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Question about SELLING Ecommerce Website

by Scott Rankin
9 replies
A common problem I would imagine for many high volume established websites is an exit strategy. You can't list on Flippa because most of the deals on that website are small, relatively speaking.

For example, I'm interested in selling an ecommerce website that's established and doing high six figures in revenue. But, where can I sell? Flippa is definitely not in the cards for something this size, in my opinion.

I guess you could go with a broker who specializes in online stuff, but they, from what I know, take 12% in fees in some extreme cases more, and typically can take a long time.

Would be curious to see if anyone in ecommerce industry here has done deals of this size and where?
#ecommerce #question #selling #website
  • Profile picture of the author Fraser SellHealth
    The best thing for a site like that would be a broker but doesnt have to be a traditional one.

    lots of buyers out there for high ticket websites even on flippa , you should at least try.

    Other then that try to meet some people that can help you find a buyer and give them a couple % that would motivate anyone with any connections.
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    Fraser Mackie
    Affiliate Manager
    Sellhealth.com

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  • Profile picture of the author chris187
    Why would you not sell it on Flippa ? Clickbank sites sell on there all the time for $200,000 + Just explain everything clearly add as much proof as possible and be honest. A video would also do you great in showing how to add products, how to run the site etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
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    Flippa has listed and sold some very high dollar sites. I don't know how much you plan on selling it for, but paying a broker for a deal the size of what you're talking about is par for the course. Even a site that is sold through Flippa can require hiring a lawyer or a business broker to take care of the financial details. A buyer is not going to part with that kind of money without ironclad proof of all aspects of the site and a sales contract.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Rankin
    To answer a couple of people above, the reason I'm avoiding Flippa is:

    1) This site would sell for over $500k+
    2) Rarely, very very rarely, does a deal on Flippa go in that range
    3) I don't want hundreds of unqualified buyers seeing all the details
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    • Profile picture of the author BellaB
      Originally Posted by Scott Rankin View Post

      To answer a couple of people above, the reason I'm avoiding Flippa is:

      1) This site would sell for over $500k+
      2) Rarely, very very rarely, does a deal on Flippa go in that range
      3) I don't want hundreds of unqualified buyers seeing all the details
      I am interested in doing the same thing. Do you mind if I ask the formula you are using to determine your selling price?

      I was considering using a broker myself and he was going to charge 10% for his broker fee (that was over a year ago). I guess the good thing about a broker is that they have a list of buyers that they can promote your business to and they would handle most of the paperwork, act as the liaison, and help get you to the settlement table. Unfortunately, this particular broker specialized in selling web hosting companies, which is not what my e-commerce business is.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lucy Writes
      Originally Posted by Scott Rankin View Post

      To answer a couple of people above, the reason I'm avoiding Flippa is:

      1) This site would sell for over $500k+
      2) Rarely, very very rarely, does a deal on Flippa go in that range
      3) I don't want hundreds of unqualified buyers seeing all the details
      You can make a listing private on Flippa, so that only potential buyers who accept an NDA can see your listing. That helps screen out some of the unqualified buyers. And there ARE plenty of six figure deals that go on there. It's something you might want to consider. Other than Flippa, it would either have to be a private sale that you arranged through a buyer you found yourself, or through a broker that you hired.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shawn Wilson
    Just to add, I think Flippa is a good start because I've seen many ecommerce sites sell for really good money on there. However, I would think that for a site making that much, I would probably consider like others have said, a broker. Or possibly network with some others on here that have sold sites like that and see if maybe you can broker a deal with them.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie123
    Definitely hire a broker. You can always negotiate commission with a broker. Never take the first quote. I do not know if you can negotiate with flippa.
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    • Profile picture of the author TerryL
      Originally Posted by paulie123 View Post

      Definitely hire a broker. You can always negotiate commission with a broker. Never take the first quote. I do not know if you can negotiate with flippa.
      You can negotiate on Flippa if the site doesn't sell. Flippa allows you to enter into negotiation with the highest bidder on an unsold auction. If you and the highest bidder can't come to an agreement within a certain period of time (I think it's 72 hours), you can re-list the site for half-price.
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