How To Sell Websites Fast!


This article will explain in depth the steps needed to sell your website fast in today's marketplace.

Step 1 Establish a Reasonable Price for Your Site

How Much Can I Get?

Before you sell, it's a good idea to know how much the domain is worth. Market prices for domain names can run from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for premium names. The domain name "Loans.com", for example, sold for $3,000,000 just a few years ago. The key to deciding whether or not to sell a domain name you own is to determine its worth to you if kept and, alternatively, how much a buyer is willing to pay. You may have heard "rags to riches" type stories of cheap domain names resold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the good old days of the Internet boom this was possible. However, things have slowed down considerably since then and there it is very rare to hear of a domain name sold for more than $10,000. However, while big deal domain sales do occur less often in today?s domain market, selling domain names can still be very profitable. Short, catchy, top level domain names are selling for upwards of $5,000 on the domain aftermarket. Other longer, but still usable, names may be worth hundreds of dollars.

Pricing is relative. Relative to your desire to sell, the type and timeliness of bidder inquiries (individual or corporate) and how well the sale price is negotiated. Don't try to fit your domain name into some 'proprietary pricing model'. Every domain name is applicable to a different target market. Determine who your potential buyers are before determining your asking price so you don't over or under estimate that price. Most names (~85%) sell for between 15%-40% of the asking price. Exceptions to this trend:

* Fantastic names - Truly great names can command what a seller requests, unless that amount is unreasonable.

* High asking prices - Names that have ridiculous or greedy asking prices rarely sell. Important!

* Poor names - Names littered with hyphens, adult names, "4"s for the number "four", "2"s for the number "two", "U"s for the word "you", etc. Don't waste your time listing names like these. They rarely sell.

How Do I Determine My Sites Worth?

Selling virtual real estate is a lot like selling physical real estate. Just like with the housing market, website ?homes? (also known as domain names) can be purchased for a low cost, remodeled and decorated to look very attractive to potential buyers, and sold for a considerable profit. To understand how this works, first consider that you were in fact selling an actual house built on land instead of an abstract entity on the web. It would be impossible to price your home without doing extensive research to determine its worth. You?d need to take many factors into consideration, such as: size, landscape, curb appeal, the value of other properties in the area, the current buying market, and ? perhaps the biggest factor ? location, location, location! You?d never dream of arbitrarily assigning a sale price to your home without having some idea of its worth and what buyers might be willing to pay. If you underprice your home, you could be missing out on a substantial profit opportunity. However, if you overprice your home, you might not be able to sell it at all. That?s why it?s so important to have all the facts before putting your home on the market ? and the same holds true for selling your virtual home on the web.

When determining your sites value, you may need to do some research online. It is often a good idea to compare different websites on the Internet and to see which sites catch your eye. You can make a mental note of the methods used on websites that were appealing to you; then you can use those ideas when creating or updating your own website. The design of a website is very important when you are trying to sell an existing site online. The design should be bold and colorful, but should not be too busy. You may want to use colors that relate to the theme of the site as well. For instance, if you are selling bottled water, it would be logical to use shades of blue on your website. However, no matter how brilliant the website design is, the purpose of the site must also be useful for the website to sell. A good website will revolve around an interesting idea or useful type of business. To reflect the purpose of your website, you should include clear, informative content that is easy to understand. A website with a clear and interesting purpose is very likely to sell on the Internet.

What Makes a Site Valuable to Buyers?

These days most websites are valued by the number of visitors they attract. One common yard stick is your domain name is valued at $10 to $30 per hit per day. If 1,000 people land on your front page each day, your domain could be worth $10,000 to $30,000. Another optimistic way of looking at domain values is each unique visitor you get over the course of a month is worth $250. If the visitor clicks to a second page on your site, her presence is worth $500. By this measure, a site getting only 10 hits per day could go for $15,000. This strategy is a lot like the way traditional businesses have always been sold. The more customers a store has, the more it is worth to a buyer. That is a pretty solid way to value domains. It is a model that is likely to be around for a long time to come.

Here are some of the main questions a typical buyer will ask him or herself when considering whether or not a website is worth purchasing ? and at what price:

1. Is the site making any money? Is there proof?

2. What is the potential for future profits?

3. Does the site have traffic? Is there proof?

4. Is the site attractive/well designed? Is it functional and user friendly?

5. When was the domain name registered?

6. How is the site ranked with the major search engines?

7. What does is take to maintain the site? i.e. hosting fees, content addition, promotion, etc.

8. Why does the owner want to sell the website?

If you?ve purchased a unique domain name with a great deal of potential value, it may not be necessary for you to have an existing website in order for you to sell your domain name for a profit. Typically, domain names will sell based on its performance in four key categories:

1. Commercial Development Potential - The ability of your domain name to be used as a brand, redirect, campaign address, etc.

2. Recognition - The relevance of your name to the market and how easy it is to remember.

3. Length - In most cases, shorter is better. However, a longer more obvious name can sometimes be more valuable than a short classified-ad contraction style domain.

4. Extension Value - This refers to the .COM part of your domain name. Currently .COM names still command the highest values followed by .NET, some national domains (such as .UK) and .ORG names.

How Can I Guarantee I?ve Priced My Site Correctly?

Unless you are a true domain name expert, we strongly recommend having your site professionally appraised. In fact, this is probably one of the most important steps you can take towards ensuring a successful sale of your site. Appraisers are professionals and experts in their field, and they have the means and methods to conclude what your domain name is worth. As we mentioned earlier, if you place an exaggerated price on your name, potential buyers will be scared away from making a reasonable offer. If you undervalue your name, you may end up kicking yourself when your newly sold name rakes in millions ? for someone else. Furthermore, an appraisal is a very handy thing to have when buyers want ?proof? that your name is as special as you claim. In the end, it is an exceptionally valuable asset, available for a very small price.

For information on UK Website for Sale?s professional appraisal services, visit: http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk/appraisal/. They offer a 20+ page Website Appraisal that can dramatically increase the value of your website. No one on the Internet offers a more complete or cost effective Website Appraisal, and certainly no one offers all the extras we do that are included for FREE!

Step 2 - Prepare your Business Information for the Sale

After you have decided to sell your business for whatever reason and chosen an asking price that you can support (hopefully with some advice from research or, even better, through a professional appraisal service), you are now ready to talk to some potential buyers. Or are you?

Much like the asking price, the art of preparing your business for sale is not that easy. So, what do you need to successfully prepare the business and information? The list and needs vary greatly over business types, revenue sizes, verticals, and so on. For any business, the basic requirements for what you will need are quite similar. At the very least, you should have the following items:

1. Business Summary -- what it is and why you are selling

2. Business Plan/Marketing Plan -- if you have them

3. Asset List -- both tangible and intangible

4. Search Engine Rankings

5. Website Traffic Reports

6. Any Technical details

7. Financials (previous years and Current YTD financials)

8. Most recent completed year's Profit & Loss or Income Statement report and Balance Sheet -- if you have it

9. Sales Forecasts

10. Supporting documents for the Financials -- Tax, Bank, and/or Merchant Statements

The previous items will give all potential buyers a good idea what is for sale and probably a good idea if they are interested in pursuing the sale or not. However, that is usually just the beginning, so be prepared for many, many, many more questions.

Also, please keep in mind that your materials, presentation, and responses will be graded as part of the business in a way. Why? Because, how can your business be successful if you are unorganized, not well presented, and not able to respond quickly and concisely? This is what the buyer will be thinking. And in my experience, this is pretty accurate.

Step 3 - Market Your Website/Domain Name

There are various methods of putting your domain name up for sale. Decide whether you would like to sell your domain by owner or simplify the process and significantly increase your chances of receiving the best offer in the shortest amount of time by listing your domain name with a third party, such as http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk.

What if I Want to Market My Site On My Own?

There are 101 different ways to promote your domain name. One way we don't recommend is blanketing companies with unsolicited email. Writing mail to 200 banks asking if they want to buy FasterInternetBanking.com is not likely to win you many friends, nor make you any deals. Your time would be better employed using the methods listed below:

a) Update the domain name registration information

Many potential buyers will look at the information in the WHOIS database as a first step when investigating a name that they are considering buying. So make it perfectly clear that the name is for sale. Update the owner's name to include (This name is for sale) after your own name. Make sure all your contact information is current and accurate. Contact your domain name registrar to update your WHOIS listing.

b) Put a promotional website up

The other obvious way for a potential buyer to find out if a domain name is for sale is to visit the website. Don't disappoint them. If you don?t have an existing website, get some web space from a decent host provider and put a simple, one-page site up, showing that the name is for sale. Include a form or at least an email address so that interested parties can submit offers.

c) Get the Word Out

There are two different types of e-marketing strategies that may help increase your sales.

Direct Marketing: Identify and Address Your Audience. What types of businesses or individuals would be interested in your name? When you have identified your specific audience, you can take the next steps:

1. Visit newsgroups related to domain names and the nature of your name for sale. Post messages and begin discussions.

2. Subscribe to ezines related to the topic and find out where these people are on the web, and how you can contact them.

3. Once you have contacts, you can send out emails to potential customers.

Mass Marketing: Address Many. As opposed to direct marketing, mass marketing targets a large amount of people, hoping for a small response. Some ways to do this are:

4. Participate in domain forums, ask questions and seek out domain resellers or people who may be able to offer you more tips.

5. Use search engines. Although search engines differ in their methods of operation and website submission, you can often submit your site for no cost. To find out more information about different search engines and how they work, visit http://searchenginewatch.com/.

What are the Benefits to Registering My Site With a Third Party?

For a small fee, you can list your site with a reputable third party, such as http://www.ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk, and greatly enhance your site?s exposure to qualified buyers and ultimate profit potential. Among the many benefits you?ll receive by registering with ukwebsiteforsale.co.uk are:

* High visibility ? Reach 1000s of qualified buyers every month

* FREE 3-Month Featured Listing with purchase of professional appraisal

* Professionally written ads

* FREE email newsletter

* A professional appraisal to accurately determine your sites worth and increase your chances of selling ? ready in three to five business days

* The security of working with a trusted, experienced and highly recommended company

* The opportunity to connect with a recommended site broker, who will further simplify the process by handling payment, escrow, and domain and registrar transfer.

Step #4 - Make The Deal

You could get lucky, and receive an offer just days after listing your name. Typically, though, names are listed for months before any offers arrive. The key here is to be patient. Think about it - a party needs to come along who believes that the name is right, even essential, for their new Web site. The only other offers you will get will be from domain resellers, who will typically offer you 20-25% of a name's potential value. Unless you really need the money, turn down these offers, but note them anyway, as they are external confirmation that your name has resale value.Once you have agreed a deal with the buyer, then you will have to complete the deal. They send you payment, and you transfer the name to them. It's best to use an escrow service here. It protects both parties, but adds to the cost, so make sure you have agreed beforehand who will pay for it. Normally the buyer pays, but sometimes the cost is shared. Please note: to sell a domain name by owner, through a private transaction rather than a trusted third party, is risky business unless you completely trust the buyer.

There will be some wait time as money switches hands and the domain name ownership is transferred. Unless you are selling your domain to your mother or selling it for a very low price, we recommend using an escrow service to take care of the money transaction.

Good luck!


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More E-Commerce Information:

Related Articles


7 Suggestions for an i-Mom Friendly Web Site (e-commerce news and statistics)
The Internet began as a male dominated medium, but those days are long gone and merchants are advised to make sure their websites are female friendly to faciliate the rising surge of busy i-Moms shopping online for their family and friends.Women now account for 51.
Selling Online for Newbies
If you are interested in selling online, it is quite easy to get started. First of all you must have a product or service to sell.
Rules for Achieving Online Success
The Internet brought a great deal of benefits to our life. Access to a lot of free and useful information is, probably, one of the most important out of them.
Why Our Site Was Removed From The ODP
Our website, Best Of The Home, has been listed in the Open Directory Project for over a year. Recently, I conducted a search of the ODP for my site, to update it, and found that it was no longer listed in any category.
Accepting Credit Cards For Your Online Business
Did you know that one of the best ways to increase sales for any online or offline business is to offer your customers the convenience of paying by credit card? As a merchant, you have several options available when it comes to becoming part of the credit card acceptance and processing chain. Here's a quick guide to get you thinking.
Intranet Project Names - Some Ideas
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet."In this famous quote from Act II of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, and the fact he is a Montague and she a Capulet (warring families) means nothing to their love.
Mr and Mrs Smith Go Online, as Internet Technology Moves from Fantasy to Normality
According to NOP World, 48% of all Internet users have researched or purchased financial products such as insurance and loans on the internet, or used online banking facilities. In April, NOP World had already recorded estimates of 28 million people online in Great Britain, with 13.
Website Marketing: 10 Resourceful Things You Can Do With A Product That Doesnt Sell
Do you have any product that has not been moving well?Would you like to learn what to do with it?Here are website marketing secrets to help you:1. Sell the reprint/reproduction rights to the product.
Turn Your Rusty Junk Into eBay Gold
Often times people to stop to realize the income potential of their "junk". And, when they DO decide it might be worth selling, they never give eBay a second thought.
How to Gain Your Visitors Trust
If you are serious about selling on the world wide web and being successful, your number one priority must be gaining your visitor's trust. Without trust you won't sale much and that's really being optimistic.
Dont Get Ripped Off Getting A Merchant Account
Far too many people get ripped off when setting up a merchant account for their online business. The biggest reason is that they don't understand their options and are intimidated by the whole process.
When Do You Ask For A Refund?
Have you ever asked to have your money refunded after buying something online? Do you do this often? What are the reasons you've asked for refunds? Savvy marketers will try to find out why without making you feel you should not have asked. This would be valuable information to them.
The Top 10 E-Commerce Ways to Follow up with Clients - Part 2
Did you know that 80% of all sales are made after the 5th contact? The biggest mistake we make is not following up with our clients regularly. We not only lose the chance to offer other services and products, we lose the chance for satisfied clients' referrals.
Implications Of E-Commerce For Tax Legislation
As e-commerce develops ambiguities in the current tax code in which it may be exposed. It would not be regarded as too early to take premature steps for undertaking such a review at a time when detailed international legislation are going on to promulgate acceptable standards laws for imposition taxation in this regard.
Google Catalogs - Old Gashioned Mail Order Meets High Tech Search
In addition to Google's Froogle shopping service (still in beta), which features a searchable database of online merchants, Google is also beta-testing their Google Catalog service. Google Catalogs provides a searchable central repository of hundreds of mail-order catalogs.
5 Tips for Online Shopping
Shopping online has become more and more popular in America as we are all looking to save a little time and money. E-commerce sales are growing at astronomical numbers ranging from 20-25% per year.
How To Find the Best Merchant Account For Your Business
What a great idea! Start accepting credit cards and watch your profits soar. Nothing could be simpler.
Building eCommerce Websites That Work - Part 1
You want to succeed at eCommerce? Welcome to a very big family. Right off, let's be clear - there are lots of ways to do business on the internet.
Shop: Is Shopping Online Secure?
Is shopping online becoming popular and safe enough for you and I to do the vast majority of our shopping on the Internet?As I contemplated, when I initially set up my website: www.shopshopshop.
The Check is in the E-mail
Have you ever had someone who owed your business money say, "the check is in the mail." Well now there is an answer to that old tired way of brushing you off and not seeing that check come in the mail week after week after week.