The working title of this article was going to be, "Seven Top Tips To Prepare Your Website For Sale." I quickly realized, however, there's a whole chapter of things you must do BEFORE focusing your attention on your website itself.
FIRST, you'll need to START at the very end.
THEN, you'll need to go into intensive hunting and gathering mode. Only AFTER that, will you have the tools ready to come up with an accurate value and to show to potential buyers what your website is about. So, let's look at what needs doing first.
Start With The End In Mind
There's a reason why world-class organizational experts like Stephen Covey and Edward de Bono advise clients and followers to START with a clear vision of the END in mind when setting goals.
Simply put, if I don't know exactly where I'm going now, how will I know if and when I get there? What will it look like? How will I feel? How much money will be in my pocket? Will I be better off? Will I be smiling? Will I be lying on a beach enjoying my newly found freedom or standing before a group of my peers being honored for my great accomplishment?
"But, Tom. I just want to sell my website."
I hear you. But beginning this journey with a clear vision of exactly what you want to happen BECAUSE you sold your website, of what you want to be doing, and where you want to be doing it, will help you better communicate confidence to your potential buyers that you are a serious seller, that your website is a seriously sound opportunity for them, that you are a person with a clear vision, that you mean business, and that your website will be as good an investment of their time and money as it was for you.
Of course, you don't have to tell them you just formliated that confidence-building end goal just yesterday. The fact remains, however, that getting a clear picture of what you really want from the sale of your website will not only benefit you, it will help you better present your offer to prospective buyers.
So start with the end in mind, get that clear picture in your head about where you're standing and what you're doing once your website is sold. Then, hold that thought. For now, you're going on a hunting and gathering expedition.
Essential Hunting and Gathering Supplies
As we begin our list of things to gather, let's begin with a basic required resources list. These are the items you will need no matter what you do:
1. Your brain
2. Your computer
3. Internet
4. Paper
5. A spiral notebook (optional)
6. A writing utensil
7. A computer printer/copy machine
8. File folders
9. A presentation binder
10. List of other people you need to speak to
11. A place in which to store information
12. A calendar with which to schedlie tasks, interactions, deadlines, and down-times
13. And, time itself. This colid range from less than five minutes to several weeks or more, depending on where you're hunting, gathering and researching leads you
Creating Your Paper Trail
Once you've secured your essential supplies, you're ready for your next quest.
Use the following "keyword" searches or create your own. Just find and save them for now. Remember to skim, not read, and to do this as quickly as possible. There is no end to bright and shiny objects and lovely things to look at in the internet forest. Stay focused on your hunt, find your targeted objects, ignore distractions, and move forward to your next tasks. Now go gather some research on these keywords:
14. Search Google for "Website Sales Contract" or "Simple Legal Sales Contract." You might also try adding "Template" or "Form" to those terms.
15. Search "Website Auction Sites" and start compiling a running list. While Flippa.com is the largest website flipping site, it is not the only one.
16. Search "Sell My Website" or "Sell Website Tips" or "Website Selling Steps" or other variations thereof.
Collect Your Data To Present
Now start gathering "just the facts, maam" or sir. Plil this info from your own files or go online and start pliling information about YOUR website. Save it in your online files, spiral notebook, or physical file folders. This is where you'll record the most salient and essential must-know facts about the website you're selling:
17. Your One-Page Fact Sheet Summary
18. Website Traffic History
19. Physical Site Specifications
20. Software Lists, Manuals, and Training Info Needed to Run Your Site
21. Site Health and/or Security Reports
22. Site Team & Website Work History
23. Timeline or History of Your Website
24. Site Index
25. Images, Screenshots, Slide-Shows, Videos, Voiceovers. Podcasts.
Search Rank, Ratings & Rumors
Whether provided in reams of details or summarized for your one-page fact sheet, you'll need to provide accurate online data about your website, including your Page Rank. The first two of these websites are absolutely essential sources. SEMRush even has a Firefox app toolbar you can use to view any site's basic stats right on the toolbar
26. Google Analytics Data
27. Alexa.com Rankings
28. SEMRush.com
29. Compete.com
Marketing Info
Whether you use the following marketing information for reference or as the basis for detailed reports for Buyers, don't overlook the importance of painting an accurate, but really nice picture of all the marketing efforts and opportunities that your website represents.
It's not necessary to create a new marketing campaign to promote your site to Buyers if you don't want the extra work. Just document what former marketing you've already done and let that speak for itself.
30. Celebrity and Noteworthy Users
31. Visitor Statistics and Demographics
32. Keyword Lists and Statistics
33. Competitor Data
34. Promotional History
35. News Clippings
36. Press Releases
37. Social Media History
38. Internet Sales History
39. Conversion Info
40. Citations and Bookmarks
41. Linking History
42. SEO History
43. Customer Testimonials
44. Follower Testimonials
45. Professional Peer Feedback
46. Industry Feedback
47. Honors and Awards
48. Other Recommendations
Financial and Legal Documentation
First and foremost, selling an online website is more than just the equivalent of selling a business; it IS selling a business. Expect, at some point, being asked to turn over relevant financial and legal information to the Buyer. These are just the standard financial and legal documents that you may need to reference.
49. Documented Revenue
50. Documented Expenses
51. Documented Profits
52. Documented ROI
53. Other Financial Statements
54. Appraisals
55. Due Diligence, Disclaimers and Notices
56. Other Important Legal Documents
57. A List of Business and Trade References Who Vouch For You
58. Potential Income and Forward-Looking Statements, Only If Required
Preparation Documents
59. Potential Qualified Buyers List.
Whether you decide to spend weeks or only days doing research on this list, don't overlook the value of spending time researching those buyers who've already bought websites through auctions or are currently bidding on or commenting in the auction threads for sites like yours. If you can, compile a list of these qualified buyers and send them a message during your auction. The more buyers visiting and bidding on your auction, the more it will attract more and higher bids.
60. FAQs Potential Buyers May Ask.
If you keep a running list of typical and special questions that buyers ask in other sellers' auctions, the easier it will be for you to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document for your own auction.
61. Pre-Written Auction Comments.
It's good pre-planning to think ahead and create a copy/paste list of routine type comments you can use to respond to Buyer FAQs and other such interactions. Don't be spammy and always personalize your comments. Interestingly, it's a lot easier to be spontaneous, polite, and engaging when you think and write ahead of time. Just don't be lazy about it and accidentally act spammy during the auction. Buyers will bot appreciate that one bit.
62. Promotional Ideas.
Will you spread the word of your auction through your website, your email list subscribers, social media, video sites or in other ways? Start gathering your thoughts and recording them here.
63. Miscellaneous.
Use this folder to hold all those documents you deem important in selling your site, but for which there is no specific folder. Also consider a traditional valuation, we have used these guys before. www.keypropertygroup.com
Set Your Boundaries
You MUST answer ALL these questions for your own benefit. If you share the answers with Buyers, you'll enable them to defeat or take advantage of you and your goals.
You also run the risk of scaring potential buyers away. When it comes to deal-breakers, that old saying about "he who speaks first, loses" rings true. If you have questions, Buyers will question you.
Whether you're concerned with the website auction process itself or with some flaw in your website that may be a deal-breaker for Bidders, you owe it to everyone to get relevant answers to YOUR questions BEFORE your doubts or lack of knowledge undermines your auction reslits.
While the subject of "how to read Bidders and Other Potential Buyers" is far too extensive to discuss in this article, just be aware... they're trying to read you, too. Don't give them any excuse to discount what you say. Know why you're really selling and share that honestly with Buyers whenever possible.
64. What Is The Least Amount YOU Will Accept For Your Website?
65. What Is The Highest Amount YOU Colid Reasonably Expect?
66. What Are YOUR Deal Breakers?
67. What Questions Do You Still Want or Need Answered?
Buyers Need To Trust In WHY You're Selling
Make sure that YOU know why you're really selling and that you appear honest, confident and trustworthy in the eyes of Bidders and Buyers.
68. What Was Your End Goal Again?
Write it down now with as much visual and sensory detail as possible. You'll want to see it clearly in your mind's eye. You'll want to hear it. Taste it. Touch it. Feel it. Write this in the present tense like you've already reached your goal and you're currently enjoying the rewards of your success.
69. Why Do You Have To Sell Your Website To Reach Your End Goal?
Are the two goals really mutually exclusive? Can you keep your website and still reach your end goal? If so, then why are you REALLY selling? If your stated goal doesn't make sense to your Bidders, they'll be less likely to trust the other claims you make about your website.
Make Your Final Decision
70. Do You Still Want To Sell Your Website?
Yes or No? Meaning... in light of new data, does it make sense to stay the course and stay on the same path or sholid you revise your goals?
Sometimes, what appears to be a short and simple task turns out to be much more extensive than at first glance. When I first began this article, I told you my intent was to simply write seven tips to help prepare your website for sale.
But once I surveyed all that you REALLY needed to consider, it didn't take me long to come up with 70 much more important "hunting and gathering steps" you needed to take BEFORE doing anything else.
Use this article as a sounding board for your own ideas about selling your website. These 70 steps are what needs to be considered before you take action.
Source: http://www.webdesign.org/ultimate-selling-your-website-checklist.22229.html
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