Buying an Established Website
Have you ever given any thought to purchasing a website that is already established? Personally, I think that this is a good alternative to starting on your own from scratch. Of course, there are some pros and cons to buying a website as opposed to developing on your own.
First off, let’s take a look at the benefits. Number one, when you buy an established website you will have an idea of the type of traffic and revenue that it is capable of. This type of information can be quite useful when determining how much money you are willing to spend.
Another benefit of buying a website that has been around is that you can ask questions of the past owner. He or she will be able to tell you what to expect, what they have done right, what they have done wrong, and much more. Obviously, when you develop on your own you are diving into the unknown.
The biggest downside of buying an established website is that you will have to pay a premium price. In most cases, websites will sell for 10 to 12 times their monthly income, on average. So if you want to purchase a website that earns $100/month, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 and up. Of course, this can change based on a number of factors such as traffic, recurring income streams, and overall potential.
To go along with paying a premium, buying an established website means that you will not get to watch it grow from day one. Many webmasters love the thrill of growing a site from the ground up. If this sounds like you, buying sites that have been around may not suit your needs.
I have never purchased a website; all of mine have been developed by me from day one. But with that being said, I am considering the benefits of buying in the near future. Now that I have enough income to purchase some solid sites, it may be advantageous to spend a bit more money up front in return for built in traffic and revenue.
If anybody has suggestions on what to consider when buying an established website, please let me know via comment or email. And of course, if you have a website or blog for sale, let me know!Â
