websites. You can also use the forum section for discussions, questions, and answers and talk with other website flippers, bloggers, or investors.
PROS: You can gain prospects with an online network
CONS: It can be confusing to get started
Is website flipping legal?
Oh, YES, it is! It is not a scam nor fishy in any other way. Website flipping has been a long practice since the era of the internet. Many people have been doing this for years, but few know about it.
It’s still under the radar, but it’s one great way to earn extra income. All you have to do is invest your time and skills to grow the website in hopes of profit in return.
How do I flip a website?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on website flipping for beginners.
- To build or to flip? (If you are building it yourself, it will be cost-effective yet time-consuming, but still possible)
- If you buy a website, roll up your sleeves for some minor or significant legwork and choose a marketplace platform.
- Once you have decided on a website, negotiate the price.
- Improve the traffic, profitability, content of the website.
- List and sell the site higher than the price you initially found and bought it.
Is website flipping profitable?
The answer to this question will depend on various factors. Generally, the idea behind website flipping is that a website should have a proven profitability factor.
For instance, is the website monetized? Who are the prospect readers, and what is the website's niche? All these put together will dictate whether a website is worth flipping and profit from.
As long as you should remember the golden rule: Buy low, and sell high.
Besides, blogging is not dead. With many websites taking space on the internet, not many are known to users, nor does Google rank. So your idea could be the next most read blog or what people need.
Final thoughts
Overall, website flipping can give you a decent income. However, it would be best to keep in mind that it is a long-term game.
Traffic, revenue, quality content, website age, and more contribute to the overall worth of your website or when you are trying to buy or flip it.
At this writing, the current earnings multiplier for a website is up to 36x. It means that if your website is earning $10,000 monthly, you can sell it for $360,000.
Moreover, don’t forget to avoid red flags and scams. The internet is brimming with the good, the ugly, and the bad. Read the fine print first and deal only with legit people and buying and selling platforms.
So how about you? What are your thoughts about website flipping?
Have you done it yourself, or are you planning on building a website, growing, and reselling it?
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