What’s it Like Selling a Website with Empire Flippers?
Updated on March 16, 2020
There’s a lot at stake when you finally build a business that’s worth selling. For many people, this is a pivotal moment. You’ve spent time trying out your ideas, chasing your successes, and honing in on the specific edge in your niche. And now that you have stable profits and maybe your site is even growing, you realize that selling this asset could take your work to the next level. There is just one problem… How do you do it?
To shed some light on this, we sat down to talk with Rob Atkinson about his experience selling with Empire Flippers. Rob’s been an online entrepreneur for the last four years and got his start while he still had a day job in accounting. He was inspired by digital nomads working and living abroad, and he wanted to figure out a way for him and his wife to do that too. After many long hours and eventually moving to Thailand, Rob found success with one of his sites and used that foundation to build several more.
“So far, I’ve sold four websites. The first one I sold with a different company, not Empire Flippers… and the experience wasn’t that great. I didn’t get the valuation that I wanted, and there was a lot more involvement on my end than I was comfortable with. I talked to a couple of friends that had sold sites, and everyone said ‘Go to Empire Flippers, go to Empire Flippers!’ Empire Flippers has their team vet your site for you. Connecting the buyer and the Seller? All that’s done. The migration of the site to the new buyer? Off your plate.”
As Rob explained, the vetting process at Empire Flippers is very simple. When a Seller is ready to list their site, they give Empire Flippers access to their revenue and traffic stats. Empire Flippers uses this to build a Profit & Loss Statement that Buyers will use to start their due diligence on the business. After Empire Flippers checks all the information, the site goes live on the Marketplace, and potential Buyers feel comfortable because they know the numbers have been verified.
One aspect that Rob especially appreciates is that Empire Flippers balances out the risk of putting your business out there for others to check out. Affiliate marketers know that it’s better to keep your specific niche to yourself. At the same time, when selling a business, you have to give Buyers insider information so they can see the true value of what they are purchasing. Empire Flippers requires a potential Buyer to place a deposit on the website they want to look at. This helps Sellers know this person is actually qualified and is willing to put down a few thousand dollars to even have a look.
Next, Empire Flippers helps put your business in front of many eyes. Rob shared, “To be honest with you, one of the hardest parts of the process, if you do it on your own, is connecting with a trusted Buyer. I don’t know who I would turn to that would want to buy a site—that I could trust. Empire Flippers is facilitating, taking all these inquiries from these potential Buyers, connecting them with me and other Sellers. It’s just so hands-off. I think that’s the best part.”
Rob’s business has grown immensely since his three sales with Empire Flippers. It’s freed him from having to do a lot of the work himself. He’s hired contractors, more services, employees, and used this influx of cash to scale up his operation. The best part is that it’s allowed Rob and his wife to travel the world and see new places together.
“I’d say it’s an absolute no-brainer. There are so many things that can go wrong selling your site, even if you’re a buyer. Empire Flippers is facilitating that whole process for you, it’s so hands-off and it’s worth every penny, in my opinion. Let them guide you through the process; you’re gonna love the results.”
We hope this story gives you a glimpse of how straightforward the selling process can be. There’s always a bit of hesitation to part with your “baby”. Yet, as you can see, the rewards are numerous. If you’d like to know more about how to sell your online business, the best place to start is to find out what your business is worth using our nifty valuation tool. We thank Rob for taking the time to share his experience with us, and we look forward to continuing to make great deals together.
To keep up with Rob and Taiss on their journey, check out their travel blog Together to Wherever.
Discussion
Hello,
I totally agree with the need to hire an expert while making proposal for either selling or purchasing a website. The first time I went out with the notion to sell my site which was doing okay, and I remember emailing number of potential buyers but none of it went through. Ultimately, I just gave it to a friend of mine from college taking loss on the sell.
I regret the decision to do it alone and not having used a consultants advice . Not going to repeat that mistake again.
Thanks for sharing the experience.
Hey 🙂
Glad you enjoyed our testimonial video.
And I totally get you on going it alone. I see it quite often people sell their sites or businesses privately and they end up getting far less than what they could’ve gotten had they gone with a broker like us that has a large buying audience. Even with our commission, on average I would wager sellers earn more money going through with us rather than doing a private sale.
We look forward to seeing your next sale if you choose us 🙂
Good luck on the new projects!