Wondering how to make money by flipping websites? Surprisingly, it’s easier than you might think and doesn’t require that much skill or technical know-how.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of flipping websites for profit.
Who knows? Maybe it will open a new source of revenue for you.
Like flipping houses, flipping websites can be hugely profitable or a massive disappointment.
You’ll also need some initial funds.
How to Make Money By Flipping Websites?
Flipping websites is based on the same idea as flipping houses; buy cheap, make it better, and re-sell for a profit.
Luckily, there are many different places where you can find websites for sell. We’re talking websites that have a lot of potential.
Your first goal is to find a good deal on a website that has potential but has been abandoned for one reason or another.
Flippa.com
Flippa is the number one platform for buying and selling websites and domain names.
It’s not unusual to see websites being sold and bought for thousands – sometimes even hundreds of thousands – of dollars on this website.
Most of the websites being sold on that platform are sold on a bidding system (some cost a flat fee, but most are bids) so there’s a chance the price will continue to increase.
But the question that is probably on your mind is, “How can I tell if a website has potential?”.
We’ll talk about that in the next section.
You’ll have to become familiar with these buying and selling platforms to learn how to make money by flipping websites.
Buying an Investment Website: Here’s The Criteria:
To determine if a website has potential, we’ll need to check and see if it meets a certain criteria.
The criteria is simple.
- Is the website domain name catchy?
- Does the website have content?
- Is there existing website traffic?
- How old is the website?
- Is it currently making money?
Learning how to make money by flipping websites all comes down to how you can improve a website, make it better, and sell it for more.
There are other criteria too, but these are the main points that will make it easier to find a good quality website on sale.
Websites with content are always more valuable than blank websites because chances are that content had enough time to rank and bring in traffic.
BTW: If you need help getting free traffic and ranking content organically, get our free eBook.
It’s like a guidebook on how to use keywords and get fast rankings for FREE.
Enjoy…
If a Website Brings In Regular Traffic, That’s Perfect:
In most cases, on Flippa, the traffic stats will be in the description of the listing but sometimes people don’t include it.
So it’s difficult to tell the exact amount of traffic a website receives.
Ideally, we want a website that has a good domain name, some content, some traffic, and older than a year.
Older Websites Are Better:
Older websites tend to carry more weight and are more in-demand for a number of reasons, the main being search engine optimization purposes.
Google prefers older websites.
In fact, there’s a pretty big market for aged websites, as marketers use them to build a private blog network to send back-links to their main websites.
Of course, age is only one factor that Google considers when ranking a website, so it shouldn’t be the only thing you consider.
Content Counts When Flipping Websites:
Once again, a website that has content, even if that content has not been updated in years, is still much better than a website with no content.
So this is what buyers look for; an aged website with useful and unique content that has been ranked.
But most older websites with content will be sold for thousands of dollars, and that might be out of your budget, at least for now.
What you could consider is looking for deals on aged domain names, then build out a website on those domain names, content included.
The difference between a domain name and a website is simple; the domain name is like a plot of land, and everything built on that plot is the website.
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What Kind of Website Investor Are You?
You also have to decide if you’re in it for the long run or just looking to make some fast cash.
Both methods can be quite profitable.
Most website dealers will play a combination of the two.
For example, maybe you can buy a website now that has been aged a few months, fill it with keyword-targeted content, and then leave it alone.
Then, a year or two later, list it for sale.
There will be many offers, especially if the content ranks well.
You could also do the fast-game and grab a website, spend a week writing for it, and then re-list it for a higher price.
No strategy works 100% of the time.
But if you focus on creating a valuable website with excellent keywords and content, it won’t be long before someone sends you an offer for it.
So much like building your own online business, it all comes down to quality content.
People don’t want to buy websites that have poor content.
Make Money by Investing in Niche Websites?
I just read this great story about this guy who buys niche websites and article packs from Human Proof Designs.
They’re basically Amazon Affiliate Niche Websites.
He buys the site and content and makes affiliate commissions. The more content he buys, the more money he makes.
You can read the story in this post below…
When to Sell a Website: Helpful Tips
Learning when to sell a website is important because selling at the wrong moment could cost you a lot of potential profit.
If you want to learn how to make money by flipping websites, remember that the timing of the deal is very important.
- Sell too soon and you won’t have time to build the website more.
- Sell too late and you might not find enough buyers.
The most common mistake people make when it comes to flipping websites is that they sell the website too soon.
Remember, the more you build a website, the more valuable it becomes.
If you want to make quick and fast deals, that’s fine, but if you want to make the real cash, learning to wait is important.
It’s also important to remember that a website doesn’t necessarily have to be earning cash in order to sell it.
Obviously, the websites that do bring in cash are more attractive, but sometimes all it takes to flip a website is a content update.
Flipping Websites For Cash Conclusion:
Long story short, look for ways that you can improve a website.
There’s always something that can be improved.
If you would like to learn more about how to make money online and start your own business (websites that you could even sell in the future), check out this course and make your online dreams a reality.
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Have you had success flipping websites? Leave a comment below and share your story!
Hi Todd,
Another interesting post with some great tips on flipping websites.
It’s easy to waste too much time looking around Flippa!
When flipping websites I think the most important points are veryfying the website traffic and revenue. Then deciding how you are going to increase revenue and traffic. And then you will have to decide the best moment to sell, perhaps the hardest part.
Knowing how to relook, add content and carry out SEO is necessary to make money flipping websites. The training at Wealthy Affiliate would certainly be beneficial to someone who doesn’t know these skills.
Great work!
Peter
Great points Peter. I’m not sure if you catch the weekly webinars consistently, but there were two that would greatly increase the SEO of a flipped site, therefore increasing traffic and hopefully profitability.
The first one simply getting your SSL certificate so that your site reads as a more trusted https (versus http) site. This has had a positive effect on my site and it makes sense. Trusted sites rank better.
The second one was about installing the Google AMP plugin to make your site lightening fast and rank better by having a better mobile experience for site users.
Both webinars have improved my overall rankings and traffic. If you want to get signed to start checking out the webinars, you can do it right here.
Thanks for the great feedback,
Todd
I never ever knew that people flip websites. That’s so Awesome!
This article let was so interesting that I booked marked it because I would love to read it again. It seems so interesting that I would love to try my luck at it.
I might be really good at it, so I will definitely have to read this article again when I’m ready.
Thanks for the information it was very helpful with great tips.
Awesome April,
I think the point to take home is that you need to understand how white hat SEO works. Understand keyword research and targeting phrases and topics based on whatever the site you want to flip is about.
Understanding the metrics outlined in this post is important to create success in flipping sites.
The more knowledge is power, and it all starts with going to the Wealthy Affiliate’s training center.
It takes some time with classes, taking action on what you learn, and seeing how the process works first hand by having success.
If you have a site that has some age, a base of content and traffic, you can easily improve on that site and really that brand and ultimately make more money.
This looks like a good way to make some extra money, provided that you don’t get too attached to your website.
If you were interested in buying a website, how would you work out how old the website is? Often the domain name is bought a while before the website has started to be built.
Also, is it a good idea to go on site trust as well? It is tricky buying from somebody you don’t know as they could be lying to you re earnings and traffic, but if you are an honest person and want to sell websites, then I guess people would hopefully learn to trust you after a time.
Hey Michel,
Flipping websites takes skill and some education. If you don’t have the base education established, go with the Wealthy Affiliate Training Center, you can start with your own site and build it so it’s profitable.
This will give you the basic white hat skills to create something of quality. Then when you flip sites, you’ll be able to take a look at them with this perspective.
There are many services out there that allow you to see the exact age of a site, it’s content rank, traffic, and ranked keywords.
You can figure out those metrics, the key to flipping is like real estate. Can you take that run down site that has certain assets, and build upon it to create a site of value.
One that’s easy to flip for profit.
Thanks,
Todd
As someone who has been making money online for sometime, I have never even considered flipping websites.
People who are looking to earn a second income are often confronted with 101 different business models that they could use in their business, but flipping websites isn’t a strategy that’s used enough.
I really enjoyed reading this post and even though I’m happy with my existing online business strategy, this is something that I will look into more in the foreseeable future. Thanks.
Awesome Jon, glad to give you some ideas on alternative online income strategies. Flipping websites can certainly add some extra income, it’s just a matter of creating the system into your daily routine.
Best,
Todd
Wow, this seems like such a great opportunity if you have the time and the capital. The only real thing would be the time it takes to…let’s say…’renovate the property’ because I can’t imagine you making any kind of profit if you didn’t, at least, get a regular flow of traffic coming through first.
You’d need some experience creating your own website first, I think.
Hi Ryan,
Yeah, it helps to have the basics down with content writing, seo, and keyword research. If you don’t know how to do these things, then flipping sites might not be for you.
If you would like to learn these skills to create profitable websites, start taking daily classes with Wealthy Affiliate.
It’s like an online education that just takes a little time to get the hang of it. Once you’ve got the skills down, you can take sites, improve on them and the make money flipping them.
Best,
Todd
Hello Todd
Thanks for explaining so well how to flip websites and make money.
I have bought a website from flippa in the past but I did not know people do this for a business, I thought they sell because they no longer wish to have websites for whatever reason.
I have since read some negative posts about flippa but I still think it`s the right place for anyone looking to flip websites for money.
Thanks for your post, I`ve really learned quite a lot and will check what I can do in flippa to earn some money as I have 2 websites I do not really need for now (shiny website syndrome?). I found myself undecided for a niche so I ended up with several websites that I have lost interest in.
Yeah Roamy, you could even build your sites out a bit more and then sell them for a profit.
If you know how to do keyword research and can write or hire some writers, you could build your spare niche websites out and see what you can create.
Sometimes finding a writer that likes the niche is all the difference you need. If you can rank quickly and bring in targeted traffic, you can make the site profitable.
Maybe even keep it as a passive income source if you do it right.
If you don’t know how to do it correctly, get educated and make it happen.
Sign up for a free education right here.
Best,
Todd
I’ve been thinking about getting into the whole website-flipping business lately, so thanks for this very timely post, Todd.
I’ll have to do a little more research on it before I get started, but I found this to be a very good, thorough introduction to the whole process and what steps you should take.
I’ll bet you could turn website-flipping into a full-time business if you learned all the ins and outs of it. The more I ponder this, the more I like the idea of it.
Again, thanks for the great post, Todd.
Ian
That’s awesome Ian, thanks for your feedback.
If you take regular classes and weekly webinars at Wealthy Affiliate. It should only take you 5-6 months before you can create optimized websites that are picking up plenty of traffic and making online sales.u c
That’s when you can flip them for a profit, or continue to build equity by building out the site more.
There is a program to shorten this time frame and will help you create and build out a niche site.
It’s called Human Proof Designs.
You still need to learn the education part offered at WA, but this is the way to do it.
Cheers,
Todd
Flipping websites seem tempting and I think that someone who is really used to building websites would find this interesting. To make them profitable you need to improve them before re-selling them and this might be hard for some.
Also, I have checked out many websites at Flippa but I have always been uncertain whether or not the claims people make are correct.
Once I saw someone selling a website which he claimed was making 1000 dollars a month for only 2000 dollars. It does not make sense to me. But sometimes scams are not that obvious.
Thank you for a good post.
Great points Jojo and thanks for your feedback on flipping websites for profit. I think your statement is pretty much dead on, you need to be careful online regardless of what you’re doing.
There are so many people trying to scam people out of money that you need to do your due diligence in whatever onbusiness you’re contemplating.
There are several sources out there to be able to see what kind of traffic a website gets. And if someone’s trying to sell website for $2000 that brings in 1000 per month, they’re probably not telling you the truth.
If the website is bringing in $1000 per month I would expect to sell it for at least $12,000, or one years worth of income.
Thanks again for your feedback and best of luck.
Hi, I have been wondering about flipping sites for a while. Not necessarily because I want to buy them but because I would be interested in selling a site that I have been working on for a while.
It has lots of content and good traffic. It’s just a lot of work and I feel like creatively I’m tapped out in regards to it and looking for a new venture. Maybe I will give this a try.
Hi Joy,
Flipping your site might be the right call. Depends on what you’re offered for the site.
It also depends on how much the site is making now. If that’s the case, then just do the math and see if it’s worth it to you.
The other thing is that if your site isn’t making money, then I’d encourage you to get plugged in to the Wealthy Affiliate Training Center.
I always gain new skills and knowledge from WA that work for the benefit of my online business/site.
Just in the last couple of weeks I turned my site from an HTTP to an HTTPS, basically a requirement for more secured sites. This also helps you rank better.
Last week I turned my site ultra mobile with Google’s AMP. It’s Google’s new and more dominant ranking system based on mobile use.
All these things and so much more make Wealthy Affiliate an endless resource for online entreprenuers.
Best,
Todd