A blog can be a great way to share your passions and connect with like-minded people. But did you know that you can also make money from selling your blog? It’s true! Blog flipping is a process whereby you purchase an existing blog or create a new one to sell for a profit, grow it for a while, and then sell it for a profit.
This guide is for you if you’re thinking about giving blog flipping a try. I’ll cover everything you need to know about how to buy and sell blogs, including:
- The benefits of blog flipping & its downside
- How to find and value potential blogs to flip
- How to create a blog from scratch
- The process of flipping a blog
- How to maximize your profits when flipping blogs
Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!
The Ultimate Guide to Blog Flipping
The Benefits of Blog Flipping
A few key benefits make blog flipping an attractive option for many people. First and foremost, it can be a very profitable venture. You can profit significantly if you choose the right blog to flip and do the necessary work.
I used to own a blogging blog making $100 – $150 per month, and I eventually sold it for $4,500 in less than a year, and that’s not an extreme case at all. It’s pretty darn familiar. Several bloggers have flipped blogs for over $10,000 in less than 12 months!!!
Another critical benefit of blog flipping is that it can be a relatively low-risk endeavor. Unlike other businesses, you don’t need to invest much money upfront in starting. Nor do you need to put in years of hard work before seeing any return on your investment.
Of course, risks are always involved in any business venture, but if you do your due diligence and choose a solid blog to flip, the risks are relatively low. You need money to purchase the blog you’re interested in (more on that later).
Finally, blog flipping can be a relatively quick way to make money. If you have a successful flip, you can make your money back relatively quickly and move on to the next project. This can be a great way to generate some quick cash if you want to start an entrepreneurship but don’t necessarily want to commit to a long-term business venture.
Usually, it takes years to start seeing a return on investment from a traditional business. With blog flipping, you can start seeing a return much sooner.
The Downside of Blog Flipping
Now that we’ve covered the key benefits of blog flipping let’s look at the downside. First and foremost, it’s important to note that blog flipping is not a get-rich-quick scheme. This is not your endeavor if you’re looking for a quick, easy way to make money.
Like any business, blog flipping takes time, effort, and dedication. It’s not something you can do half-heartedly and expect to see success. You need to be prepared to put in the work if you want to see a return on your investment.
Another critical downside of blog flipping is that it’s not a guaranteed money-maker. There’s always the potential that you could lose money on a flip. This is why it’s important to do your research and choose a solid blog to invest in. If you’re not careful, you could flip a dud that doesn’t make any money.
And last but not least, blog flipping can be a bit of a gamble. You never know for sure how much a blog is going to sell for. Even if you do your research and choose a quality blog, there’s always the potential that it could sell for less than you expect. Sometimes you have to hope for the best and pray that the market is in your favor.
How to Find & Value Potential Blogs to Flip
Now that we’ve covered the basics of blog flipping and some key pros and cons, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty and look at potential blogs to buy.
The first step is to develop a list of criteria your potential blog must meet. This will help you narrow down the field, focus on blogs that are more likely to be successful, and value your potential purchases correctly.
Here are a few key criteria that you should look for in a potential blog to flip:
1. The blog should be in a profitable niche
This is probably the most essential criteria on the list. If you’re going to flip a blog, then it needs to be in a profitable niche. There’s no use flipping a blog that doesn’t make any money.
Some of the most profitable niches include health & fitness, personal finance, business, and self-improvement. These are all topics that people are willing to spend money on.
2. The blog should have a solid social media presence
Another important criterion to look for is a strong social media presence. This is important because social media can be a great way to drive traffic to your blog and generate revenue through advertising.
If a blog doesn’t have a solid social media presence, it will be much harder to generate traffic and make money from advertising. Look for blogs with a strong following on social media sites Instagram and especially Pinterest.
Pinterest is the key here because it’s a visual platform perfect for promoting blogs. If a blog doesn’t have a strong Pinterest presence, it’s probably not worth flipping.
3. The blog should have a good domain name
A good domain name is important for two reasons. First, it can help the blog rank higher in search engines. Second, it can make the blog more attractive to potential buyers. If you’re looking for a quality blog to flip, make sure it has a good domain name. This will help you attract more buyers and get a higher sales price.
Names with .com domains are the most desirable, but .net and .co domains can also be good. Avoid domains with dashes or numbers or domains with personal names in them. These domains are less attractive to buyers and can make it harder to sell the blog.
4. The blog should have quality content
Of course, you also want to ensure the blog has quality content. This is important for two reasons. First, it will help the blog rank higher in search engines. Second, it will make the blog more attractive to potential buyers.
When evaluating the quality of a blog’s content, there are a few things you want to look for. First, ensure the articles are well-written and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Second, read to see if the articles are informative and value the reader. Lastly, make sure the articles are keyword-rich so they can rank well in search engines.
5. The blog should have a clean and professional design
The design of the blog is also essential. A clean, professional, and well-designed blog will make it more attractive to potential buyers. A poorly designed blog will be harder to sell since it won’t look as professional.
When evaluating the design of a blog, there are a few things you want to look for. First, ensure the blog uses a professional theme and has a clean and clutter-free design. Second, check if the design is responsive and looks good on all devices. Lastly, look at the overall aesthetics of the design and ensure it is pleasing to the eye.
6. The blog should have a healthy mix of organic and paid traffic
If you’re into sites that already have traffic (and maybe even revenue), you’ll want to ensure the blog has a healthy mix of organic and paid traffic. Organic traffic is traffic that comes from search engines like Google. Paid traffic is traffic that comes from sources like advertising or sponsorships.
A blog with a healthy mix of organic and paid traffic is more attractive to potential buyers because it shows that the blog is generating consistent traffic. If a blog relies too heavily on one traffic source, for example, social media, it could risk losing traffic if that source dries up.
7. The blog should have a reasonable price tag
When flipping blogs, you want to ensure you’re not overpaying for the blog you’re buying. You also don’t want to undersell the blog you’re selling. To find a reasonable price for the blog you’re buying or selling, you’ll want to look at similar blogs that have been sold recently—this will give you an idea of the market value for a blog like yours.
You can also use a website like Flippa to find comparable blog sales data. This will help you find a reasonable price for the blog you’re buying or selling.
8. The blog should have future growth potential
You also want to make sure the blog has future growth potential. This is important because it will help you sell the blog for a higher price in the future or buy the blog for a lower price today.
To evaluate a blog’s future growth potential, you’ll want to look at its niche and see if any trends are happening that could impact its growth. For example, if the niche is snowballing, the blog has a good chance of growing.
You can also use a website like Google Trends to see if trends in the niche could impact the blog’s growth.
8. The blog should have a monetization strategy in place
Lastly, you want to ensure the blog has a monetization strategy. This is important because it will help you generate revenue from the blog once you own it.
There are a few different ways to monetize a blog. The most common way is through advertising, display ads, or sponsorships. Other ways to monetize a blog include selling digital products, physical products, or services.
When evaluating a monetization strategy, you want to ensure it is effective and sustainable. For example, if the blog relies too heavily on one source of income, like advertising, it may not be sustainable in the long term.
You also want to make sure the monetization strategy is effective. For example, if the blog sells physical products, you want to make sure the products are high quality and in demand.
How to Create a Blog from Scratch
Creating a blog from scratch is a simple process and can save you a lot of money compared to buying an existing blog. However, getting the blog running will take time and effort.
Here’s a quick overview of how to create a blog from scratch:
1. Choose a blogging platform
The first step in creating a blog from scratch is to choose a blogging platform. WordPress is the most popular blogging platform, and it’s what we recommend. WordPress is easy to use, has many features, and has many free themes and plugins.
Of course, you can opt for other platforms like Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace. However, I highly recommend WordPress because it is the most popular and easy to use.
2. Choose a domain name and hosting provider
Usually, a hosting provider will include a domain name for free for the first 12 months. However, you can also buy a domain name separately from your hosting provider. Once your domain name and hosting are set up, you’re ready to install WordPress.
The best place to buy domains is Namecheap. 99% of my domains are registered with Namecheap because they’re cheap, easy to use, and have excellent customer support. The rest of the 1% are registered with GoDaddy—just because I was into some domain auctions, and they had the domains I wanted.
As for hosting, I recommend using Bluehost. They’re one of the world’s largest hosting companies and an official WordPress host. Plus, they’re cheap—you can get started for just $2.95/month.
If you’re about to have more than one site, go for the Choice Plus Plan from Bluehost. It’s only $5.45/month and allows you to host an unlimited number of websites on one account. The Choice Plus Plan also comes with a free SSL certificate, which is vital if you plan to sell products on your website.
3. Install WordPress
After your domain name and hosting are set up, you’re ready to install WordPress. Installing WordPress is pretty simple, and most hosting providers will have a one-click install option.
If your hosting provider doesn’t have a one-click install option, don’t worry. You can still install WordPress manually. The process is pretty straightforward, and plenty of resources are available to guide you through the process.
4. Choose a theme and plugins
There are thousands of free and premium themes available for WordPress. Free themes are a great option if you’re on a budget. However, I recommend using a premium theme because they’re usually of higher quality and come with more features.
When choosing a theme, you want to make sure it is compatible with the plugins you plan to use. Most of my high-end blogs for sale use premium themes from 17th Avenue Design. Their designs are top-notch, they offer great customer support, and their themes are super easy to customize.
You’ll also need several plugins to add extra features to your WordPress blog. For example, you might want to install Yoast SEO to help with your search engine optimization, Site Kit (from Google) to get detailed insights about your website traffic or Jetpack for security and performance. Depending on what you want to do with your blog, plenty of great plugins are available.
5. Write content and promote your blog
Now it’s time to start writing content and promoting your blog. This is the most important part of creating a successful blog. You want to ensure your content is well-written, informative, and engaging. The key to a successful blog is to write high-quality content relevant to your niche and your readers.
I know that writing is hard work and is not for everyone. If you’re not a great writer, you can always hire a content agency or a freelance writer from Upwork, Fiverr, etc., to help you with your content. Ensure they have experience writing for your niche and understand your target audience.
Once you have around 15 – 20 articles published, start promoting your blog on social media and other channels. One of the best ways to promote your blog is to guest post on other blogs in your niche. This will help you get exposure to a new audience and build links back to your website.
Another great way to promote your blog is to participate in online and offline communities related to your niche. For example, if you’re in the personal finance niche, you can join relevant Facebook groups, forums, and LinkedIn groups. You can also attend meetups and conferences related to your niche.
Pinterest is a robust platform that can help you drive traffic to your blog. If you’re in a visual niche like fashion, beauty, or food, then you need to be on Pinterest. I’ll write a more detailed case study on how I use Pinterest to drive traffic to my blogs in the future.
6. Monetize your blog
Great, so now we’re talking! Monetizing your blog is how you make money from your blog. There are several ways to monetize a WordPress blog. The most common way is through advertising networks like Google Adsense and Ezoic—these are the two platforms that don’t require you to have a minimum number of monthly page views, which is very important if you’re just starting out.
If your blog is getting a good amount of traffic, you can apply to media buying networks like AdThrive, Mediavine, and Monumetric. They are all CPM (cost per thousand impressions) based ad networks, which means you’ll make money based on the number of page views your blog receives. The downside is that you need a minimum number of monthly page views to be accepted, which can range from 25,000 – 100,000, depending on the network.
Other ways to monetize your blog include affiliate marketing, selling digital products and services, and sponsored content. I’ll go into more detail about each of these methods in future case studies & blog posts.
You can also sell ad space on your website or work with brands as an influencer. Let’s say you have a food blog and are working with a food company to promote their products on your blog and social media channels. This is an example of sponsored content.
7. Grow your blog
The final step in this guide is to continue growing your blog. You want to keep writing great content, promoting your blog, and adding new features and functionality to your website.
As your blog grows, it’ll be more attractive to potential buyers. If you ever decide to sell your blog, the more traffic and revenue it generates, the more money you’ll be able to sell it for.
The Process of Flipping a Blog
OK, if you’re still with me, then you’re probably wondering how exactly do you flip a blog?
The process of flipping a blog is relatively simple. It involves finding a buyer for your blog, transferring the ownership of your blog, and then getting paid. However, there are a few things you need to do before you can start the process of flipping your blog.
1. Get your blog ready for sale
The first step is to get your blog ready for sale. This means you must ensure your blog generates a consistent income and has a strong foundation.
If you want to sell your blog for top dollar, you need to make sure it’s making money. The best way to do this is to have multiple revenue streams. For example, suppose you’re selling a blog that relies solely on advertising income. In that case, you’re not going to get as much money for it as you would if it had affiliate income, digital product sales, and sponsored content.
You also need to make sure your blog has a strong foundation. This means it should be built on WordPress, have a professional theme, and be optimized for SEO. If your blog is built on a free platform like Blogger or Tumblr, then you’re not going to get anywhere with blog flipping.
2. Find a buyer for your blog
The next step is to find a buyer for your blog. You can do this through brokerages or by listing your blog for sale on websites like Flippa and Empire Flippers, or you can even create your own website to sell your blogs.
The most important thing is to ensure you find a reputable buyer willing to pay you what your blog is worth. There are a lot of scammers out there who will try to lowball you, so be careful. You’ll definitely learn more about this in future case studies & blog posts.
Remember: The more you are in demand, the more you can charge!
the Law of Supply and Demand
3. Transfer the ownership of your blog
So you’ve found a buyer for your blog and agreed on a price. The next step is to transfer the ownership of your blog to the buyer.
This process is relatively simple and can be done through your hosting account (if you’re using WordPress, then you can use a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration). Once the ownership has been transferred, the new owner will have complete control of your blog.
4. Get paid
The final step is to get paid. This part is pretty self-explanatory, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, make sure you agree on a payment method before transferring the ownership of your blog. The most common payment methods are PayPal and wire transfer. If you’re selling your blog for a large sum of money, you might consider using Escrow.
Secondly, ensure you get the full payment before transferring the ownership of your blog. It’s not uncommon for buyers to try to renegotiate after they’ve taken over your blog, so don’t let them do that. Once the ownership has been transferred, you have no control over the blog, so make sure you get paid first.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully flipped your blog and made some money in the process.
How to Maximize Your Profits when Flipping Blogs
Now you may wonder how you can maximize your profits when flipping blogs. Actually, you can do a few things to increase the value of your blog and get more money for it.
1. Grow your traffic
The first thing you need to do is grow your traffic. The more traffic you have, the more valuable your blog will be to buyers. You can increase your traffic in many ways, but the most effective methods are SEO and social media.
If you can get your blog to rank high on Google for popular keywords, you’ll get a lot of organic traffic. And if you can grow a large social media following, you’ll also get a lot of referral traffic.
2. Increase your revenue
The second thing you need to do is increase your revenue. This can be done by adding more revenue streams to your blog or improving your existing revenue streams.
For example, if you’re currently making money from advertising, you can try increasing your ad revenue by adding more ad units or increasing your prices. Or, if you’re currently making money from affiliate marketing, you can try to increase your affiliate commissions by finding better offers or promoting higher-priced products.
3. Build a strong foundation
As I mentioned earlier, making sure your blog has a strong foundation is essential. This means it should be built on WordPress, have a professional theme, and have a well-designed logo.
It also means your blog should be free of technical issues and have a clean and easy-to-navigate design. If you have an email list, then that’s a huge bonus.
4. Create valuable content
Last but not least, you must ensure your blog has plenty of valuable content. This content should be original, well-written, and informative. It should also be updated regularly. The more valuable content you have, the more likely buyers will be willing to pay a higher price for your blog.
The Bottom Line
Wow, if you’re still following along, then congratulations! You’ve just learned a lot about blog flipping. Now I know it might seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it’s worth it. If you do it right, you can easily make a full-time income from flipping blogs.
So, if you’re hooked and want to learn more, I suggest you check my other blogs and subscribe to my newsletter. I’ll keep you updated with the latest and greatest blog flipping tips and strategies.
I hope this guide has been helpful and informative. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below, and I’ll be happy to answer them!
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