What is digital real estate flipping? [How I’ve earned $100K+ from it]

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inngyouhttps://millennialnextdoor.medium.com/bda46e0298aaneWondering about digital real estate flipping? This is a side hustle I stumbled onto 5+ years ago. It’s helped me earn an additional $100K+ and I’ve been able to reach thousands of people to share how digital real estate flipping works and, how they can do it for themselves!

If you’re thinking about starting a website flipping business, then you should know that it comes with a lot of perks:

• Cheap startup costs
• Be the boss
• Run a solopreneur business
• Unlimited income potential

Website flipping is a great way to start building a passive income online. This process is easier than you might be thinking and requires no prior knowledge or creativity. It’s also super cheap to start and do entirely by yourself. There’s no cap on how much income to earn and you can flip websites part-time or full-time. Keep reading.

What is digital real estate flipping?

Website flipping is the process of buying, improving, and reselling websites. The goal is to purchase a website at a low price, make changes to increase its value, and then sell it for a profit.

Here is an example of how website flipping works:

1. Research: Look for undervalued websites for sale on marketplaces such as Flippa or Empire Flippers. Look for websites that have good traffic and revenue potential. Or, you can build a brand new website from scratch, which is what I tend to do. Both routes work. Option 1 is good if you have a budget for buying websites. Option 2 is for people with a limited budget or who want to keep costs low.
2. Purchase: Once you find a website that you believe has potential, you can purchase it.
3. Improve: Make changes to the website to improve its value. This can include things like redesigning the website, improving the user experience, adding new features, and increasing the website’s search engine optimization (SEO) to drive more traffic.
4. Monetize: Look for ways to monetize the website, such as by adding advertising or affiliate links.
5. Sell: Once you have made the improvements and monetized the website, you can sell it for a profit.

It’s important to note that website flipping is not an easy process, it requires a lot of time and effort to find the right websites, make the improvements, and sell them for a profit.

Additionally, there are many things that can go wrong during the process such as website crashes, decrease in traffic and revenue, and legal issues.

It is also important to note that website flipping requires some knowledge in web development and marketing.

Digital real estate vs virtual land

Digital real estate and virtual land are related concepts, but they refer to slightly different things.

Digital real estate refers to the ownership and use of online properties, such as websites and domain names. These properties can be bought and sold, and their value can be based on things like traffic and revenue potential.

Website flipping, as I previously described, is an example of buying and selling digital real estate.

Virtual land, on the other hand, refers to the ownership and use of virtual land within online worlds, such as in video games or virtual reality platforms. This can include things like virtual real estate in massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) or virtual plots of land in virtual worlds like Second Life. V

irtual land can be bought, sold, and developed, similar to real-world land.

In summary, digital real estate refers to online properties such as websites and domain names, while virtual land refers to virtual land within online worlds such as video games and virtual reality platforms.

Both can be bought, sold, and developed for profit, but they exist in different contexts.

Digital real estate vs domains

.Digital real estate refers to the ownership and use of online properties, such as websites, platforms, and applications. These properties can be bought and sold, and their value can be based on things like traffic, revenue potential, brand recognition, and user base.

Domains, on the other hand, refer to the unique address or URL that allows people to access a website or application.

Domains are a key component of digital real estate, as they are often used as a way to identify and access a website or application. A domain is like a virtual address of a website or an application which is used to locate the server where the website or application is hosted.

You can buy and flip digital real estate and domains but, when referring to digital real estate in this article, I’m talking about website flipping and not domain flipping.

Buying and flipping vs building and flipping

Both routes can work effectively. It boils down to time and budget.

Buying and flipping is about investing money into an existing website that you’ll improve and flip.

This is a good option for people who have a budget for buying websites. The price can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per website. It’s also good for people who want to flip websites for the most amount of money and want a quick turnaround.

Building and flipping is about creating websites that you’ll develop yourself and flip.

This is good for people with a limited budget. You can spend $50 or less to create one website, compared to sinking hundreds or thousands into a site at a time. But, it can take longer to develop these starter sites over the long run.

And, seasoned websites generally sell for a lot more money than starter sites so that’s something to consider as well.

How to build and flip websites

Instead of buying, build it method is the cheaper option. It’s usually quicker and easier to build than buying and it’s my preferred way to resell websites:

1. Pick a niche
2. Buy a domain and hosting
3. Connect WordPress
4. Add content

Read this free guide on how to start a blog and make money.

1. Pick a Niche

Choose a topic you want to blog about like fitness, nutrition, travel, etc. Your website doesn’t have to revolve around a core theme or niche but, it’s recommended.

Think about your passions. Pick one of them and create a site around that passion!

2. Buy domain and hosting

Next, you will be buying a domain. Get a domain name that’s already included in your web hosting purchase. I personally use Siteground, which is a great host for website flipping. 

Plus, buying a domain name with a web hosting purchase is a great way to get started.

Get Siteground

3. Connect WordPress

Siteground is also a great place to connect WordPress. This is the content management system that powers most of our websites. It’s where you store and publish all of your content. 

4. Add content

This will be informative content like articles in your niche that can educate, entertain or inspire your audience.

For example, a website about balcony gardening may include articles about:

• How to start a balcony garden
• Supplies and equipment needed to start a garden
• What kinds of plants can be grown on a balcony

After adding content, you’re done. You can turn around and flip the website at this point. I talk more about this in my ebook Flipping It, where I teach students how to flip no-income, no-traffic starter websites. Or, you can go on to develop the site further.

The Art of the Microflip walks through this process, where you’ll learn about the development over time through monetization, traffic building, etc. 

Website flipping ideas

There are hundreds and thousands of different website flipping ideas. It boils down to the niche you choose for your website, whether it’s micro gardening or learning golf for beginners.

Here are some niches:

• Knitting
• Vegan baking
• Plus size fashion
• Microbrewing beer
• Starting a home-based business

The niche you choose is your choice. Here are some things to consider when choosing a website niche.

When choosing a niche for a website you’re starting, there are several things to consider:

• Passion: Choosing a niche that you are passionate about will make it easier for you to create content and market the website.
• Profitability: It’s important to consider the potential profitability of the niche. Some niches, such as e-commerce or online services, tend to be more profitable than others.
• Competition: Consider the level of competition in the niche. A highly competitive niche can be more difficult to break into, but it can also be an indication of a profitable market.
• Audience: Research the target audience for the niche. Consider factors such as age, gender, income, and location. Understanding your audience will help you create content and market your website more effectively.
• Growth potential: Consider the growth potential of the niche. Are there new trends or technologies emerging that could potentially benefit your website?
• Scalability: Consider the scalability of the niche. Can you expand the website’s offerings or target audience in the future?
• Legal and ethical issues: Research about the legal and ethical issues related to the niche, such as copyright laws, data protection laws, and consumer protection laws.

By considering these factors, you’ll be able to choose a niche that is both enjoyable to work on and has the potential to be profitable. It’s also important to note that you can always pivot or expand your niche after starting, so don’t feel like you have to have everything figured out from the beginning.

How can you make money from website flipping?

There are several ways to make money website flipping:

• Ad space
• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsorships
• Selling products and services
• Selling the asset

The first four ways to make money website flipping happen while the website is developed and running. During the time you have ownership, you can monetize through one or all of the four methods shared. For example, you could refer products using affiliate links on your website and earn commissions.

Then, when it’s time to flip the website, you’ll make money through selling the asset.

How much can you make from website flipping?

The amount of money from website flipping can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including:

• The website’s niche
• Traffic
• Revenue potential
• The amount of work required to improve it

In general, websites with high traffic and revenue potential will be more valuable and can be sold for a higher price. Websites in popular niches, such as e-commerce or online services, can also be more valuable and can fetch higher prices.

It’s also important to note that the amount of money possible from website flipping can also depend on the amount of work required to improve the website.

Websites that require a lot of work to improve may not be as profitable as those that require less work.

That being said, some website flippers have reported making substantial profits.

Some websites can be purchased for a few thousand dollars and sold for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, it’s also important to note that website flipping is not a guaranteed way to make money, and it can be risky.

There are many things that can go wrong during the process, such as website crashes, a decrease in traffic and revenue, and legal issues.

It’s important to understand that website flipping is not an easy process, it requires a lot of time and effort to find the right websites, make the improvements, and sell them for a profit. It’s a way to make money but it requires a lot of skills and knowledge in web development and marketing.

Pros and cons of digital real estate flipping

Common questions about digital real estate flipping

1. How do you flip digital real estate?

You flip digital real estate by either buying or building a website. Next, you’ll improve the site, either by adding content, SEO, monetizing it, or a combination. Then, you can flip the website for profit.

2. Can I make money with digital real estate?

Yes, you can make money with digital real estate. Making money happens during and/or after you develop the website. For example, some ways to make money during development including monetizing ad space, which can earn you money passively while you own the site. Making money afterward happens when you sell the site for profit (the flip).

3. Is digital real estate investing legit?

Yes, digital real estate investing is legit but, like with a lot of online opportunities, scams can exist. You want to do your due diligence to ensure a site and its owner are legit before considering either buying or selling a website.

Using reputable website selling sites like Flippa are great to help sniff out potential scams.

4. Can anybody do digital real estate flipping?

Yes, anybody can do digital real estate flipping. This can be a profitable side hustle or business for beginners.

Requirements for starting a digital real estate flipping business

Here’s what you need to start a digital real estate flipping business:

• A budget
• A computer
• Time

First, you’ll need a small budget to start. I build and flip sites so a budget of up to $50 or so is plenty to invest in the startup costs which include the cost of domain and web hosting. If you choose to buy and flip sites, you’ll likely need a larger budget since you will be buying sites, which can range from up to hundreds to thousands per website.

Next, a computer will be needed so you can develop the website. You’ll be setting up web hosting, applying a website theme, adding content and other activities. Even though you can get away with doing this on a tablet or smartphone, it’s a lot easier if you work from a computer. 

Lastly, you’ll need time to devote to this project. You can spend as much or as little time as you wish. In an hour a week, you can build a digital real estate flipping business. If time is limited, look at hiring a small team, if you have the budget for this investment.

How fast can you make money digital real estate flipping?

You can start making money from digital real estate flipping with your first website flip. I’ve sold sites in as little as 24 hours after listing the website for sale. And, 

Students from The Art of the MicroFlip have been making money right from the start.

My student has made $30,000+ since starting!

Imagine that you made $200 from each website that you flip, and you make 10 sites a month. After mastering website flipping, you’ll be able to make $4,000.

Read about how my student has earned over $30,000 since starting.

Can website flipping be a full-time income?

Yes, website flipping can be a full-time income for yourself. I’ve made over six figures from website flipping! It’s a great way to make money online and it’s something that you can do for a long time. To learn more, check out my website flipping course:

The Art of the Microflip is available here.