Newb Question:Flipping Site + Customer List.

scottspfd82

scottspfd82

New member
Dec 29, 2006
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I have a site I'm thinking of selling to focus on new projects.

It's a membership site selling digital content.

A big part of the revenue comes from promoting other stuff to the list. And the list would add a ton of value to the site if I decide to sell.

These are all customers added to the list when they bought from me.

Any of you site flippers done this before? I'm thinking of just emailing them straight up if I sell, letting them know it's under new ownership, introducing the owner myself and giving them a chance to opt-out.

I know this is probably basic stuff but I don't have a lot of experience selling my sites, I don't want my customers to feel like I sold them out or do them wrong.

Any advice on this?

Thanks.
 


Sell the list 100 times in the BST, and then sell the list with the site and do nothing at all and leave it to the new owner.

Or alternatively just sell it to the new owner, and let him do what he wants with it?
 
mituozo said:
Sell the list 100 times in the BST, and then sell the list with the site and do nothing at all and leave it to the new owner.

Or alternatively just sell it to the new owner, and let him do what he wants with it?
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Yeah, I realize this is probably a dumb question. I just don't sell many sites (or any lists).

So I'm assuming just hand it over to the buyer and everything's legit? I have a good relationship with the list/customers and don't want them to feel sold out, so thinking a quick email letting them know it's under new administration or something is the way to go.

Appreciate the replies.
 
OK, I'm a little STUNNED right now.


You are one of the MINISCULE % of WF members who actually have an ACTIVE AND RESPONSIVE LIST with people who do repeat business with you and you're going to sell the site that the list is built around???


I know that there MUST be some "extraordinary" circumstance FORCING you to do this.


Like.....................a 7 or 8 Figure offer for the site and the site + list are only making like 5 to 6 figures for you and will NEVER get any higher.

Right?



Taken from your post:

" It's a membership site selling digital content.



A big part of the revenue comes from promoting other stuff to the list.





These are all customers added to the list when they bought from me."


I have a good relationship with the list/customers and don't want them to feel sold out, so thinking a quick email letting them know it's under new administration or something is the way to go.
Click to expand...
This is like watching someone walk off a cliff while they are SLEEP WALKING!!!



I don't know the particulars of your site, members, products or your financial situation............but those things you posted above seem like very SOLID things to BUILD THINGS OUT FROM!!!!



If you're still set on selling the site, either POST UP a POLL on the site to find out how the members would feel if you sold it and then take that into consideration, OR I'd suggest just making the sale on the Q.T. and then let them figure it out gradually over time.


I have NEVER sold "any" of my money sites that at least pay for their Hosting, Domain Reg., Aweber, SSL, and any other expense to keep it up and operational. (Including my TIME to maintain them.)

Then again, I've never had any offers that would be better than 1.5 times current & projected earnings over a 10 to 20 span either.

Lulz
 
Midas Touch said:
OK, I'm a little STUNNED right now.


You are one of the MINISCULE % of WF members who actually have an ACTIVE AND RESPONSIVE LIST with people who do repeat business with you and you're going to sell the site that the list is built around???


I know that there MUST be some "extraordinary" circumstance FORCING you to do this.
Click to expand...

Totally get what you're saying.

Here's the deal, the site is earning ~$2.5k a month right now, but it requires attention and promotion on my end (probably 20 hours a month).

It's essentially business coaching and done for you marketing materials for a niche industry.

The thing about it is I can't outsource the work. They expect videos from me. They expect me to write the promo's (because they work), so it's not something I can easily outsource.

I'm thinking it may be spreading me too thin and keeping from building up projects that I'm more excited about. Then again, I could stop the manual content production, drive new members through the front-end and let it run relatively hands free while I scale it up. Again though, that's time and work.

So cashing it out for $25k (if I could get that, I get the feeling I can) and being able to focus on my other stuff is kind of appealing right now. The idea is on the table anyway. I'll definitely think hard about it before selling. I'm fanatical about my lists and I know the value I'd be giving up.

EDIT:

RalphySeo said:
Fuck the list. You think they're going to be stoked when you tell them you sold their info to someone else?
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Didn't see that before I replied. You're right. There's no way to do it without selling them out. That's the advice I needed. Repped.
 
RalphySeo said:
Fuck the list. You think they're going to be stoked when you tell them you sold their info to someone else?
Click to expand...


Not just this, but if the OP put "any" of himself into the site's content, style, & structure then this was a major part of the membership deciding on HIS site.

Now, if they find out he's no longer going to be providing the content & products for them, they WILL feel betrayed and start to lose interest in the site and his emails.

Even if the new site owner is BETTER than the OP, the Original Membership will likely be Halved if they find out about the transfer of ownership.


Again, it really all depends on the Type of Relationship the OP had/has with his Members and The List.


Example, Host Gator just changed ownership, do "I" care WHO owns it? NOPE, my only concern is that the sites I have there will continue to function, the support stays decent, and the pricing doesn't get ridiculous.


On the other hand............


I belonged to a popular Golf Membership site that offered Unique Items and Content not easily found anywhere else on the net. The Original Owner who started it up sold the site to a Current Staff Member that everyone liked a lot for his contributions and activities on the site.

But I and about 45 % of the Original Membership did NOT RENEW our memberships that first year and "I" have only been back to the site about 10 times in the last 3 years. I also IGNORE ALL EMAILS FROM THERE NOW!! (Ok, I opened like 3 and they all SUCKED!!! The guy who bought it is a decent guy, but the Original Site Owner grew it from the ground up and HIS PERSONALITY could be felt all through the site and emails.)



EDIT: Just saw your response below, but will post this up anyhow for others that may not have thought about these things.


I'll respond to your response.

lol
 
You can't really sell the site without selling the list, there's really no way around that. If you think you would do better with the money and the free time, then you just have to pull the trigger and not get feelings over your subscribers.

That being said, if you do sell the site don't put a 10x multiplier on it, throw it on Flippa and call it a day. What you have is gold, and although most Flippa type buyers will not understand or appreciate it, the right buyer will pay more than that. In fact, you might be better served going through a broker for privacy reasons anyway. You REALLY don't want your subscribers to know the site is being sold while the auction is active...
 
scottspfd82 said:
Totally get what you're saying.

Here's the deal, the site is earning ~$2.5k a month right now, but it requires attention and promotion on my end (probably 20 hours a month).

It's essentially business coaching and done for you marketing materials for a niche industry.

The thing about it is I can't outsource the work. They expect videos from me. They expect me to write the promo's (because they work), so it's not something I can easily outsource.

I'm thinking it may be spreading me too thin and keeping from building up projects that I'm more excited about. Then again, I could stop the manual content production, drive new members through the front-end and let it run relatively hands free while I scale it up. Again though, that's time and work.

So cashing it out for $25k (if I could get that, I get the feeling I can) and being able to focus on my other stuff is kind of appealing right now. The idea is on the table anyway. I'll definitely think hard about it before selling. I'm fanatical about my lists and I know the value I'd be giving up.

EDIT:



Didn't see that before I replied. You're right. There's no way to do it without selling them out. That's the advice I needed. Repped.
Click to expand...



I know how you're feeling. This is EXACTLY why "I" have not created any sites where "I" have to be involved on a regular basis. I'd GO NUTZ!!!!

So now that some of the particulars are out there, I can see where the constant TUGGING at you to keep giving them fresh stuff could become tiresome.


If your done with that phase of your online Marketing, then go ahead and get some final money out of it to move on.

If you've become disenchanted with WORK involved with keeping the site as it is, then it will deteriorate with you staying there anyway in time. Selling would be best for you and the membership then.



I don't envy your decision right now at all.



P.S.


I just saw my last post,"If the OP put any of HIMSELF into the content...." you just said that it's the Videos of YOU doing promotions that they want.


:Face Palm & shakes head:


Groaning Lulz











Goddamnit!!!!!


I feel like my browser is getting Body Cavity Searched in a Mexican Prison by Cloudflare every single time I try to refresh a fucking page!!!!



ARGH!!!!



Or is Jon doing a Purvey Peek up our browser's skirt under the Guise of a DDoS threat.


LOL
 
scottspfd82 said:
Here's the deal, the site is earning ~$2.5k a month right now, but it requires attention and promotion on my end (probably 20 hours a month).
Click to expand...

Have you tried various price points for the stuff you sell? $2.5k pm from a pre sold list seems very light if it is taking you 20 hours a month. If you haven't already I would be trying different price points before selling - you may be leaving a shit load of money on the table.

Beaker123 said:
just report google and then sell
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Why haven't you been banned yet - 110 posts and not one of them is more than a nonsense one liner
 
Beaker123 said:
just report google and then sell
Click to expand...

Didn't I tell you to go away yesterday? Why are you still here. Report Google for what? Do you have any idea what you're talking about? You're adding no value to any of the threads you post in and never mind the fact that your one line responses are just fucking annoying. Trust me if an October Ban Fest thread opens up, you'll be #1 on the chopping block.

Enjoy the rest of your day.
 
I had a site like this that I stopped caring about and just send out emails every few weeks with rebranded PLR content. still makes 50% of the income on 20% of the work, so whatever.

Thought about selling it, but I haven't added content or done any work for traffic gen in like 6 months and it's still earning. lol fuck google lol

I would see if there's a way to scale down the work and keep some income coming instead of cashing out.
 
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