Your guide for selling digital assets and online businesses

Did you know we have sold more websites than our competitors, combined? There are over 1.5 million users on Flippa ready to buy!
 
Using Flippa, you can value and then list your online asset or business for sale; connect and communicate with buyers; discuss, negotiate and agree on sale terms; perform due diligence and get paid.

Selling on Flippa

FAQ's

Selling takes time. Some assets sell within days and others take months. The key thing is to list with as much detail as possible. And, don’t forget to update your information at the end of each month. This speeds up the process a lot.

1. How long does it take to sell?

2. How should I price my asset?

Price reasonably. When you list, Flippa will give you a recommended price based on your historical performance and asset type. Remember, buyers look for opportunity but pay for performance. Buyers are interested in assets that have a history of performance, that are stable and preferably growing.

3. What does the Flippa platform actually do?

Flippa has the most buyers globally. Our unique marketplace will connect your listing with relevant buyers based on their preferences. You’ll then be able to liaise with buyers directly, use Flippa’s negotiation functionality, access our escrow service and safely transact. It’s an end-to-end platform.

4. Remember, when it comes to a sale, you’ll need to verify the information on your listing.

Flippa works to protect both parties. You’ll be forced to verify your claims when a buyer makes an offer.

With a new buyer joining Flippa every minute, now might be the time to sell. Find out the value of your site. It's free and easy!

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Registration

Yes, to sell on Flippa, you will first need to establish a Flippa Account. You can do so here. Signing up is quick and easy. With your Flippa Account, you will be able to list your online asset or business for sale, keep track of selling activity, communicate with buyers and complete a transaction.
 
You will also be able to enquire about other businesses or assets, watch listings and save your favorite searches and sellers. For more on Buying on Flippa, see our 
Buying on Flippa Guide.
 
Be mindful that by registering for a Flippa Account, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to our 
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
.

ID Verification

In an effort to make Flippa a safe marketplace, we ask that all registered buyers and sellers complete ID verification. You can do this when you create a listing by logging in to your Flippa account and selecting 'My Profile'. A link to complete the ID verification will appear at the top of the page.
 
If you elect not to complete ID verification on the listing, you must complete it when you sell your online asset or business. You can also complete ID verification when your business or asset sells in Flippa’s Sales Completion Area. For more information on Flippa’s ID verification process, see here.

Listing fees

Flippa charges a one-time listing fee to list an online asset or business for sale. Be mindful that Flippa also derives a variable success fee on the sale of your online asset or business. Our success fee is calculated as a percentage of your final sale price.

To improve the visibility of your listing on the Flippa Platform, you can also purchase one of 4 upgrades. They range from USD$99$-499.

See our 
pricing page for more information on listing fees and upgrades.

Domains

If you are selling an undeveloped or parked domain, the fee is USD$29.

Starter Sites and Apps

If you are selling a starter or template site for beginners or an iOS or Android App, the fee is USD$29

Established Websites

If you are selling a website or online business that is trading and generating revenue, the fee is USD$29

Success Fees

When you sell your business or asset on Flippa, Flippa collects a variable success fee, which is calculated as a percentage of the final sale price. Read more about our success fees.

Create a listing

When you’re ready to list, we recommend first valuing your business by using our Flippa Valuation Tool. It is FREE and takes 5 minutes. It will give you a sense of how much your online asset or business is worth and what an appropriate asking price might be.
 
You will be asked to nominate your method of monetization, your URL, business commencement date, the number of hours per week spent on the business, annual revenue, annual expenses, and any other information relevant to your business type.
 
With an asking price in mind, you can now create a Listing. To get started, simply select ‘Start Selling’ from the Flippa Homepage or navigate 
here.

Information required to list

To create a listing for your online asset or business, you will need to: 

1. Provide preliminary details

Such as the nature of your online asset or business, your business URL, your business name, your registration date and location.  

2. State your online asset or business type -

Be it eCommerce, SaaS, Services, Marketplace, or Advertising. Depending on your selection, you will also need to nominate one or more sub-categories. For example, in the case of eCommerce, Dropship, Shopify, Digital Products, and/or Inventory Holding.

3. State the industry you operate in -

Be it Electronics, Automotive, Business, Design & Style, Education, Entertainment, Food & Drink, General Knowledge, Health & Beauty, Hobbies & Games, Home & Garden, Internet, Lifestyle, Sports & Outdoors or Travel. This is important as it will impact how your listing appears in search results and marketing materials.

4. State your monetization methods.

You can nominate more than one.

5. Connect your Google Analytics account to show your site traffic.

Why? Listings with Google Analytics connected receive 2.8x more views and 2.4x more watchers. Skip this step if you do not use Google Analytics.

6. Input revenue and expenses

on a month-by-month basis for the most recent 12 month period. Using this information, Flippa will calculate your avg. net profit per month.

7. Attach a profit and loss (P&L) statement

detailing the source of your revenue and expenses for the most recent 12 months. Or simply connect QuickBooks.

8. Attach evidence of revenue

to support the claims made in your P&L statement. An example might be an extract from your Shopify dashboard.

9. Enter a tagline of 120 characters

which describes your online asset or business. We recommend using keywords which buyers are likely to search and avoid using exclamation marks, all caps or acronyms.

10. Enter a description of your online asset or business.

To attract and engage buyers, be accurate, honest and spell out your unique selling proposition and key selling points. What does your online asset or business do? How does it make money? What is your fulfilment process? How do you source inventory? Will you provide post-sale support?

11. Attach a photograph

of your site, product, or service (min 550px x 300px).

12. Provide any other key ancillary details

such as the size of your social media following, inventory held (if any/relevant) and assets to be included in the sale.

13. Choose between an auction and fixed-price listing.

Set a price which is fair to you, and a potential buyer. If you haven’t already, use Flippa Valuations to get a good idea. If you’re unsure about pricing, you may be better off with an auction-style listing. See Q9 for further guidance on setting a price.

14. Set an asking price.

Setting a price

Estimating the value of your asset or business is difficult. You may have an inflated idea of its value based on the time and resources you have invested into it or a justified emotional attachment to it. Or, alternatively, you may have underestimated its value, being unaware of its hidden potential.

Price Guide

As a guide, Flippa recommends you start with a price equal to 2-2.5x annual net profit. Note: this is your annual net profit in the most recent 12 months.

Valuation Tool

To get an accurate idea of what price your asset or business might be worth, consider using our Flippa Valuation Tool. It provides a realistic estimate based on comparable sales and the age, type, industry and financial performance of your online asset or business.

Be Realistic

Listing your online asset or business for sale at a realistic, achievable price will give it the best chance of sale. This price may even give your business a competitive advantage as more interested buyers can lead to a better result than you expected.

Please do not include inventory value in your asking price. This will be displayed separately.  

Methods of listing - Auctions and fixed price

There are two ways to sell an online asset or business at Flippa — by auction or fixed priced. The method that’s best for you will depend on several factors including your online asset or business type, your target buyer and any unique personal circumstances.  

1. Fixed Price

Fixed-price is a method of sale where a business is advertised with a set price or guide that is open to negotiation. It is most suitable for businesses valued over USD$100,000.

2. Auction

An auction is held for 30 days after the business or asset is listed for sale. It is a great way to generate immediate buyer interest and is commonly used as a way to achieve a high price in a set timeframe. Auctions often achieve the best results as they create a sense of urgency due to the reduced number of days that the online asset or business is listed for sale.
 
In an ideal auction scenario, numerous potential buyers place bids until the price reaches the reserve, which is the minimum price you will accept for your online asset or business. Once the reserve price is met, bidding will continue beyond this until the highest offer is made, at which point the online asset or business will be sold to the highest bidder at the conclusion of the auction period. You also have the option of nominating a ‘Buy It Now’ or ‘BIN’ price, which is the price a buyer can pay you to acquire your online asset or business immediately.

Improving your listing

Revise and update your listing description.

To trigger buyer enquiries and to get the best price for your online asset or business, you need to show it in the best possible light. A compelling description coupled with a great photo can have a big impact.

Update your financial information.

Flippa asks that you input your revenue and expenses on a month-by-month basis for the most recent 12 months. As a new month starts, please ensure you enter the financial performance of the business for the prior month. It is also beneficial for prospective buyers to attach a separate profit and loss (P&L) statement which details the source of your revenue and expenses. You should also attach some kind of evidence of revenue which supports the information contained in your P&L statement. For example, an extract from your Shopify or Amazon dashboard if you have an eCommerce business.

Connect to Google Analytics.

Flippa integrates with Google Analytics. If you use Google Analytics for your online asset or business, please ensure your listing is connected.  Buyers want to see how much traffic your site is receiving.

Review your price.

Dropping the price isn’t necessarily the answer but neither is being stubborn. Being fixed on a number won’t sell your online asset or business but being willing to move within a reasonable price range will. Q9 above includes recommendations on setting an asking price.

Upgrade your listing.

Dozens of new listings launch each day on Flippa which means yours can be overlooked. Consider purchasing one of Flippa’s premium packages to secure increased exposure. You can read above them in Q14.

Upgrade Packages

You can reach more buyers by upgrading your Listing at any time. It is a one-time charge. Check out our upgrade packages here.

Confidential listings and the NDA process

It is not uncommon for a seller to want to keep their name, business name, business URL and financial information hidden. To protect your listing information, please select ‘keep my listing confidential’ when creating a listing.

Your name, business name, business URL and financial attachments will be hidden from view unless an individual:

(a) has a registered Flippa Account;
 
(b) has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in which they acknowledge that the information in your listing is confidential, that it is disclosed for a purpose and that they promise to keep it secret; and
 
(c)
 you have manually approved their NDA application by clicking ‘Accept.’
 
You will be notified by email when a buyer has signed the NDA. It is up to you whether you accept their application and release your details to them.

Sales Cycle Length

We often see online assets and businesses sell within a month but typically it’s a 3-5 month process.

Amend a listing

You can amend your listing description at any time by navigating to the ‘edit’ button on the right-hand side of the listing title and tagline or by selecting ‘Edit Description’ from ‘Listing Settings.’ 

You can amend your financial information at any time by navigating to the ‘edit’ button on the right-hand side of ‘Financials’ or by selecting ‘Edit Financials’ from ‘Listing Settings.’ You will then be asked to input revenue and expenses. Remember to ‘Save Changes’ when complete.

Managing your account

Use your Flippa Dashboard to manage all aspects of selling on Flippa. Here, you can update your Flippa Account, view your listings, manage attachments and see and respond to enquiries.

Buyer enquiries

Flippa will notify you by email when you receive an enquiry. You can access your messages from that email or via your Dashboard when logged into your Flippa Account.

How to accept an offer

If you have an auction-format listing, there are two ways a buyer can express intent to purchase your online asset or business. Firstly, they can bid on the listing. You can accept or reject a bid. If their bid exceeds your reserve price at the end of the auction period, this buyer will be successful and you will proceed to Flippa's Post Sales Completion Area.
 
In the case of a fixed price listing, a buyer can place an offer using the ‘Make Offer’ box. You can accept or reject the offer. If you accept their offer, the sale will be marked closed and you will proceed to Flippa's Post Sales Completion Area.

When to accept an offer

It is tricky to know when to accept an offer. At Flippa, we recommend that you carefully consider every offer that is presented to you. whether it is a bid in the case of an auction or an offer for a fixed-price.
 
An offer is certainly always open to negotiation. Your circumstances may also help determine when to accept an offer. For example, you may need the proceeds of the sale to input into a new project.
 
You may find that a buyer presents an offer to you verbally, via phone call, Skype or email. At Flippa, we recommend that where possible, all communication with buyers occurs on the Flippa platform. This extends to offers. If a buyer tells you they would like to place an offer, or they make an offer outside the Flippa Platform, kindly remind them to place it formally on the Flippa Platform for your consideration.
 
You will be notified by Flippa when an offer is placed. You can view, accept or reject an offer from your Flippa Dashboard.

Entering into a contract of sale

Flippa strongly recommends that you negotiate and enter into a written contract specifying the terms and conditions of a transaction prior to the transfer of your online asset or business. To help facilitate a safe, secure transaction and to preserve the integrity of the Flippa Platform, Flippa provides a template letter of intent (LOI) and sale contract. These documents are made available after you accept an offer.

After an offer is accepted you will be taken to Flippa's Post-Sales Completion Area. This is where you can discuss the details of the online asset or business transfer or cover any additional questions. Some offers may be conditional on further due diligence or finance. This detail is often covered here.  

Your selling journey doesn’t end when you accept an offer. The next steps are as follows:

Post-sales process

From there, the escrow process can begin. You will notice that Flippa is connected with Escrow.com. This is a simple step by step process which ensures that all parties are protected throughout.
 

Once money is in escrow, the asset transfer begins.
 

Need assistance?

We understand that buying or selling a digital business isn’t easy. If you have 
any questions or require assistance, feel free to contact us anytime.

© 2021 Flippa.com Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Mark | Sold a bike blog making $6,876