Going to marketplaces like Flippa.com and the Digital Point forum is what most site flippers would do in search of a new website to buy. But are you aware that in the website flipping business, there’s a way of overtaking all other potential buyers in getting the first shot at a site that you may be interested in? Yes, there is, and that’s by buying websites privately. True, a website that isn’t publicly listed may not really grant you that big of a discount compared to sites you can find in popular marketplaces, but at least you know that you won’t be paying as much as you would if there were 20 other possible buyers looking to acquire that site too.
Say for instance you get a non-public offer to buy a 5,000-dollar website. While this may still cost you a pretty penny, it will probably be the lowest price you can find if the site is actually worth it. If the owner were to publicly list this site at Flippa.com, other website flippers would also be able to uncover its money making potential, and this could pull the price higher and higher. Even if the site owner were willing to peg $5,000 as the Buy It Now price, hundreds of other interested buyers may beat you to actually purchasing it.
Keep in mind though, that you don’t receive these types of private offers from just out of the blue. Having a reliable network is crucial to opening such possibilities. In website flipping, it’s not only important to know what you’re doing, it’s just as vital to reach out to the right people, site sellers and buyers alike. While learning how to network would call for an entirely separate article, there are still some tips you can start with to search out these coveted private websites.
Your first step would still be to pay a visit to marketplaces like Flippa.com. Browse through the listings found there and try to find the following revealing signs that may suggest that a seller has multiple sites for sale like for instance when a seller outright declares this fact in the description, when a seller mentions having “too many sites to handle” as one reason for selling a website, or when it is noted that the seller is also working on other projects. Whatever the reasons may be though, you also have to make sure that you’re transacting with a reliable seller with a good-quality site for sale.
As soon as you find a reputable seller with one quality site, possibly more, up for sale, it’s time to take the next step, and that is to convey a private message to the seller. Take the time to draft a personal message introducing yourself and politely asking about other websites he may have available. The key here is to come across as a sincere and legitimate buyer; spamming won’t get you anywhere.
When you send discreet, personalized messages, there is a 90% chance of the seller replying to your communication. if the seller is having a good day, he may very well think about selling to you privately, or at the very least, the seller can notify you what type of sites he’s selling so you can add him to your Flippa seller watchlist for timely updates when one of his sites come up for sale.
Don’t limit yourself to sellers who are selling websites at this time. Use this same plan even with site owners who have just sold sites or even those who had unsold sites. Using this method, you would have access to more sellers and increase chances of being able to buy websites which aren’t publicly listed.
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