What to look for when buying a website.

By: Justin Tucker
planettucker.net

First, it's important to look at a website like purchasing a commercial building or any other business. I sell websites and have build many, so I know a thing or two about the logistics and reality of owning and managing a website and more importantly what to look for when buying a website.

To all the sellers that implement the below tactics I sincerely apologize if this effects your business, but I want my users to know the reality, not the hype. So for you users and would be website buyers pay attention, because it is laid out for you completely and raw right here!

Don't get wrapped up in the domain name.

Now there are some that will take these statements and absolutely say I'm nuts and wrong, but reality is I'm dead on. Those who sell domain names hate this viewpoint (and reality). DON'T PAY BIG BUCKS FOR A DOMAIN NAME, or even for a website under one. Alright ready for the exception? Unless you have millions of dollars ALREADY invested into a marketing and branding plan that absolutely requires a domain name that is taken, a domain name is worthless!

Worthless? How can I say that? Because good people this is what the dot com bubble was - money being thrown at domain names with no business plan or method to follow, just some hope this good sounding name will do well. The dot com bubble is living proof that domain names mean nothing, it is the business plan and marketing methods that matter not the domain name! I have so many clients that stock pile domain names, or think if they "invest" in one they are making a good decision. They proceed as though they expect something magical to happen, that a domain that is short, concise and easy to remember will somehow market itself.

What happens is these same clients generally just loose out in the registration fees and nothing materializes... just like the dot com bubble did but on a micro scale. What gives a domain name value is the underlying business plan. For example skype.com. What is skype? Well, let skype tell you. It's brilliant because it is a word that they get to define. But do you think that word would have any meaning if there wasn't a multi-million dollar marketing plan behind it? If you believe in domain name magic maybe you do, but reality and history proves the underlying business plan is the key not what it's called. If your plan is good it won't matter what it's called. It is the same as a musical band. Sometimes musical bands sit around for hours thinking of band names. It's the music that sells, and whatever they call themselves - WHATEVER IT IS - all the sudden becomes "cool" because the underlying music is superior. Likewise, you can have a "cool" band name on the surface bad music will make that name sound stupid.

So with this being pointed out, don't let the illusion of a "good domain name" be the selling point to buy a website. You'll learn one way or another a "good domain" is made not purchased, and that domain names, no matter how good they appear do not magically market themselves. Even after reading this many will still see a "good domain" buy and hope for magic. Well for those who do, I actually hope you find it, because I'm afraid you'll be in for some disappointment. The exception to this is if the seller can show that website (along with the domain) has good and consistent page rank. This info can be found easily.

Is there content?

On the example site the seller gives you right click and select to view the source code. If it's blocked beware and ask them for it. Generally rule of thumb - if you can't read words or make out any, then neither can the search engines! It's important to understand that JavaScript is NOT SEEN BY THE SEARCH ENGINES. Now of course you can see it and probably even interact with it, but the search engines see nothing but the actual JavaScript code itself. I see many buyers pay a lot of money for a website that is invisible to search engines. Ouch! For example RSS feeds. If a seller says that RSS feeds produce content on your site, then it better be parsed in a server side language (i.e. not JavaScript). That way the search engines can see the content.

Unfortunately this is a very popular tactic for website sellers to make shortcuts on because it looks great to the user and is super easy to just copy and paste the JavaScript code and let it do all the work for you. Sadly the user/buyer doesn't understand the search engines see nothing. A site built this way will almost never get any organic search results.

Finally, content isn't enough. The site you have must have or provide an easy way for YOU - the webmaster - to add your own UNIQUE CONTENT. This is what search engines are rewarding because unique content adds more value to users. Since search engines only have incentive to deliver the most valuable sites to its users, then naturally sites that have unique content will always do better - way better than an invisible JavaScript site.

Don't fall for the word "Established".

Another big tactic web site sellers use is to say that the website with domain name and all is "established". Unfortunately this is a word that allows for "puffing" or the legal way to say things that are not true without it being a lie. For example if a pizza place says they use the "best" ingredients that is puffing. They can't prove their ingredients are the best because that is subjective, and you can't disprove it either, yet they state it as truth. Same with the vocabulary word "Established". When? - Overnight. How long? - a few days...

What established should mean is there is verifiable proof that this online entity has been around and is producing income, just like any other established brick and mortar company. Although in some cases this is exactly what is happening, more often than not the seller usually gets around this by referring to how "all you need to do is a little marketing" - duh! That is like saying I just want you to move the foundation of your house just two inches to the left. Come on! It's only two inches. It's basically taking a colossal task and making it sound like an easy chore. There are sellers that do in fact offer sites with a legit established online presence, but the vast majority are puffing out their ears.

What does the site do?

Want to know the secret to a successful website? Make it user based! What does that mean? You want your site to have some feature, method or means to interact with. A forum, or comments, or polls, or classified ads are all ways to engage the user into not just visiting your site, but using it. Look at Craigslist.com and eBay if you don't believe me. Both of these sites are poster children for user based sites.

Now of course not all websites or business models will call for this, but nonetheless, the more interactivity the user has the better the chances of lasting success. So, when shopping to buy a website ask yourself, "what does this site do?" As a user would you be impressed? Would you use the site yourself? Is there anything to use or is it just static content, or worse - a whole site full of JavaScript output? :o

Be Leary of flash, and other Adobe features.

So you see a site with a cool intro and flashy presentation. Wow right? Well maybe. I won't say to avoid this or these languages, but flash has a few downsides. For one it too is invisible to search engines, whatever the output. Also, depending on the application, how it was built, and users browsers flash is known to load down systems and cause the page to load slower. You'll loose an amazing amount of would be visitors simply because they are impatient and click the back button. Also flash and other Adobe applications to make Rich Internet Environments rarely do anything to contribute to the functioning of the site. Although these languages can be used for content management purposes and produce flashy and cool things along the way, other languages are not proprietary work just as good if not better, not to mention there is no load penalty.

Also, if you want to know what the big boys do then look at Google, Amazon and eBay. They strive - go out of the way - to make their sites as painfully simple as possible. That is because they realize a user is not their to see flash animation. If that was the case they would be viewing flash cartoons, and there are certainly sites that show this. Otherwise these giants understand the reality that users are at their site for INFORMATION! not illusion. Therefore Google still keeps a white background and blue links with very little info on any given page to not overwhelm the user. How much flash do you see used on Google, or eBay or even Amazon? Look at Craigslist.com - you can't get much more simple than that, and looks at it's success. Don't use much flash do they?

If you want to focus on what works then make sure your site delivers in the most efficient, and simple manner the information you wish to convey. Users are like water and take the path of least resistance. If you have a bunch of "flashy" stuff in the way, they will naturally go to where the information flows more intuitively on someone else's site. People are not stupid fish that gaze a 1000 yard stare at a flashy colors. We are impatient creatures that want immediate results. Cater to that fact like Google and all the other proven companies have.

So in short, flash certainly has it's place, but it should never be used or seen as a user friendly feature. It should be moderately and accurately used for branding and other awareness type issues. For example, it might be a good idea for flash to be used to show a presentation about a product, because this is something the user would elect to see and thus would be expecting all that comes with viewing flash. Otherwise having as an into is not a good idea. It slows load time and lays a barrier between the user and your site's information. Also the user usually must proactively seek out a skip intro button. You know what they'll do? They'll just hit their back button - it's easier - like water.

Big Promises.

Sellers of course have to sell and along the way you'll find some big promises. Again the reality is this: It comes down to superior marketing. I don't care what the business industry is, or the domain name or anything else. If you can sell ice to an Eskimo - meaning you can market anything, it won't matter what you choose to do or what it's called you will be successful. Look at the pet rock. The rocks aren't selling themselves are they? No, some cute marketing plan did.

If you can master marketing THEN the promises you see can and will come true. Sadly though sellers often conveniently exclude these details and say things like "All the site needs is a little marketing!" Again, like in my earlier example, that is like saying just move your house two inches for me - that's all! This easy way of putting it, doesn't skirt the fact this is a CRITICAL part of any business - online or offline. So in short, don't let the big promises blind you from the fact of how much marketing a site like you are looking at may take. It's similar to saying all your heart has to do is beat. Well yes, that is true and critical for the rest of you to work. Same with marketing. Once in place and successful do the promises have any meaning. Without this critical piece (like your heart) things in your online endeavor just won't click.

So if sellers are telling you how much you can make, they are actually telling you the truth - being online is exciting and can make you TONS of money, but you MUST understand an online business is not somehow immune to the fact it too must be marketed. Even though the Internet is by default a global market, you still need good old fashion marketing principals to bring the awareness of the planet to YOU.

Conclusion.

I truly hope this guide at least provided you some useful information for making an informed decision about purchasing a website. The above comments and examples are things I have personally seen and watched people/users/clients fail with. Just as equally the things recommended I have witnessed work for others.

In all cases I truly wish you the best, and as always anyway I can help you on that path I'm happy to. Just contact me.