Readers Question - Things to check when buying a site
A reader question was sent in that I will discuss today and if you have anything to add please do so in the comments.
I’ve been to Sitepoint to have a look around but I don’t feel comfortable in evaluating the different opportunities. Are they priced right? Are they really THAT passive? Are the traffic truly real? etc. I’m writing to you in the hope that you could either give me a few good hints or maybe point me in the right direction.
Sitepoint is probably still the largest and most active website buying/selling marketplace with more choice than ever before, more than that there are also many more buyers with budgets than there were a few years ago so the chances of making a sale are better even if it’s a high budget.
First you have to consider the motive for selling, for me I would not be interested in selling a zero maintenance website for 12 to 24 times the net monthly income so why would anyone else? Usually the main reason is either
- They know the website has a shelf life and want out before it slumps
- They need a quick injection of a large amount of cash for debt or investment
So a major worry when buying a site in my eyes would be to satisfy yourself the subject matter is not a fad, not a popular TV show forum that is getting cancelled or a technology that will soon be dated, if you can do your homework and feel secure that the reason for selling is genuine and the subject matter has longevity next up you need to weigh up whether the site is right for you and value it.


