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Website flipping is a side hustle and business I’ve personally been doing for years. I even teach people how to make $2,500/month website flipping as a business!
It’s rewarding, fruitful, and can bring a wealth of opportunities, outside of helping you make a full-time income working from home. When you start looking at websites for the digital assets they are, your view changes. You start to see sites as investment vehicles. They’re opportunities to invest your money and see huge returns, potentially. And, the best part is, you don’t need to be incredibly tech-savvy to succeed with it!
I’ve made six figures website flipping and I don’t even know how to code!
In this article, I’m going to share the ins and outs of website flipping. Read about:
- What flipping is
- How website flipping works
- Who website flipping is for
- Who buys websites
- Site flipping: building vs. buying
- My ultimate guide for how to flip websites
Bookmark this article for later to re-read in the future, if you want to come back to it.
Grab the ebook: I teach you how to build and flip starter sites in my ebook!
Let’s go!
How does flipping work?
Let’s start with flipping as a business model. Flipping is all around us!
Flipping, in the context of business or investing, refers to the practice of buying assets, such as real estate, stocks, or goods, with the intention of selling them quickly for a profit. The term is often associated with buying undervalued or distressed assets and then improving or reselling them at a higher price.
Here are a few common types of flipping:
House Flipping
This involves purchasing a property, typically in need of renovation or repair, at a lower price, improving its condition, and then selling it at a higher price to make a profit.
Retail Flipping
In this case, individuals or businesses buy products at a discounted price, either through sales, clearance, or wholesale channels, and then resell them at a higher price to earn a profit.
Domain Flipping
Domain flipping involves buying domain names with the potential for high value or desirable keywords and then selling them to interested buyers at a higher price.
Stock Flipping
Stock flipping refers to the practice of buying and selling stocks quickly to capitalize on short-term price fluctuations and generate profits.
Car Flipping
Car flipping involves buying used vehicles at a lower price, making any necessary repairs or improvements, and then selling them at a higher price.
I have flipped handbags, women’s accessories, wigs, all kinds of stuff, literally. Flipping happens when you pawn your tablet or small appliance. The pawn shop will offer you a lower price than what they intend to sell it for, so they can make a profit.
For example, they might offer you $100 for a TV that they intend to sell for $250, making a $150 profit.
Flipping typically requires a keen understanding of:
- Market trends
- Valuation
- Negotiation skills, and
- The ability to add value to the assets being flipped
It can be a lucrative venture for those who have expertise in identifying opportunities, managing risks, and executing successful transactions. However, flipping also carries certain risks, such as market volatility, unexpected costs, or the need for substantial investments upfront.
What is website flipping?
Website flipping refers to the practice of buying, improving, and selling websites for a profit. It involves acquiring an existing website, making enhancements to increase its value, and then reselling it to interested buyers at a higher price.
Here’s a breakdown of the website flipping process:
- Research and Acquisition: The first step is to identify potential websites for purchase. This could involve searching for websites listed on online marketplaces, reaching out to website owners directly, or using specialized platforms for buying and selling websites. The goal is to find websites with untapped potential, such as those with good traffic, valuable domain names, or monetization opportunities.
- Website Evaluation: Once a potential website is identified, thorough due diligence is essential. This includes analyzing the website’s traffic, revenue, search engine rankings, content quality, and overall performance. It’s important to assess the website’s potential for growth and profitability.
- Improvement and Optimization: After acquiring the website, the next step is to enhance its value. This can involve various strategies, such as improving the design and user experience, optimizing the website for search engines, creating valuable content, implementing monetization strategies, and expanding the website’s reach through marketing and promotion efforts. The aim is to increase the website’s traffic, revenue, and overall appeal to potential buyers.
- Listing and Selling: Once the website has been improved and optimized, it can be listed for sale on relevant marketplaces or showcased to potential buyers. Effective marketing and presentation are important to attract potential buyers and highlight the website’s value proposition. Negotiations, due diligence, and legal agreements are involved in finalizing the sale.
- Profit Generation: The ultimate goal of website flipping is to generate a profit by selling the website at a higher price than the acquisition cost. Successful website flippers focus on identifying undervalued websites, implementing effective improvements, and strategically timing their sales to maximize profits.
Website flipping can be a profitable venture for those with knowledge of web development, digital marketing, and website monetization strategies. It requires careful analysis, investment, and the ability to identify opportunities for improvement in existing websites.
Who is website flipping for?
Website flipping is a practice that can be suitable for various individuals or groups with different motivations and goals. Here are some examples of who website flipping may be for:
- Entrepreneurs: Website flipping can appeal to entrepreneurs looking for new business opportunities. They may see the potential in acquiring undervalued websites, improving them, and selling them for a profit. Website flipping allows entrepreneurs to leverage their skills and knowledge in web development, marketing, and business strategy to create value.
- Digital Marketers: Digital marketers who specialize in website optimization, search engine optimization (SEO), and online marketing can find website flipping as a way to capitalize on their expertise. By acquiring underperforming websites and implementing effective marketing strategies, they can increase traffic, revenue, and overall value before selling the websites to interested buyers.
- Web Developers: Web developers with technical skills in website design, coding, and development may find website flipping appealing. They can acquire websites with potential but lacking in design or functionality, revamp them to improve user experience and aesthetics, and increase their market value.
- Investors: Investors interested in the digital space may consider website flipping as an alternative investment strategy. By identifying promising websites, conducting thorough analysis, and making strategic acquisitions, they can generate returns by selling websites at a higher price.
- Hobbyists: Some individuals enjoy the challenge and creativity involved in website flipping as a hobby. They may have a passion for website design, content creation, or online marketing and view website flipping as an enjoyable way to exercise their skills and potentially make a profit.
It’s important to note that website flipping requires knowledge of web development, marketing, and the ability to assess market trends and opportunities. While anyone can engage in website flipping, success often comes with experience, industry knowledge, and the ability to adapt to changing market dynamics.
Who buys websites?
Various individuals and entities buy websites depending on their goals, interests, and expertise. Here are some examples of who commonly purchases websites:
- Investors
- Business owners
- Website flippers
- Content creators
- Bloggers
- Small businesses
It’s important to note that the purchase of websites requires careful due diligence, market analysis, and an understanding of the website’s potential for growth and sustainability. Each buyer may have different criteria, objectives, and strategies when acquiring websites, but the ultimate goal is to generate value and achieve their desired outcomes from the investment.
People buy websites for various reasons. This includes starter sites and more seasoned or established websites. And, it only takes one buyer to see a successful return/outcome on your website flip.
Site flipping: Building vs Buying
Site flipping, to build or to buy. Both have their advantages and drawbacks. Here’s the main difference between the two…
Building sites and flipping
Building a website is about creating a website from scratch. You’ll choose a niche, develop the site, add content, grow it and then sell it when you’re ready.
Building sites have some major advantages:
- Cheaper than buying a website
The drawback is the time. While building a site can literally take place in a few hours, if your goal is to sell websites for the most money, they’ll need to be seasoned. This means they should be at least 2 years old.
So, you save money by building a site, which can be done for less than $100. But, you lose time, waiting until the website is established.
Buying sites and flipping
Successful website flippers leverage their skills in identifying undervalued websites, improving their performance, and capitalizing on market opportunities. It requires a combination of business acumen, digital marketing knowledge, website development skills, and a keen understanding of the target audience and market trends.
Buying has some advantages:
- Invest in a fully developed, established website
- Eliminate Google sandbox time
- Get a return on your investment faster
The disadvantages?
Mainly, the cost. Buying a website is almost always more expensive than building a site. But, if you have a budget, you save time. You’re paying for time savings here and that’s worth it to many website buyers.
It’s all about personal choice. I tend to build websites because I enjoy the process of website development. It’s fun to create something from nothing and then flip it for profit.
Learn more about how I build and flip starter sites in my ebook.
How to build and flip websites – Ultimate Guide
Website flipping doesn’t have to feel like a big, elaborate process. It’s actually much more straightforward than you might think. Here’s how you do it…
- Choose an niche
- Build the site
- Add content and apply growth strategies
- Sell the website (the flip!)
Choose a Niche
Choosing a website niche is an important decision that can impact the success and profitability of your website.
- Identify your interests and passions
- Consider your target audience
- Conduct market research
- Evaluate competitors
- Look at long-term viability
Build the Website
Now that you know what you want your website to be about, it’s time to start the build.
- Choose a web hosting company (I use Siteground)
- Get a domain (you can get a domain with Siteground, as well)
- Add WordPress (your content management system)
- Apply plugins, choose and apply a website theme
Add Content and Growth Strategies
Write content and publish on your website. For example, if you start a gardening blog, then write gardening blog posts and publish them on your site.
You can use tools to help you write, like:
These make it easy to create blog posts for your website. I have personally used all of these tools.
Sell the Site
Then, when the time is right, you will sell your website. This is completely up to you. You can sell the site when you feel ready. This can be after a month, 3 months, 2 years, whatever you wish.
Generally, the longer you hold onto a website, the more seasoned it becomes and the more valuable it can be.
Flipping Websites: My Personal Experience
Here’s a look at some of the site sales I’ve had…
These were sold on Flippa. Flippa is an online marketplace that specializes in buying and selling websites, domain names, and online businesses. It provides a platform where website owners and entrepreneurs can connect to trade digital assets.
Flippa allows individuals and businesses to list their websites for sale, attracting potential buyers who are interested in acquiring established online properties.
Is website flipping worth it?
Website flipping can be a lucrative venture for those with the right skills and knowledge. However, like any investment or business opportunity, there are risks and challenges involved. Whether website flipping is worth it depends on various factors, including your expertise, resources, market conditions, and risk tolerance.
Ultimately, the success of website flipping depends on your knowledge, skills, market conditions, and effective execution. It can be a profitable venture for those who approach it strategically and diligently, but it also carries risks. Conduct thorough research, start small, and learn from experienced website flippers to increase your chances of success.
To learn more, check out my website flipping ebook which teaches how to flip starter websites, or my website flipping course which adds monetization, growth and traffic strategies to that, so you can create a full-fledged website flipping business!
Is website flipping a side hustle or business you’d try?