Website Flipping: Build, Buy and Sell Sites For Profit

Do you want to make some money on the side? Have you ever considered website flipping for profit? It may sound like a difficult task, but it can be a very profitable endeavor if you know what you’re doing.

In this guide, I will teach you everything that you need to know about flipping websites for profit. I’ll discuss the basics of website flipping, and we’ll give you some tips on how to find profitable websites to flip.

So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced flipper, this guide has something for everyone!

What is website flipping?

Website flipping is the process of buying an existing website, improving it, and then selling it for a profit. It’s similar to flipping houses, except you’re dealing with websites instead of physical properties. You can flip websites that are already making money, build your own site, or you can flip ones that have potential and turn them into profit-generating machines.

There are many reasons why you might want to consider flipping websites. For one, it can be a great way to make some extra money on the side. If you’re good at it, you can even make a full-time income from website flipping.

Another reason to flip websites is that it’s a relatively low-risk investment. This is especially the case if you’re purchasing a website that has already been established and is making money.

The main benefit is that it’s an easy way to get into a flexible and remote source of income without spending the hundreds or even thousands of hours it would take to build a website from scratch. When it comes to stay at home jobs that pay well, website flipping definitely ticks every box.

Of course, as with any business venture, there are some risks involved in website flipping. But it’s a lower risk potential than most other online business models when done correctly.

Is website flipping profitable?

Yes, website flipping can be very profitable if you know what you’re doing. You can profit from a website flip by increasing its ad income, affiliate earnings, or selling a digital product on the site. These three methods will increase the overall value of the website and therefore allow you to sell it for a higher price.

You can also improve the value of a website by increasing traffic or improving the design. A well-designed and high-traffic website will be worth more than one that is poorly designed and has little traffic.

The key to making money from website flipping is to purchase low and sell high or build the site yourself to minimize costs. You want to find websites that are undervalued and have the potential for growth. Once you’ve found a website like this, you’ll need to work on improving it so that you can sell it for a profit.

It takes time and skill to learn how to identify these types of websites, but it’s well worth the effort if you’re looking to make a substantial income.

While you don’t need a team to flip websites, it can be helpful to have partners who are experienced in different aspects of the business. For example, if you’re not experienced in website design, you might want to partner with someone who is. Investing in the right people can vastly increase your chances of earning money.

How much money can you make selling websites?

The amount of money you can make selling websites varies greatly. In general, websites are sold for a multiple of their monthly earnings. This could be anywhere between 25 to 45 times the monthly earnings of the website, if not higher.

For example, if you have built or purchased a site that earns $1,000 per month, you could expect to sell it for between $15,000 and $30,000. You could also increase the monthly earnings from $1,000 to $2,000 by placing ads on it. Then it would retail for between $30,000 and $60,000.

Of course, the actual amount you’ll be able to sell it for depends on a number of factors, including the quality of the site, its age, traffic levels, niche popularity and more. The market itself also matters. At some times, people are willing to pay more for websites than at others.

It’s also important to remember that you’ll likely have expenses when flipping websites. These could include hosting fees, purchasing a domain name, paying for website design, and more. You’ll need to factor these into your overall profit to get an accurate picture of how much money you’re making.

You will also make more money if you’re able to buy and flip multiple websites at once. This can be done by purchasing multiple sites in the same niche or by building a portfolio of websites in different niches. This allows you to scale up your business and make more money in the long run.

You may also be interested in: 33 Legit Ways to Make Money In One Hour

Is website flipping for beginners to blogging?

No, I don’t advise website flipping for beginners to blogging. As with most business models, it’s difficult to properly manage all of the nuts and bolts when you’re not personally familiar with the processes. Not only does building a blog teach you how to manage a website, but it also ensures better profits when you are ready to flip.

Some of the main skills you’ll learn from building your own blog include website design, SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, website monetization, and email marketing. These are all essential skills for anyone looking to make money online and will come into play when you’re ready to start flipping sites.

It literally takes only 20 minutes by following the exact steps I took to start on the path to earning thousands of dollars every month – on the side of my full-time job!

Building your own blog will also teach you how to track metrics. Some important metrics to track when building websites include: traffic, page views, unique visitors, bounce rate, time on site, and more. By understanding these metrics, even as an amateur blogger, you’ll be able to identify which websites are performing well and which ones need improvement.

Finally, building your own site will teach you how to optimize it for maximum earnings. This includes understanding how to choose the right niche, regularly performing keyword research, and promoting your content properly so it increasingly generates more traffic. While this might seem like a lot of work, it gets easier with time and practice.

Once you’ve mastered all of these skills, you’re ready to start flipping websites for profit. Flipping websites requires many of the same skill sets, so you’ll be able to hit the ground running.

Best sites for flipping websites

The best sites for flipping websites are reputable, have a large user base, and offer a wide variety of features. It’s important to take the time to research each site before making a decision. And if you can talk to someone who has experience with the platform you’re interested in, that’s even better.

Here are 5 great websites that allow you to securely list and sell websites that you would like to flip or buy new sites to profit from:

1. Flippa

Flippa is one of the most popular and well-known sites for flipping websites. They have a large user base and offer a wide variety of features, making it a great option for anyone looking to get started in website flipping. It was the very first website to begin selling and purchasing domains, so many people trust the platform.

Flippa uses an auction-based system, so you’ll need to put your website up for sale and wait for bids. You’ll also be able to list an absolute price, which means buyers can purchase your website outright without going through an auction.

2. Empire Flippers

This extremely popular website flipping platform was started in 2013 by CEO Joe Magnotti. It has sold nearly 1 billion dollars in websites and domain names. They are one of the most well-known and trusted platforms in the industry.

Empire Flippers is known for flipping sites very quickly. You could realistically sell a website as quickly as a day to a few weeks. This speaks to the quality of sites that they have on their platform.

To sell a website on Empire Flippers, a website must be earning a minimum of $500 in profit for at least 6 months, and the website must have Google Analytics set up. There is also a listing fee of $297 that is completely refunded if your listing is rejected.

3. Motion Invest

If you’re new to website flipping or don’t want to invest too much into a site, Motion Invest is your best bet. This site caters to assets that are under $20,000, and you can buy a site for as low as $1,000. You won’t find that all of these sites are earning profits, but they can still save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

The majority of Motion Invest’s sites are well vetted, as the site considers traffic sources, earnings, backlinks, and many other factors that could affect the website’s value.

This site isn’t only for small purchases. About 35% of the sites listed here are valued above $20,000. So you can start dipping your toes into larger investments if you feel comfortable.

4. Afternic

Afternic is a popular site for domain sales and purchases. There are numerous sites that list Afternic as an option for affordable site flipping. When you list with Afternic, your listing will immediately be visible to the other buy-sell website platforms on which they are partnered.

They also provide domain parking services. This means that you can list your domain for sale on Afternic without needing an attached site, or can run advertisements on an empty site, and sell it similarly to a built-out site.

This company was started by GoDaddy so you know that it’s a reliable source. They do hold onto your earnings for 6 days after you’ve flipped your site, which is much slower than same-day payouts that most platforms offer. But this is still a trusted source for website flipping and you can rest assured that you will get your earnings securely.

5. Freemarket

Freemarket was started by the team that created freelancers.com, the popular freelancing site. This makes it a very reliable and trustworthy source for website flipping.

This site is different from the others because it has some of the lowest commissions in the industry. Freemarket only charges 5% on the sale of a site, in contrast to the usual 15% that most other sites charge.

They also have a very user-friendly interface that makes listing your site quick and easy. You can also buy and sell courses in addition to websites, which is great if you want to own diverse assets or add a digital product to your portfolio.

Best website flipping courses

The best website flipping courses are comprehensive and will walk you through the site flipping process from start to finish. It will also provide you with extensive background knowledge of how websites work and how to value them. The best website flipping course will also give you access to a community that can answer your questions and provides support.

Here are the top three picks for the best website flipping courses:

1. Website Flipping for Investors Masterclass

This masterclass was created by Shawna Newman, who is a website flipping expert that started out on Empire Flippers. In this course, she teaches you how to find profitable websites, how to negotiate deals, and how to maximize profits.

The course includes 11 lessons and an hour of video content, as well as templates and resources that you can use when flipping websites. You’ll also get lifetime access to the course so that you can refer back to it as needed and keep up with any course updates.

This course is best for people who are new to website flipping or want a comprehensive overview of the process. You’ll also get access to a private forum where you can ask questions and get support from other students and Shawna Newman herself.

2. Website Flipping : 101 Learn how to Buy & Sell Websites

This class, created by Brian Cliette, has enrolled over 7,700 students. At $84.99, it’s one of the most affordable ways to get started in website flipping.

The course covers everything from finding profitable niches to learning about popular designs and layouts, so you can develop an eye for what is valuable. You’ll also learn how to properly value websites and how to negotiate deals.

One valuable part of this course is that Cliette also teaches you how to purchase websites through groups and forums, so you’re not only dependent on websites for flipping income. This gives you more control over your website sales and also helps to minimize or even eliminate a commission fee, meaning more profit for you!

3. Flip Digital Real Estate for Profit by Nano Flips

Nano Flips is a website flipping course that was created by James Camp, who is a successful serial entrepreneur and investor. In this course, he teaches you how to find and buy websites for as little as $100. His site provides dozens of free helpful articles that can teach you how to flip sites in addition to the course.

You’ll also learn how to improve the value of a website so that you can sell it for more. The course includes access to a Facebook mastermind and the step-by-step process that James Camp uses.

A fantastic bonus of this course is that it guarantees profit if you’re willing to invest a minimum of $7,000. Having this kind of zero-risk support is invaluable, making this one of the best course options for those who don’t want to lose a dime.

Is website flipping legit?

Yes, website flipping is a legitimate source of income that has proven to be a genuine way to make money online for over a decade, much like people who make money from flipping tangible objects. However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible to get scammed when flipping websites.

To avoid scams, do your research on the person or company that you’re buying a website from. Many website flipping companies have rigorous processes in place to prevent scammers from taking advantage of buyers, but it’s still good to be cautious.

Some website owners purchase traffic to make their site look more popular than it actually is. Others will misreport their earnings or hide their Google Analytics data.

Finally, watch out for sellers who are selling low as quickly as possible. While this may seem like a great deal at a first glance, it could be the sign of a site that is about to tank. It could also be a template with no inherent value that you could have made for $100 yourself.

Domain flipping vs website flipping

The main difference between domain flipping and website flipping is that, with website flipping, you’re buying an actual website complete with content, design, and traffic. With domain flipping, you’re simply purchasing a domain name with the intention of selling it for more than you paid.

Domain names can be valuable if they’re short, easy to remember, and relevant to a popular niche. Buying one-word domains such as “pets.com” or “cars.com” can be a good investment, but they’re often (very!!) expensive and difficult to find.

Website flipping is generally seen as a more sustainable business model because you’re buying an actual asset that can generate revenue. Domain flipping is more speculative and relies on the domain name becoming valuable in the future, which is difficult to predict.

However, sometimes domain flipping can cost less money upfront. So if you’re starting with a small budget, it may be a better option for you.

You can also consider doing a combination of both methods when investing in digital real estate. This helps you to diversify your portfolio and gives you better long-term chances of success.

How long does it take to flip a website?

There’s a huge range when it comes to the length of time it takes to flip a website. Some seasoned flippers have been able to sell sites in 24 hours while others have waited years for the right buyer. It all depends on the website you’re flipping, the market conditions, and how much work you’re willing to put in.

If you’re trying to flip a site quickly, you’ll need to invest more time and effort into marketing it. This means creating a sales page, reaching out to potential buyers, and doing everything you can to generate interest. You may also want to list it on a variety of website marketplace platforms.

If you’re not in a hurry to sell, you can take a more passive approach. This means updating your website regularly and waiting for the right buyer to come along. You can also list it on fewer marketplace platforms and rely more on organic traffic. This may save you time and money, leading to a bigger profit in the end.

The key is to find a balance that works for you.

It’s also important to remember that the longer you hold onto a website, the more money you’re likely to make. This is because you’ll have more time to raise the traffic and improve the design. If you’re patient, you can end up making a lot more money than if you try to flip the site quickly.

How much should I sell my website for?

Calculate the value of your website by taking into account the monthly revenue, traffic, and expenses. You can also use a multiple of these factors to determine the value. For example, you may want to sell your site for 45 months of revenue. This means that a site that earns $1,000 per month would be worth $45,000.

You can also use a multiple of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). This is a measure of a company’s profitability that takes into account a variety of factors such as expenses and debt. A common EBITDA multiple is four, which means you would sell your website for four times its EBITDA. But multiples are often much higher in the website flipping world, so you may be able to charge more.

The key is to find a fair price that meets the needs of both the buyer and the seller. If you price it too high, you may not find a buyer. But if you price it too low, you could end up leaving money on the table.

Use your best judgment and consider the current market conditions to come up with a fair price. Take time to research similar websites that have recently been sold to get an idea of what buyers are willing to pay.

You can also consider bundling your website with other digital assets such as domains, apps, and eBooks. This can help you to increase the value of your package and make it more attractive to potential buyers.