Want to Start Investing in Websites-Where to start?

39 replies
Hi there,

I am a newcomer and am interested in taking the first steps into the online money making world. I have done some preliminary research and I have taken blogging classes in the past.

Some questions:
1. Do you recommend starting out creating your own site or buying an existing one?
2. As of right now, I am leaning towards buying an existing website from a site like Flippa. How do you know which ones are decent buys and not scams?
3. From what I have researched it takes a considerable amount of time to monetize a blog. Does the return on the investment equal the amount of time it takes? I guess what I am asking is, is this form of investment more lucrative than other options.
4. Any other tips from a newbie starting out?

Thank you for any help.
#investing #start #websiteswhere
  • Profile picture of the author Donimo
    Buying a website is a good idea I'd you really do a lot of extensive research. Remember, if a website is getting sold then fits getting sold for a reason. Someone's not going to sell a gold mine, regardless of the reasoning they give on their sales pitch.

    Do a massive amount of research into the revenue proof, and also traffic proof. Don't buy a site if the traffic looks a bit sketchy, or it could end at any moment. Search engine traffic is best.

    Furthermore, revenue sources is also something which should be taken into consideration. I usually find that Adsense revenue is usually the most reliable. A site may make $100 per month but this could be as a result of the odd sale or two, which clearly means its not reliable income.

    If your going t use the money for your own site, then don't squander it. Plan your project and set a strict budget. Ask for opinions on your idea before actually investing a lot of money into it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael T.
      It's way better to make your own website....With a little work and money you can get money rolling in in no time.sites that generate a decent amoun of money will cost you just too much.
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    • Profile picture of the author Megatronm
      Originally Posted by Donimo View Post

      Buying a website is a good idea I'd you really do a lot of extensive research. Remember, if a website is getting sold then fits getting sold for a reason. Someone's not going to sell a gold mine, regardless of the reasoning they give on their sales pitch.

      Do a massive amount of research into the revenue proof, and also traffic proof. Don't buy a site if the traffic looks a bit sketchy, or it could end at any moment. Search engine traffic is best.

      Furthermore, revenue sources is also something which should be taken into consideration. I usually find that Adsense revenue is usually the most reliable. A site may make $100 per month but this could be as a result of the odd sale or two, which clearly means its not reliable income.

      If your going t use the money for your own site, then don't squander it. Plan your project and set a strict budget. Ask for opinions on your idea before actually investing a lot of money into it.
      Thank you for the advice. Revenue sources makes sense. I have seen sites on Flippa that are up and down in terms of revenue. I am guessing that is the reason why.
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    • Profile picture of the author rodsav
      I would maybe review some web-sites for sale just to get an idea. You can buy the best looking web-site but if you don't have a good product or service to offer hungry buyers then you are wasting your money. There is also the competition factor that you have to keep in mind. I would think about a product that you are interested in and do a search to see how many people are searching for that product. What you are looking for is more buyers than suppliers formula for a specific niche. In other words, the demand is greater than the supply.
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      • Profile picture of the author Fredbou
        Flippa can be a good place to start your IM venture if you are careful with what you purchase.

        I've paid up to $250 for sites and got my money back and started going into profit after a few months. I've also paid $40 for sites and made hundreds of dollars almost immediately!

        I look at the potential of a site. Is the domain name good? Is the niche good? Is it attractive, functional? If there are articles, do a Copyscape or a plagiarism test and don't buy if the articles have loads of copies.

        I now buy only sites that have a niche that I have knowledge of or an interest in. This makes it a lot easier to do your own blogs!

        Once you've got a site that you like, start to build or improve the traffic, write blogs, keep a check on your Analytics, check page rank, Alexa stats, etc.

        I have a Hostgator Baby plan, cheap, unlimited domain hosting and amazingly reliable, where I put all of my Flippa sites for under $10 per month.

        I've seen some outrageous prices paid for sites on Flippa, but I've scored myself some bargains, just be careful, research before you buy. PM if you want my advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author WhereDoIEvenStart
    I've thought about this route too.

    But like Domino said earlier "if a website is getting sold then its getting sold for a reason".

    And they aren't going to sell their website so easily or cheaply in the first place if they are already making a really good and stable income with it, regardless of the reasoning they give on their sales pitch.

    Something I have to agree on. Regardless of whatever the reason the truth is more or less they are selling you their website because they want to make a sale and profit.

    They may make up some BS excuse and say they don't have time to look after the website any more etc., or some other excuse or reason. So try to find the most honest and reputable dealers before even bidding on or accepting their offer.

    Although that does not necessarily mean a really expensive website costing hundreds or thousands of dollars would be "shortcuts" to generating you a stable income in the shortest time possible. At one point I thought it might be but I'm sure it's just a misconception.

    I always viewed that any really cheap websites typically those less than a couple hundred of dollars are more than likely low quality cookie cutter turnkey type of websites, with very little to no unique content at all.

    But if you have a really huge spending budget and found a really good deal from someone that is legit and have a really good reputation then go ahead and risk it all.

    Also Megatronm, have you looked into or considered Done For You Websites offers?
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  • Profile picture of the author hustlinsmoke
    With me, lol I have about a dozen names to sell.
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  • Profile picture of the author datingworld
    I think better you start your own sites rather than trusting someone's else site on flippa and buying it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    I would create my own site and study everything while it is in progress...
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  • Profile picture of the author CharlesL
    How much do you have to invest? If it's less than $5,000, I would look at building your own site, as otherwise you won't be able to buy anything even half-decent.
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  • Profile picture of the author briankno
    I started looking at flippa sites and ended up having one of the sellers make me another similar site for cheaper, so I could start from scratch. Although it did take some time to find the right service to resell I did make a decent profit. No matter how you start as long as you keep working at it you will find a way to make money.
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    • Profile picture of the author Megatronm
      Thank you for all of the replies. It seems that the majority think starting a new site would be the way to go. How long does it typically take to groom a website, and would it be wise to outsource particular tasks?
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      • Profile picture of the author Fredbou
        Originally Posted by Megatronm View Post

        Thank you for all of the replies. It seems that the majority think starting a new site would be the way to go. How long does it typically take to groom a website, and would it be wise to outsource particular tasks?
        How long is a piece of string? It really depends on what type of site you want; WordPress, HTML, and what features you need.

        If you are going to use WordPress then it's easy to do it yourself, especially if you're hosting where you can auto install it. That takes a few seconds, then installing a theme that suits you takes a few minutes, so once you have your domain name registered, hosting secured, Wordpress installed, then you can be on the road very quickly.

        When looking for a theme/template, get a responsive one, so that your site will display the same across all screen sizes.
        Get all your SEO done properly, don't rely on automatic SEO that is with WordPress or a theme, do it manually, every time.

        Get Google Analytics installed.

        Next thing is to get it indexed with the search engines. It can typically take 3 to 6 weeks to get your site indexed. Meantime, get your blogs going. This is one area where you could outsource, to get a good number of blogs on your site in a short space of time.

        Build your traffic wherever you can. This can cost you nothing for a a start.

        Within a few months your site should be powering ahead.
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      • Profile picture of the author TimothyTorrents
        Originally Posted by Megatronm View Post

        Thank you for all of the replies. It seems that the majority think starting a new site would be the way to go. How long does it typically take to groom a website, and would it be wise to outsource particular tasks?
        It can take months to years, depending on your marketing tactics. Yes, it would be wise to outsource some of the tasks. If you outsource some of the work you will be able to focus all your energy into marketing the website. I suggest you familiarize yourself with basic SEO tips before you start working on your website.
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  • Profile picture of the author CBusiness
    If you invest with strategy it's likely to be a far greater return that starting out on your own.

    That's if you only work off real-time figures and knowing where/how you can scale up the project you're buying. If investing as a partner, then you need to trust whomever you're giving money to, can expand their idea.

    I took on two partners recently for 2 sites I own and can say both will earn a return on their money. One will be a larger return, the other a small /simple one for a friend beginning in the blog world.

    If you buy a project to flip, you can make double your money back with the right knowledge and angle ( but this is harder to flip fast ).

    Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberAlien
    I'll make this simple for you - when it comes to buying websites, it's all about how much money they are making. When you're "investing" it's all about the money. Don't let yourself get sucked into all the crap in their sales letter about why they are selling the website and what they "think" the potential for it is.
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  • Profile picture of the author Igor Fridrihs
    Just be carefully when buying pre-made websites. They can be very nice, but if it's frame website you cannot advertise it at Google.
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrick
    Originally Posted by Megatronm View Post

    4. Any other tips from a newbie starting out?
    1. Don't believe in large flashing texts about $$$ in sales pages.
    2. Don't believe in the income claims.
    3. Don't believe in Adsense income screenshots.
    4. Don't believe in Clickbank income screenshots.
    5. Don't buy many products and get yourself confused with all of them. Buy one good one and implement on it first. Buy the second only if first is successful and you have enough time to move on to the second.
    6. Don't buy pre-made sites.

    It's really funny that there are products out there which "teach" you how to make a website and sell it on flippa. This means that some percentage of people there have no idea of what they are selling also. Many people have been caught in selling the same sites multiple times there as well with different names, different headings, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author abbe77
    Just have patience, its very easy for newbies to caught into Golden Promises and lose a handsome amount of money. I am the example ...After losing at least $2000 on different False Promises, I learnt at least, Its the best way to start by your own, something small, slow but steady.... You have to cope with the STRESS of getting nothing (may be first 6 months) but keep on learning..... After 6 months you will start seeing the beam of light behind the dark sky of Internet Marketing.

    Never giveup...keep on going with small steps with lower expectations. Take no time to run as fast as possible from those who promise you to EARN 6 FIGURES WITHIN 72 hours, 28 days or something like that
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  • Profile picture of the author kinyash
    You can outsource a lot of the technical work for just a few bucks on micro gig sites like fiverr.com This will free up your time to concentrate on what is important which is content creation. This would be a cheaper route than buying a ready made site.
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    • Profile picture of the author Fredbou
      Originally Posted by kinyash View Post

      You can outsource a lot of the technical work for just a few bucks on micro gig sites like fiverr.com This will free up your time to concentrate on what is important which is content creation. This would be a cheaper route than buying a ready made site.
      You need to be VERY careful about hiring on Fiverr.

      I have bought a number of sites on Flippa that have been ultra-cheap but have returned 10 times what I paid for them in a few months. It takes some research and an estimation of the POTENTIAL, not what the seller necessarily tells you!

      Ready-made sites can give you a huge head-start, saving you months of preparation, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikemeth
    Beware of Flippa and sites that are dependable only on SEO traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author edhuu
    Well you can do both obviously.. There are some pros and cons in building your won site or buy one.. You can start generate profit instantly if you a site.. But it would need a deep research if you're buying from flippa.. There're just so many scammers in flippa.

    Tips for everyone that just starts out is to start build your list from the very beginning. It's for the long term
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Hi there,

    I am a newcomer and am interested in taking the first steps into the online money making world. I have done some preliminary research and I have taken blogging classes in the past.

    Some questions:
    1. Do you recommend starting out creating your own site or buying an existing one?

    Either one, but one will take a lot of work and research to get it going and the other will take a lot of due diligence so you don't get a lemon. From fake traffic and fake income proof to people just trying to dump sites that have been destroyed by the Google changes and sellers who continually sell the same site over and over with a different domain each time, there's a lot to look out for.

    2. As of right now, I am leaning towards buying an existing website from a site like Flippa. How do you know which ones are decent buys and not scams?

    Here's a guest blog I did for Flippa on due diligence
    Guest Post: the Domaining Diva on Due Diligence | Flippa Blog | The Home of Web Entrepreneurs


    3. From what I have researched it takes a considerable amount of time to monetize a blog. Does the return on the investment equal the amount of time it takes? I guess what I am asking is, is this form of investment more lucrative than other options.

    It can, but it doesn't necessarily happen that way. Depends on the niche you pick and how you monetize it. Some blogs never make money no matter how much time is spent and some are winners almost from the time they launch.
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  • Profile picture of the author WhereDoIEvenStart
    If only somehow there was a list of reputable and honest dealers on Flippa then I may actually risk some big money on an established websites.

    In fact if there was such a list and if newbies have a huge budget to risk then I think maybe they go ahead and spend it, otherwise I don't see how things will turn out other than getting ripped off and scammed.

    I do know most of the really cheap and inexpensive sites that are sold at websites like Flippa are more than likely low quality turnkey cookie cutter websites generated quickly from software. These are probably the sites "sellers who continually sell the same site over and over with a different domain each time" as sbucciarel had mentioned previously.

    But even spending $5,000 or more on a really expensive established website still does not guarantee ANY kind of income as many users here had mentioned that the hard work to maintain a website and make money with it is unavoidable.

    No easy short cuts to set it and forget, right? Even if it means paying someone else to do as much of the hard work for you.

    Although I would think the much more expensive sites are likely to already have unique content, but even I don't know for certain about it and everything else it comes with.

    Like many of the previous users had already said there just too many scammers out there preying on the unsuspecting newbies and taking unfair advantage of them.

    Even traffic and income proof can be fabricated, therefore we really don't know what is the only way to know for certain if a dealer is a lying selfish prick or a honest reputable one.

    I remember that even feedback for sellers could be fabricated, but that was from my experience over at eBay. I bought a site there so long ago and it wasn't what I had expected and learned the hard truths.

    Now I don't know if Flippa has a feedback system or not and whether or not all the feedback given are entirely legit or if any of them are also fabricated and rigged to make the seller appear to be legit and honest when in actuality they aren't.
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  • Profile picture of the author saini1shop
    If my site is making even $10 a month why would I sell it?

    Well that is an example.

    In other words, I am a firm believer that you should start from scratch register a new domain install wordpress [FREE] add a free theme to start with. I know this route is tough but then this is the only way you will see you site grow over time.

    Still looking for an established site then beware, scam is just around the corner.

    I am sure you can get a decent site designed with content, videos, images and basic seo in about 200 - 300 bucks . What you have to concentrate more on is the niche you are planning to enter. As that is where most the trouble starts as there is so much to do in so many niches.
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  • Profile picture of the author internalsoul
    @OP, there is a sweet term in IM called "learning Curve". You will never learn if you buy existing sites. Nobody will spoon-feed you. So its better you start from scratch, learn it by yourself and your mistakes, invest money to rank it and keep rolling the money. TBH Flippa is a bit risky specially if you are all new to this. Others hav already given you valuable opinion, so just follow them.
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    • Profile picture of the author Megatronm
      Originally Posted by internalsoul View Post

      @OP, there is a sweet term in IM called "learning Curve". You will never learn if you buy existing sites. Nobody will spoon-feed you. So its better you start from scratch, learn it by yourself and your mistakes, invest money to rank it and keep rolling the money. TBH Flippa is a bit risky specially if you are all new to this. Others hav already given you valuable opinion, so just follow them.
      This is what is making me strongly consider starting my own site. I feel like it will be more advantageous to me in the long run, as well as eliminate the potential risk of getting scammed by buying a site. I feel like that if I build my own I will learn the fundamentals that will give me the ability to better judge existing sites in the future.

      My biggest problem with starting a new site, is the fact that I want to hit the ground running. I am a very hard worker, and just really want to get going. I am struggling to find a niche to target. I have reflected on what I am passionate about, but I don't believe my passions correlate to a profitable market. I know a lot of people say just worry about the content and the money will follow. I just don't want to put in 1-2 years worth of hard work with no return.

      Again, thank you all for the advice thus far. I appreciate all of the help.
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  • Profile picture of the author dhaniramkesari
    If you're thinking about buying from Flippa then definitely make sure that the site is actually monetized before you go ahead and purchase it to make sure it actually has several avenues of revenue coming in. Otherwise, you're going to be stuck with a site that will be difficult to make money from.
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  • Profile picture of the author meenuweb
    In my opinion you should make your own website of your choice. It will better than buy a website because it will fresh domain with fresh look and feel. As you google penalize so many websites from last previous years.the websites which create so many revenue now they generate zero revenue so you should make you own website.
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  • Profile picture of the author ioan draniciar
    What you really need to do first is find out what your strengths and passions are and start building your online business around them; thus way you'll have a competitive advantage over your peers and you'll do something you really like and are good at. I think this is the best advice I can give you after several years online.

    I suggest you check out Rich Schefren's blog and read as much as you can in order to figure out what your strengths and passions are and how you can leverage them to build a successful busuness online.
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  • Profile picture of the author curly sue
    Buying an already profitable website is the best strategy, especially membership sites that bring recurring income, month after month.
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    • Profile picture of the author WhereDoIEvenStart
      Originally Posted by curly sue View Post

      Buying an already profitable website is the best strategy, especially membership sites that bring recurring income, month after month.
      I typed in the keyword "members" and here's one that's quite costly but I don't know enough about the seller's reputation:

      https://flippa.com/2933988-forex-bus...king-16-000-mo

      Do any of you think that is legit?

      It says it earns $16,000 per month, and the starting bid price is $40,000 so like I said it's quite pricey and it is a membership type of site therefore it should bring in reoccurring income, month after month, but Only if you want it and can afford it, and if it actually is a legit site.

      Whoops I almost forgot to mention, there is a "reserve" price at $267,000, therefore unless somehow you have close to that much money either from loans, etc.,... you may not actually be sold the website even if you have the highest bidding price at the end of the auction.

      I don't know what the OP's budget is but I think it' best to save as much money as possible.

      From my perspective, usually the more expensive the website is the more likely it will be legit. But if that's a myth then tell me about it. And if anyone spot any red flags in that offer, please mention it. Thanks.

      Oh and uh, also because since you will have to be bidding for websites anyway it makes much more sense to have a really big spending budget as possible, you're going to be competing with other potential buyers that may want that same site as you do.
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      • Profile picture of the author mikelmraz
        Originally Posted by WhereDoIEvenStart View Post

        I typed in the keyword "members" and here's one that's quite costly but I don't know enough about the seller's reputation:

        https://flippa.com/2933988-forex-bus...king-16-000-mo

        Do any of you think that is legit?

        It says it earns $16,000 per month, and the starting bid price is $40,000 so like I said it's quite pricey and it is a membership type of site therefore it should bring in reoccurring income, month after month, but Only if you want it and can afford it, and if it actually is a legit site.

        Whoops I almost forgot to mention, there is a "reserve" price at $267,000, therefore unless somehow you have close to that much money either from loans, etc.,... you may not actually be sold the website even if you have the highest bidding price at the end of the auction.

        I don't know what the OP's budget is but I think it' best to save as much money as possible.

        From my perspective, usually the more expensive the website is the more likely it will be legit. But if that's a myth then tell me about it. And if anyone spot any red flags in that offer, please mention it. Thanks.

        Oh and uh, also because since you will have to be bidding for websites anyway it makes much more sense to have a really big spending budget as possible, you're going to be competing with other potential buyers that may want that same site as you do.
        The price of $267K seems to be a buy it now. The reserve should be lower. The site doesn't seem to have verified income, analytics etc. Frankly speaking, looks kind of dubious.
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        • Profile picture of the author WhereDoIEvenStart
          Originally Posted by mikelmraz View Post

          The price of $267K seems to be a buy it now. The reserve should be lower. The site doesn't seem to have verified income, analytics etc. Frankly speaking, looks kind of dubious.
          Oh never mind about that really huge number then

          You have just made some very important points.

          Are there any listings at all that have legit verified income and analytics stats, etc.?

          Or is there no way Flippa can do all of those verifications?

          Like always, if a website was actually making the owner decent or even some money chances are they are unlikely to sell it in the first place
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          • Profile picture of the author mikelmraz
            Originally Posted by WhereDoIEvenStart View Post

            Oh never mind about that really huge number then

            You have just made some very important points.

            Are there any listings at all that have legit verified income and analytics stats, etc.?

            Or is there no way Flippa can do all of those verifications?

            Like always, if a website was actually making the owner decent or even some money chances are they are unlikely to sell it in the first place
            There are some things that can be verified under Flippa's own system, such as Google Analytics, Adsense, ownership of the site etc. So those are the things you should look out for.

            There are some people who have many sites and sometimes they can't handle and may want to sell. So, there are definitely legitimate sellers out there. If you do a search for previously sold auctions, especially the higher value ones, you may see some of the stats and feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author TryBPO
    Hey OP,

    Like others have mentioned already, I think there's real value in creating your own site yourself from scratch to start. Through "tinkering" with it you'll learn quite a bit that you might miss by starting off with a purchased site. (And...I'm saying this as someone who sells sites on a regular basis!)

    There's nothing wrong with purchasing sites later to fast-track the learning curve, but having the basics down will be immensely helpful in the long run.
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  • Profile picture of the author onlineworkers
    Adding to the topic have one doubt, hope its related to the same topic. apologies if asking here wrongly..
    If i start building my website from scratch and it has different categories not related to each other having 50+ articles in each(ex gardening and cellphones with 50+ articles in each category). So is it advice-able to post all the categories in the same website or to create a new website for each category... Which one attracts more visitors..
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