When it comes to selling your website, there are many different reasons that may be crossing your mind. You could need the money fast for personal reasons or maybe you built the site with the sole intention of selling it off for a profit one day. You could have lost interest in the site or have other things that are taking up your time. And a whole, wide range of other reasons. The reasons behind why you actually want to sell the website play a big role on the platform you use to sell it, and plays an even bigger role in how much you can earn from the sale. The main thing is how to sell your website, Which we will to talk in the article.
#If you need to sell your website fast
If you’re in a hurry and need to make a quick exit from the website or business, you’re going to want to use one of the different marketplaces that are available. eBay.com and Flippa.com are two of the biggest marketplaces where business owners are listing their businesses for sale and selling them quickly.
Many bargain hunters, domain flippers, and less serious business investors tend to check these marketplaces. They are all looking for a bargain and a good deal. If you need to get rid of the website yesterday, listing it for sale on one of these marketplaces can prove to be a quick way out and can have the business sold within a matter of a few days.
#If you’re worried about getting ripped off and need more safety
There are other marketplaces that are slightly more reputable than eBay or Flippa and provide a bit more safety in the transaction. Marketplaces like Sedo.com use escrow services to help make sure you stay safe and both parties get what they’re looking for out of the deal.
Sedo does take a percentage of the sale but that percentage goes into ensuring the site is safe and both buyer and seller are protected.
They aren’t the fastest but they do have a large market and will actively seek out buyers that may be interested in your website.
#You can also sell the business yourself
If you have more time on your hands and are crafty with your marketing strategies, you can get the site sold by yourself. One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a “This Site Is For Sale” label to the top or bottom of your website. Every time someone lands on the site they will see it, and can reach out to you if they’re interested.
This isn’t the fastest way to get the site sold but it could put it in front of the right investor at the right time. It also cuts out the middlemen who will take a slice of your profits from the sale.
Make sure there is an easy way to contact you.
Be careful and don’t include too much of your own personal information where you’re providing information about the business. Only use a business number, and if you don’t have a business number provide an email address where people can get in touch with you.
Using a Google Voice account is another great way to let people get in touch with you without providing too much personal information.
Make sure that you’re responding as quickly as possible to the requests and enquiries. If people are only offering low-ball offers, feel free to brush them off or simply not respond. There’s no reason to accept a low offer if you have time to hold onto the business and find the right buyer.
Avoid listing your website’s traffic sources and how much the business is earning you on a monthly basis. Only offer this information to serious buyers that you’ve vetted. If your website doesn’t get a ton of traffic, don’t worry about being honest. Many buyers either want to revamp it to keep it in their own portfolio of income generating assets or to sell off to another investor down the road for a small profit.
It’s also worth noting that some investors will only want to buy .com domain names because they believe only .coms hold value. This isn’t true, especially if your business is generating revenue.
#If you have a high visibility website
When your business generates a higher revenue or you have more traffic than a normal website, you’re going to want to seek out alternative methods for getting it sold. One of the best strategies you can use is to list the business for sale through a broker. There are many brokers out there so do your research and work with someone you feel comfortable with.
A good broker should walk you through the sales process and vet the website to verify the numbers that you’re claiming. Because of this vetting process, many investors are willing to offer substantially higher rates than they would through other platforms where the metrics on your site could be fake. You will pay fees with a broker but you’ll get someone to manage the process for you. You’re also likely to get a higher sale price too, meaning more money in your pocket.
#After you have found a buyer for the site
Ensure you have a binding contract in place that clearly states the terms and conditions of the sale. If you’re working with a broker, this is easy to do and will probably already be done for you. Honesty is always the best policy. It’s in your best interests to make sure you have disclosed any problems you’ve experienced with the site and any issues looming over the business.
The last thing you need is a buyer that backs out on the sale and sues you for potential non-disclosure issues.
People selling their websites have been sued for everything from speed and performance of the website, having the domain name or email addresses blacklisted, or having advertising accounts shut down after the sale.
When you do find a buyer, avoid giving them control over your domain until you have received the payment in full. Once you have changed the DNS information over to your buyer’s accounts, they officially own the domain and there isn’t much you can do to get it back should something go wrong.
Thinking about selling?
While letting go of your website can be difficult because of your emotional attachment to it, keep in mind that selling is a business decision and not a personal one. If the site is something you hold near and dear to your heart, make sure you resist checking back in on it to see what the new owners have done with it after they bought it from you.
Revisiting the website within a few weeks or months after you’ve sold it can create increased frustrations for you and could sting if you disagree with the way the new owners are handling growing it. Sometimes, the site could be completely replaced with something new or even shut down and merged into a larger site.
Selling your website isn’t a decision to take lightly. Think it through thoroughly, keep your wits about you during the process and make sure you stay safe during the sale.
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