Flipping websites can be a very profitable venture, but it isn’t easy. Getting the most out of flipping requires learning about monetization, optimization, and learning enough to have a plan for each site.
There are multiple ways to make money with this business model. You can generate revenues while you grow the site and then you can sell the site for a one-time payout based on the valuation.
In this article, I’m going to cover:
- How to generate revenue using display ads
- How to generate revenue with affiliate marketing
- How to generate revenue using digital products
- Other ways to generate even more revenue with a website
- How to improve the value and how/where to flip the site for a profit
Let’s get to it!
Generate Revenue Using Display Ads
Display ads are one of the best ways to monetize traffic due to being simple and usable on every article traffic. More traffic means more income. Here is a calculator you can use to understand the earning potential.
A display ad provider allows you to place ads. They make deals with the companies wanting to advertise and each uses technology to match better ads with your site over time.
Most ads are pay per click but some are pay per view. Once display ads are up, it’s easy to see what your average EPM (earnings per thousand) will be for every 1,000 visitors. Create more content, get more visitors, earn more money.
Ezoic is the best option for most beginners. MediaVine and Raptive are both great options once your site is established and you have good traffic numbers.
Generate Revenue Using Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is the other most common method for making money while building websites to flip. This involves putting affiliate links into content and when a person clicks on that link and buys, you get a commission on the sale.
Amazon Associates is a great starting point because they are very easy to get into and offer virtually every retail product imaginable.
As traffic grows you will want to look for better-paying affiliate programs or work out better deals with existing companies whose products you sell to increase revenues.
Generate Revenue Using Digital Products
This won’t be right for every niche, but it is a very profitable way to monetize for those who can pull it off.
This could be an ebook, a video class, a formatted Excel sheet – there are many options. The digital product needs to provide value to your site visitors by providing them information, skills, or training that they are looking for.
Digital product pricing can vary greatly but since it’s your product you keep the majority of the profits, which often makes them much more lucrative per sale than affiliate deals or display ads.
Generate Revenue with Other Methods
There are many other methods of monetization that can generate revenue. These won’t apply to every site, but they are worth keeping in mind as other options for monetization that will be appropriate for certain sites.
Lead Generation
Lead generation can be a big business in some niches. A customer to an attorney, a solar panel installation company, or a high-end sales team can be worth a lot of money. Getting a warm lead is often worth paying for.
These usually take the form of a “per action” basis. Paying for phone calls, emails, or filling out a form, for example.
The amount per lead generation will vary from niche to niche and will often need to be negotiated directly with the business you are providing leads for.
Services
Offering services is another way to monetize a site. This creates a time investment, but there are plenty of professionals who started out in photography, blogging, writing, video editing, or offering a local service before expanding into blogging and making money online full-time.
Services can be a bit tricky, but they are a very viable way of earning additional income from a website receiving traffic.
Consultancy
Consulting can be a very lucrative way to monetize a site. This only works in limited fields, but if you have a lot of specialized knowledge or experience then that can be incredibly valuable to the right buyer.
Sponsored Posts
I don’t recommend this as a monetization method because at best it is gray hat, and Google has very strict terms about how sponsored posts should be set up, but if you get enough traffic it can be a viable way to get payments.
Since these are generally one-time events versus recurring income sources they’re not likely to move the needle on a website’s price during a flip but it is a way many sites can make a quick few hundred dollars.
Flip the Website for a Profitable Exit
Flipping the website for a profitable exit starts with understanding how websites are valued. This is key to making sure you’re making the most money possible flipping sites.
The sales price will be the average monthly revenue of the website over the last six months, and that monthly average is multiplied by an agreed-upon multiplier with the buyer. The average multiplier will be in the 30x to 40x.
The higher the monthly average income, the higher the sales price will be. Keep in mind how the multiplier works as leverage. Even a $100 a month increase in the monthly average income is worth $3,000 to $4,000 more on the final sale.
This is why it’s important to get the website earning fast. Quick monetization wins are some of the first issues I tackle when buying a site with the intention of improving it and flipping it.
Cash flow while building up a website is great, but getting those numbers up can do wonders for the final sales price when flipping.
Then the key is to find the right place to sell. There are multiple options for the top brokers for flipping sites. They have their pros and cons, and it’s important to do research to make sure you’re comfortable with a broker’s process before moving forward.
Some of the top brokers I’ve reviewed:
Further Reading
Here are some resources to learn more:
- Take the website flipping course to understand the A to Z of the process
- Study the framework on buying a site
- Study the framework on selling a site
- Profitability of website flipping
- Timeline of a flip
Actionable Takeaways
Making money flipping websites takes a lot of work, but it is a process that can be learned and repeated.
If you’re not sure what the next steps are, focus on the following actionable takeaways.
- Add display ads if you don’t already have them.
- Look for additional monetization methods from this list that could be used to further monetize your site and add them.
- Create targeted content to increase traffic
- When you are getting ready to sell, take the time to research website brokers to decide who to go with.
If you’re not close to the sales price you want, don’t research this – get back to creating new content and monetizing it!
