Inception of the Business

Spencer’s journey began as a non-developer in a chat room. He initially created a software system for personal use, quickly gaining traction and feature requests from other users. 

He recognised the opportunity to monetise, scaling from a few users to hundreds. Faced with requests for features like free trials and referral rewards, Spencer, despite the initial MVP’s rudimentary state, saw the potential for growth. 

“I had to charge for this and then I kept reinvesting all that money into the software’s development,” Spencer said.

This marked the start of his entrepreneurial venture, growing his idea into a profitable business.

The business is a comprehensive platform and Payment Bot designed for seamless transactions. It supports multiple payment methods including PayPal, Stripe Credit Cards, and others. The platform enables users to accept payments, donations, and manage membership subscriptions with ease. It’s compatible with various platforms such as Web, Discord, and Telegram, enhancing the sales process and customer experience.

Building in a “vacuum”

Spencer built his business during a time when “building in public” wasn’t a widespread practice. This posed unique challenges. 

“You have no idea what the user audience wants until they request it or react to a release. Building without real-time feedback, you invest a lot of time and energy navigating this uncertainty,” Spencer said.

Starting with a modest $6,000 investment, Spencer and one other developer built the platform, scaling their monthly recurring revenue to $141,000—a significant feat for a two-person team. 

So, how did he do it?

Here’s a summary of the growth strategies he implemented:

• User-Centric Development: Spencer continually adapted the software based on user feedback, adding requested features such as free trials and referral rewards.

• Reinvesting in Development: All earnings were reinvested into software development, which was pivotal for enhancing the product’s features and capabilities.

• Pricing Model: The transaction-based pricing model was a key differentiator, tying the businesses success to the success of its users.

• Expanding Payment Options: Encountering limitations with Stripe, Spencer integrated PayPal and later Venmo, significantly expanding the platform’s reach to over 200 countries and regions.

• Direct Outreach and Networking: Spencer engaged in direct marketing and outreach to potential users, nurturing grassroots growth.

• Building a Reliable Team: Despite starting with just one developer, he built a team that was instrumental in scaling the business.

• Adaptability and Persistence: Spencer’s persistence in integrating with major payment platforms and his adaptability in business strategy were crucial for the platform’s growth.

Reaching for a Global Scale

Spencer encountered limitations with Stripe, initially available in only 14 countries, restricting his business’s global reach. As Stripe expanded to 30 countries, he still found it insufficient for his rapidly scaling business. 

“I thought this still isn’t it, we need the big Kahuna. We need PayPal,” Spencer said. 

But this missing piece of the puzzle didn’t come easy.

Spencer described PayPal as an essential player in his business model, which he saw as unique and distinct from typical B2B or B2C models. His company operates on a B2B2C model, serving merchants who sell to their customers. 

“We took a percentage of the transaction. So if a merchant made money, we made money. If they didn’t, we didn’t,” Spencer explained. 

Once Spencer got in touch with someone at PayPal, they weren’t interested. His business was too small. 

Spencer persisted. He kept calling and emailing different people at PayPal, until someone finally got in touch. 

“I wore PayPal down. A giant, massive corporation. They put me in touch with the integration team. It took about a month to integrate with just myself and one developer,” Spencer said. 

After they integrated, they started seeing their numbers boom.

“It wasn’t due to the lack of Stripe, it was just having the doors open to 200 countries and regions. So now we had PayPal and Stripe, why wouldn’t we go after more?”

Spencer set his sights on Venmo. And Spencer got Venmo. 

Spencer personally reached out to potential users and engaged in direct marketing, fostering grassroots growth of the user base.

He placed significant emphasis on integrating user feedback into the development process, ensuring the product met the actual needs of its target audience.

“We just kept going and then eventually I said, you know, it is time to sell,” Spencer said. 

Selling with Flippa

The decision to sell came from his desire to diversify and “not put all his eggs in one basket.”

“Having to do the vetting yourself while trying to run a six-figure monthly business is like a second job,” he said.

He struggled with other platforms, where “there were no profile pictures. No LinkedIn and very basic.” 

This led him to Flippa, where he met Fiona, his M&A Advisor. 

Spencer appreciated Fiona helping him to navigate negotiations and protect his boundaries.  

“As a risk-averse person, there were a lot of requirements that I had because, you know, going through the business world, you get very cynical. There’s a lot of backstabbers out there,” he said.

“I had specific strict requirements. I’m not showing my customer list before the check is in. I’m not going to give you the names and emails of everybody, nor will I give access to our source code.”

Spencer said Fiona was there to reassure and smooth things over.

“She was a real advocate, always in my corner, handling due diligence, and fighting for my interests. Her efforts in hustling the deal were fantastic, which is why she deserves her own Singapore office.” 

Fiona’s support led to a successful sale of over $3 million dollars, leaving Spencer to contemplate what’s next. 

What’s Next for Spencer?

Well, he’s not one to sit back and relax. Spencer’s diving headfirst into the world of personal branding and the creator economy. He sees big potential in building a direct connection with audiences and sharing his journey. 

Spencer plans to become a buyer himself, utilising his experience and insights from selling the business. His goal is to acquire businesses in familiar domains, such as marketplaces or SaaS platforms. 

Content creation and mentoring are also on his radar. He wants to share his insights and guide some up-and-comers in the tech world.

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, get a free valuation for your business here.

If you’re ready to buy, find your next business venture on Flippa. 

Regular statements from his advisor went unopened until one day, Hugh was shocked to discover that half of his capital was gone. He quickly called his broker and, as you can only imagine, exchanged a few choice words before ultimately seized control of his account. That is when he realized two important things: no one cares or should care more about his money than himself, and with the power of the internet, we all have the same information available at our fingertips as anyone else.

Hugh realized the need to manage his own retirement funds. He took many courses, learning all he could about direct investing in the stock market. Eventually, he discovered some very profitable strategies, garnering the attention of his friends and associates. They coerced him into teaching them how to trade and ultimately, Hugh found himself helping other traders how to make some serious money trading stock options.

This marked the beginning of DayTradeSPY and a lucrative 12-year journey for Hugh, his family, and thousands of others. One that would eventually end with a life-changing sale.

Learn how Hugh built DayTradeSPY, monetised his own knowledge, and then found the perfect buyer on Flippa, resulting in an impressive 7-figure sale.

The Early Days of DayTradeSPY

Hugh’s background was in corporate America as an internal auditor for an insurance company. He learned the stock market, started trading on his own, and developed a few successful strategies. 

After making money and recovering his losses, people began to ask him to show them what he was doing. This led to the creation of DayTradeSPY.

Initially, DayTradeSPY was an inner circle with a few subscribers. Hugh would post what he was trading every morning and provide a follow-up report later in the day. He would also hold a weekly meetup to discuss the stock market for an hour. 

Hugh would publish honest accounts of how he was trading with his readers.

The business grew steadily, mostly through word of mouth, and was monetised through subscription fees of $60-70 per month.

“We had a lot of different people sign up— NFL football players, doctors, lawyers, actors, even a mayor,” recalls Hugh. 

Responding to the demand, he expanded his offerings to include a trading room, e-books, and educational videos, which grew into a comprehensive 10-15 part webinar series. 

As part of the free trading resources, Hugh generously shares his trade knowledge in weekly web classes. 

“We kept our subscribers engaged and informed, which is how we sustained our sales momentum,” he said. 

This business model proved to be highly scalable, allowing Hugh to continue growing his business—with the help of his family. 

“My son was instrumental in running the trading rooms, and if I ever needed to step back from a training session, he would jump in and take over. Meanwhile, my wife and daughter were hard at work with marketing efforts,” Hugh said. 

“We were able to create the impression of a large, established company, which helped us attract more clients and expand our reach. In the end, it worked out better than we ever could have hoped.”

“Hugh built a great business. With consistent, unique content being produced daily, subscribers were highly engaged resulting in strong retention. Every acquirer looks for businesses with customers like these so it was just a matter of identifying the best strategic fit.”

Fiona Laidlaw, M&A Advisor managing DayTradeSPY deal.

The Inflection Point: Enter Flippa

What began as a simple side hustle for Hugh unexpectedly transformed into a successful business that he never intended to sell. Trading options was initially just a way to earn extra income, but as his subscriber base grew, so did his profits.

 “I thought I’ll just keep this going until it fizzles out,” Hugh said. But the business never lost momentum—one year turned into two, four, and eventually, 12 and a half years.

Selling DayTradeSPY was never on Hugh’s radar. “What were we going to sell? How do I sell myself?” he thought.

Hugh received an email from Flippa. He was curious about how much his business was worth and initially thought nobody would be interested. Despite his hesitation, he signed up and met with his account manager, Fiona.

She presented him with a price/value that seemed too good to be true. “My first reaction was ‘ok, you’re just saying that to get me into selling. I get it’.” Plus, Hugh enjoyed the interaction with Fiona but admittedly, never expected much to come of it.  

THen one day, Fiona brought forward the perfect buyer who offered more than he ever dreamed possible. In fact, Hugh was stunned.  

“Seriously? I couldn’t believe it, I was in shock,” Hugh said, “I remember telling Fiona, ‘I’ve never been as impressed with anyone as I am with you.’ She was so professional, so friendly, and made the whole process so smooth.” He still ponders how she pulled this off!

Fiona introduced them via Zoom. As it turned out, they were planning to start their own trading room to complement their publishing business but didn’t know how to start. So when Fiona approached the buyer, the timing was perfect, and Hugh’s business turned out to be an ideal fit.

Hugh found himself staring at the initial deposit in disbelief. “It was hard to believe that this was actually for real.”

At the time of the sale, DayTradeSPY was firing on all cylinders. Not only was it generating a monthly profit of $29K, but it also had an impressive email subscriber list of 14K highly engaged users. Even better, the business was operating with a 94% profit margin.

“This deal is an example of finding the perfect strategic match. The buyer was initially wanting to build this business from the ground up until he found DayTradeSPY on Flippa. He realized he could save his time and money by acquiring rather than building.”

Fiona Laidlaw, M&A Advisor managing DayTradeSPY deal.

Managing A Smooth Transition

Managing the transition with Hugh’s long-standing clients (some up to 10 years!) was a delicate process that required careful consideration. 

“One lady was in tears, so instead of just leaving, I introduced the new teacher and explained that we were expanding our team. And the aim was to gradually shift more responsibility to him,” Hugh said.

Hugh is working closely with Ahren in the transition.

“We’ll be working closely together to ensure a smooth transition. It’s like killing off a character in a TV show— you have to do it carefully and with the audiences’ emotions in mind.”

Despite initially planning to stay for only three months until the end of December 2022, Hugh is extending his help (pro-bono) with the transition process. He has been teaching and bringing the new team up to speed but he and the buyer agree they still require more time before he can fully step back.

“This is good for me. Mentally, this is all I did for the last 12 and half years so suddenly to have this void in my mind would be upsetting for me. So I’d like to step down gradually which is what we’re doing, and I’m putting more responsibility on them,” he said.

Advice From Hugh

Hugh’s sale of DayTradeSPY taught him a valuable lesson: always keep an open mind, as opportunities can arise when you least expect them.

“Even if you don’t want to sell, it’s still worth a chat. You might be shocked at the value and opportunity—like I was. And sell when you’re in your high, to get the most value. It seems like there is a buyer for everything!”

“I might find something else to buy and build, and sell it! That’s where the money is.” 

Hugh said he has nothing but praise for Fiona who found the perfect buyer and made sure the deal closed smoothly. 

“Everything Fiona Laidlaw and her team at Flippa have done has been beyond my wildest expectations. I highly recommend her for your online business buying and selling needs. She is professional, well connected, resourceful and a sheer pleasure to work with!” 

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, find out what your business is worth with a free valuation. Get a free valuation here.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.

Launching Thrive My Way

In August 2021, George invested $50,000 from his savings to start his own website, Thrive My Way. The website is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource platform, offering valuable tools and information to help entrepreneurs successfully generate income online.

He designed a robust strategy for the website, starting with exhaustive keyword research and creating preliminary article drafts and outlines. With these foundational elements in place, he engaged a team of 20 content writers to expand these drafts into several hundred articles.

George delegated the articles to his virtual assistants to further optimize the website content for SEO. The assistants followed George’s detailed processes, which were structured to be so intuitive that even those with no prior SEO experience could implement them effectively.

The result was a remarkable growth in organic traffic. Within eight months, Thrive My Way surpassed 100,000 organic website visits.

But the journey was not without its challenges and fluctuations.

1. By May 2022, George was on a roll, with a strong track record of published articles. However, he lost motivation after May and stopped producing new content. This lack of activity set him up for a significant downturn come September.
2. A Google core update halved his site’s daily clicks from 6,000 to 3,000. 
3. A second Google core update in December dealt another blow to the website’s traffic. Despite these setbacks, George rallied in early 2023 by putting a concerted effort into content improvement and updates. 
4. His hard work was rewarded in March 2023, when another Google core update led to a resurgence in traffic, boosting daily clicks to more than 10,000. 

Explaining his recovery strategy, George said “I had the professional experience, the confidence, and I knew that if I wanted to compete with those big websites, I have to put money into that.”

Deciding to Sell

Originally, selling the website wasn’t part of George’s plan. However, he admitted, “When I lost motivation, I knew the best thing I could do is to sell it, cash out, and start something else.” 

This pivot was fueled by George’s preference for initiating new projects rather than scaling existing ones. “For me, it’s important to have satisfaction from what I’m doing, so I chose that,” George said.

Regarding monetisation, George was pragmatic and diverse in his approach. He first capitalized on display ads, then integrated affiliate links and sponsored posts. More recently, he introduced a digital course as an additional revenue stream.

Navigating the Sale

Initially, George planned to sell through Empire Flippers, citing personal connections and high recommendations. However, after a disappointing valuation for his website, George reconsidered. 

That’s when he turned to Flippa. 

After talking with Aswin from Flippa, he was advised that he could list his website for at least $160K. “I said, Aswin, Are you serious?’ He said, ‘Yes, I’m very confident,'” George recalled. 

He opted for Flippa’s premium service to make sure he stood out among the many listings.

Closing the Deal

George received 205 enquiries about his website listing, thanks partly to Flippa’s premium package and additional promotion through newsletters. 

Among those interested was a buyer who immediately enquired about payment methods. In other words, he was ready to buy. After a brief period of silence, this buyer returned with a substantial offer.

George valued the buyer’s straightforward approach, and there wasn’t a lengthy due diligence process, which other interested parties required. 

The website sold for $102K at a 2.2x annual profit multiple, significantly more than Empire Flippers had estimated.

The buyer’s extensive transaction history on the Flippa platform added to George’s confidence in proceeding with the sale. The transaction was completed quickly and efficiently, meeting his expectations for a no-hassle selling experience.

Future Plans & Key Takeaways for Sellers

George plans to focus on online entrepreneurship for his next venture and partner with Flippa as an affiliate.

George’s advice for future sellers: “Think about selling it from day one,” he advises. The choice of domain and brand name is important. “If it’s myname.com, it’s not flippable at all,” he said, suggesting that sellers should be strategic right from the point of registering the domain.

The preparation for a sale should encompass every aspect of the website—from the type of content created to the methods of monetisation. 

His specific advice for prospective sellers is to keep operational expenses low. “Net profit is what makes the multiples, not the revenue,” he explains. “You should be efficient in your spending on developing the website.”

What’s next for George?

George has acquired the domain Createandgrow.com—where he will share actionable first-hand strategies about growing your blogging business through SEO.

Over the years, Ron invested a significant $188,976 in acquiring four businesses via Flippa, with Prism Design Co. being his most notable acquisition, seamlessly integrated into the CyberOptik brand.

Ron Johnson, Flippa Buyer

We sat down with Ron to understand his approach to acquiring businesses, his integration blueprint, and his strategies to propel CyberOptik to its current success.

Igniting the Digital Spark

While his peers were navigating the trials of adolescence, Ron was navigating the world of web design.

“My parents would say growing up that I never had a real job. I was always doing my own thing,” he said. 

His parents never pressured him to follow a traditional career path; they watched their son take to software like Dreamweaver and Photoshop, crafting websites from scratch.

Being a community of its own, the internet began recognising his talent. With every website he designed, he caught the eye of more and more people. He recalls the early days when he’d attend meetings in person. “It was always fun to see people’s reactions when some kid showed up,” he laughs.

Ron’s early journey into the world of web design was characterized by self-taught lessons. 

From SEO to pay-per-click campaigns, Ron donned many hats, sharpening his skills and expanding his digital arsenal. 

Today, while he has taken a step back from the nitty-gritty of design and coding, his role in business development keeps him tied to the ever-evolving industry he loves.

While Ron started out as a one-man show, CyberOptik has grown to 15 team members. Interestingly, he mentions that many on his team, like him, don’t have formal backgrounds in IT or design.

Though the business grew steadily after he went full-time post-college in 2010, his recent ambition for aggressive expansion led to several strategic acquisitions.

Ron’s Journey with Flippa: Refining His Acquisition Approach

The top priority for Ron was compatibility, something that would easily fold into his parent company. He had a clear preference for businesses that were centered around WordPress, aligning with CyberOptik’s operational focus. 

While profitability was essential, the profit margin wasn’t set in stone. Ron saw the potential of integration and the capacity to optimize processes, even if it implied overhauling the existing team.

The sweet spot was a business with at least three years under its belt.

“It indicates they’ve secured traction, have a loyal client base, and a robust web presence. Established websites tend to offer more, from backlinks and traffic to positive reviews,” Ron said.

Geography also played a role in his decisions. Primarily, Ron leaned towards US-based ventures. 

When he’s actively seeking to acquire another agency, Ron frequents Flippa every week. After completing two sizable acquisitions over the past year, each taking up to two months to finalize, there’s usually a subsequent adjustment period. While he’s currently feeling the urge to explore again, he typically limits himself to one major acquisition a year, given the complexity and effort involved.

Ron’s Biggest Acquisition to Date: Prism Design Co.

Ron’s acquisition journey with Prism Design Co. was a significant milestone for him, marking his largest transaction on Flippa thus far. With transactions totalling $188,000 on Flippa, the Prism Design Co. acquisition was a standout. 

With the purchase of Prism Design Co. being his biggest leap, there was no shortage of nerves. 

“There’s always a level of uncertainty; once the seller gets their payment and meets their contractual obligations, they can exit the scene,” he said. 

For Ron, this demanded rigorous due diligence and a lot of questions to ensure a genuine fit.

The acquisition of Prism Design Co. took place in August 2022. It presented itself as a prime opportunity, even if it was at the upper end of what Ron was willing to spend. 

The primary draw was the alignment of services offered. Prism Design Co. was a WordPress-focused entity, ensuring a smooth transition for Ron’s team in taking over client sites. 

Additionally, Prism had been delving into digital marketing campaigns, which meant a bonus for Ron in the form of an SEO contractor, Laura, who transitioned over post-acquisition. Laura’s addition bolstered the marketing side of Ron’s existing operations, which had previously received less focus.

Ron’s conversations with the seller spanned a week or two, with Ron intent on understanding the operational specifics to ensure a seamless client transition. Comprehensive documents detailing clients, their packages, and fees were shared.

It wasn’t just about the numbers, though. Beyond the financials, Ron’s clear understanding of the industry and operations made him stand out as the best-suited buyer. 

Ron said the seller was keen on ensuring her clients transitioned into competent hands rather than just making a quick sale. 

“She didn’t want to just get the money and bounce. She wanted to know that somebody competent was taking over her clients,” he said. 

“I got access to everything, got to poke around, things looked good, and then we closed it and started moving everything over.”

Integrating Prism Design Co. With CyberOptik

Upon acquiring the company, everything was promptly branded under the CyberOptik umbrella, from the billing portals to the emails clients received. Within the first month, clients knew the new ownership and management well.

Ron shared the acquisition news in a company blog post, keeping a positive synergy between the merging teams. Including a note from the seller.

Here are the steps Ron took to encourage a seamless transition:

• Establishing initial trust: One of the key strategies Ron employed was a systematic approach to ensure a warm introduction and establish trust with the new clientele. This involved the original seller (Victoria Avallone) contacting each client to introduce Ron. 

• The follow-up: Ron followed up with a standardized yet personalized email template for each client. As a gesture of goodwill and to build rapport, he always offered to engage in a Zoom call, giving clients an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new management.

• Complimentary services: Ron went above and beyond by offering complimentary services to foster trust and demonstrate value. Since their primary business is web design and management, they would typically offer a comprehensive review of the client’s front and backend website. If there were any gaps or overlooked aspects, this review would highlight them. 

Ron’s approach also included offering free consultations or comping the first hour of service for any subsequent changes requested by the clients post-review. 

CyberOptik would even cover the hosting fees for clients who were hosting elsewhere, ensuring they experienced the benefits of their integrated services without any extra financial burden.

Despite these efforts, as is typical with any transition, there were some challenges. Not all of the original clients from Prism Design Co. stayed on board with CyberOptik. Some chose to move to other vendors for various reasons, while others may not have felt a compatibility fit with the new management. 

Ron recalled one particularly challenging situation with a client that required a significant amount of communication. However, instead of forcing a partnership that wasn’t beneficial for either party, Ron ended the working relationship with this client amicably. 

His philosophy is clear: while profitability is essential, it should never come at the expense of a healthy working environment.

Yet, most clients transitioned smoothly and continued their business relationships with CyberOptik. Some even expanded their engagements by requesting new websites or increasing their retainer values. 

Reflecting on the acquisition six months in, Ron felt positive about the numbers and the overall growth trajectory.

“I forget whatever the earn-back timeline was going to be, but I remember checking in at the six-month mark, and I was like, “Okay, these numbers look good.”

Future Plans

Although acquiring businesses is an intensive and sometimes taxing process, Ron hinted at the possibility of returning to Flippa for future acquisitions. As for an exit strategy, he’s not in a rush. He sees at least another decade in the game, enjoying the growth and evolution of CyberOptik.

Under his guidance, CyberOptik has grown substantially, with a team of around 15 for over 400 client websites. If you want to learn more about his approach to acquisitions and business development, you can check out his detailed blog on how to sell your WordPress Agency here.

They created three websites in the guitar review niche, with Gearank.com being the largest website.

After seven years of hard work, they decided to list Gearank (as the main business) on Flippa—but the sale included all three sites.

At the time of sale, the business was generating $4.2K profit per month and had 102K page views per month.

We sat down with Daniel to learn more about their story and how they were able to achieve such success in growing and selling Gearank on Flippa.

Starting Gearank

Daniel and his business partner, Jason, started working together in the late 1990s during the dot-com boom. They had a background in music, playing in a band together during the late 80s-early 90s.

Cover image from the bands single “Strange Haze” in 1991, with band members Jason Horton, Ian Craig and Daniel Barnett.

“Jason was the one who started up a music software site really early in the internet days, that’s where it all came from. I’m still a bit of a gearhead and always on the lookout for the next cool piece of music gear to try out,” Daniel said.

Back in the day, Daniel studied programming at university and adapted to the emergence of the world wide web as it came along.

Over time, both Daniel and Jason started other gear-related sites, some of which were very successful and turned a decent profit. However, the success of these websites started to slowly decline.

One of the earlier guitar review sites Jason and Daniel created, also part of the sale.

They needed something else to keep the income flowing. That’s when they saw an opportunity with Gearank.

Gearank.com homepage

Daniel explained that people responded positively to their product advice, and it became very popular.

“Some folks think there are too many of those “best of” lists out there, but we brought a unique approach by researching the products and presenting the information in a straightforward and honest way. We even created an algorithm for ranking the products based on feedback and other factors. People seemed to like it and it ranked well on Google,” he said.

Gearank has 122 gear guides and counting. 

Success in Peak Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, their websites experienced a significant increase in traffic and income.

“It was crazy. Gearank.com was getting over 300,000 page views per month— because a lot of people were buying musical instruments. So it was a really good time during COVID, for income,” Daniel said.

However, when the pandemic ended, their traffic declined—sitting closer to 200k visits per month.

What they didn’t expect was for these visits to dwindle further—when Google rolled out its Product Reviews algorithm.

Deciding to Sell

Although they had considered selling earlier, they were hesitant to pursue it. However, when their traffic fell due to Google’s product reviews update, they decided it was time to sell. 

The traffic drop meant that their websites were no longer providing a sustainable income. They tried to address the issue but ultimately felt like they were out of ideas and lacked the energy to turn things around. Daniel’s business partner had been in the business for 25 years, while Daniel had been involved for about 14 years, so they both felt that it was time to move on to something else.

They sold Gearank for $67,500 USD.

“We knew about Flippa. We had looked into it before when we were thinking of acquiring a site about 12 years ago. We were just looking for businesses that could complement what we had at the time. However, we didn’t end up going through with it,” Daniel said.

Finding a Buyer on Flippa

Daniel found the process of listing his business on Flippa to be straightforward and user-friendly. Although he admitted it took some time to write the listing, get the numbers right and think about what to say about the business.

“It involved a bit of soul-searching,” Daniel added.

Daniel created a detailed listing that included information about his business, its history, and its financial performance. He also included screenshots and other visual elements to help potential buyers understand what his business was all about.

Once they listed their business, they received interest from several buyers. 

While they were pleased with the number of inquiries they received, they were not prepared for how quickly things would move.

It took about three weeks from listing to selling the business. 

“We were expecting maybe to get more offers from the United States, but it ended up being two Australians who were the serious buyers,” Daniel said.

Daniel said the most interested buyer of the two had a number of discussions with them. They had calls, and messages and he even sent them a letter of intent, which showed that he was serious.

“He’s run other websites before and he has a site in the musical instruments niche. It’s an Italian site from what I understand, so he had some insight into that,” Daniel said.

During the process of listing his business, Daniel had access to a dedicated Flippa representative who helped him along the way. 

“Despite some challenges we encountered along the way, the support team was quick to resolve them. And Ashwin was fantastic. He just guided us through the process, and he was there for us when we needed him, available to talk.”

Daniel was asked if he would recommend Flippa.

“Definitely, I would. Flippa can really get the results. I think that’s the important thing. They’ve got the buyers, and they can help along the way. I definitely recommend, especially for someone selling a site of our price, higher and maybe even a bit lower. It really is good to have someone to talk to. I think looking at those things with a dedicated rep, it’s definitely worth it.”

What’s Next for Daniel?

When asked about his future plans, Daniel said he is uncertain and considering taking a short break to think.

“Look, I might just duck back into being a web developer, a corporate web developer. Could be fun,” Daniel said.

“Or maybe I’ll get another business idea, and be operating that.”

With that said, we hope to see Daniel back on the Flippa platform as a seller in the not-so-distant future.

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, get a free valuation for your business here.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.

“I was fed up with the corporate life, and I was looking for ways to exit my office job and build an income for myself.”

Over the course of the year, he experimented with building websites and honing his skills in SEO but wasn’t having great success. 

That’s when it dawned on him—building a business from scratch would require a significant amount of time before generating the income he needed to sustain himself. 

“This prompted me to consider an alternative approach—acquiring existing businesses. It became clear to me that purchasing existing businesses would offer a more efficient path towards my financial goals,” Chris said.

This led him to Flippa.

Going All In

Chris took a bold step in 2016 to purchase a business on Flippa that would serve as a replacement for his corporate income. 

“It was mind-blowing, the sheer scale and breadth of all these different businesses that have been created by passionate entrepreneurs, ready to be snapped up.”

Over the course of five years, Chris has well and truly achieved financial freedom with Flippa. Chris is a certified Flippa Super Seller— having completed 13 transactions on Flippa’s marketplace for a total of $572,943 US. 

Included in his transaction list has been his purchase and successful sale of French Wedding Style, an established 11-year-old blog focusing on French-inspired weddings. 

Discovering French Wedding Style

Chris went through different phases in his business journey. 

At first, he dedicated four years to scaling a single website, but when the desired growth didn’t materialize, he decided to change his approach. 

“My next strategy was to acquire multiple businesses and run them all in parallel, like a portfolio,” Chris said. 

This allowed Chris to run three income-generating businesses— Lucid Dreaming, Australia Counseling, and French Wedding Style.

When Chris bought French Wedding Style, it had been listed for a few months as a confidential listing, primarily due to Covid-related concerns within the wedding industry. 

Chris recognised the potential value of the business, considering its low acquisition cost of 1.6 times the annual revenue, which was relatively low for a content site with strong domain authority. 

While the purchase of the French Wedding Style blog was ‘off-brand’ for Chris—as weddings weren’t exactly his interest—he saw potential in the site and was eager to put effort into it, even planning his wedding in France as a way to fully immerse himself in the business. 

“When I buy a business, I try to put my all into it. So I literally planned to marry my partner in France. I thought, what a cool experience to buy the site, go to France, visit a few of the Chateaus and get married.”

Despite his best intentions, managing multiple businesses came with its own set of challenges. 

“Of course, the trade-off is the amount of time you can invest in each of the businesses and grow them.”

Chris knew this could potentially lead to a decline in rankings and overall performance. 

“As the years go by, you wonder ‘Have I grown this business enough? Or is the risk increasing because I literally haven’t had the time to invest in growing it? That’s the situation,” he said.

“While I liked having multiple income streams, I also didn’t feel like I could do any of the individual businesses justice. And just from a personal satisfaction point of view, that wasn’t a good thing.”

Deciding to Sell 

Chris’s journey with French Wedding Style was marked by unique challenges due to unfortunate timing coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic and its 

subsequent lockdowns. 

French Wedding Style, focusing on helping couples plan weddings in France, was severely impacted as travel to the country was banned, and weddings were put on hold. 

Initially, Chris was optimistic that the restrictions would be lifted quickly, but the reality proved to be far different. Travel bans and wedding restrictions severely impacted the business, focusing solely on weddings in France. 

As the pandemic persisted longer than anticipated, he admitted there were moments of regret surrounding the purchase. 

But they held on.

“We just held the business, we didn’t sell super low during the pandemic or anything. We just dug our heels in, held onto it, and things started picking up over the last 12 months or so. But at that point, I think, honestly speaking, we were just a little bit mentally over it all,” Chris said.

“We had all this energy ready to grow that site, to scale it, and we literally couldn’t do anything for two years because of all the restrictions. So by the time restrictions lifted, our mental energy had shifted onto other things.”

But the good news, despite restrictions, it was still making money.

“That was the lovely thing about the online business model, it had no costs apart from website hosting, which was negligible.”

However, Chris knew it was time to pass on the French Wedding Style blog to new owners with the time, energy, and motivation to grow the business further.

“It’s better to see a website go on and thrive under a new owner than slowly die because someone didn’t have the time to invest in it,” Chris said.

“As long as I can make an on-paper ROI, and generated enough income over the time I’ve owned it, it’s a win.”

In the end, the decision to sell the French Wedding Style blog was not just about profit. It was also about the opportunity to free up capital and energy for other ventures.

Selling French Wedding Style

Chris sold the business for 3.5 times its annual revenue.

At the time of sale, French Wedding Style made $1,220 monthly from direct advertising, with a 99% profit margin. 

“We didn’t renovate it. We didn’t migrate it. We didn’t do anything to it, really. We just held it and operated it.” 

The sale of the business was remarkably quick.

“It was exactly one month from the day I listed it to the day the money arrived in my bank account,” Chris said.

“It was really cool to be able to liquidate an asset so quickly. Especially when you compare it to selling a house!” 

And they had a lot of interest. Chris had 6 lengthy Zoom calls with interested parties. In the end, it went with the ‘buy now’ price.

“With so much interest, my wife and I were talking about whether we should remove the ‘buy now price’—this was at 10 pm the night before. But the next morning, I woke up, and someone had pressed the ‘buy now price’. It was meant to be.”  

A Seamless Transfer Process

The transfer of the site, the social media accounts, and other related tools took less than a week. 

“I handed over the keys to the hosting account, so we didn’t need to migrate it to a new host. I transferred the domain registration and handed over the password, alongside social media account access and some tools like MailChimp. Just like that, it was all done.”

Chris said they were in touch with the new owners, offering them a 60-day support period. 

“We spent two sessions, each lasting two hours, on Zoom with them, walking them through the whole site process, which they recorded. Every click and move on WordPress, where to go, what to do, it’s all documented.”

Chris said this was the buyer’s first venture into owning an online business, so it was exciting to be a part of their journey.

“The new owners were in the middle of planning their own wedding in France. Plus, the wife’s French, and they’ve got some contacts in the industry. They want to live over in France in a few years, so it was a great fit for them.”

Strategies & Advice From A Seasoned Flippa Seller & Buyer

As a Flippa Super Seller, Chris’s knack for spotting “hidden gems” sets him apart—having established several strategies for buying and selling on Flippa. 

He filters out businesses that are at least five years old and have some degree of traffic or earnings.

When he’s in the market to buy, he meticulously analyses each potential acquisition that fits his criteria and will strike a deal as soon as possible.

But his ultimate piece of advice? Don’t invest in a business if you lack a genuine passion for its industry.

“I’ve come across businesses in fashion, even a car parts website with a solid business model. It could’ve been a profitable flip, but I’m not into engines and gears, so I stepped back. There are plenty of great businesses out there, but if your heart’s not fully in it, the investment might not be worth it,” Chris said.

Currently, Chris said he’s completely invested in the development of his latest venture, a laser engraving business that makes some rather unusual personalised corporate gifts.

“After a year of gathering financial data, we’ll weigh our options. We might flip it, pocket the profit, or we might just stick with it to see how far we can push it.”

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, get a free valuation for your business here.

If you’re ready to buy, find your next business venture on Flippa. 

Averaging 87,000 page views per month, 87% of the traffic coming from organic sources, and over 300 #1 ranking keywords, Daisuke landed on an SEO goldmine. 

We spoke with Daisuke to learn about his journey of starting, growing, and ultimately selling Ramune for a remarkable $310,000 on Flippa.

Spotting the Opportunity Gap

Japanese entrepreneur Daisuke saw an opportunity and set his sights on creating a successful website with a focus on reviewing VPNs and recommending the best options for entertainment use. 

“I discovered there wasn’t much competition in Japan when I searched for information about the Japanese VPN industry,” Daisuke said. 

“I analyzed competitors (especially overseas sites) and researched real requests from customers via Twitter.” 

Single-handedly, Daisuke wrote all of the website content in addition to the website coding, images, and other design materials.

As part of this process, he learned content optimization and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

“The most important thing was, to be honest, and keep updating content based on customer feedback,” Daisuke said. 

It was a strategy that certainly paid off.

At the time of sale, Daisuke’s website averaged 87,000 page views per month, of which 87% was organic traffic. Through hard work and strategic SEO efforts, Daisuke achieved over 300 #1 ranking keywords and a DA score of 38, setting his website apart from the competition in Japan.

Despite the success, Daisuke faced new challenges as more competitors entered the market and started to create similar content.

“It was hard to stay on top of search results with all the competition emerging. I thought it would be difficult to keep working on the same level, and that’s why I started to think about selling my business.”

Selling Ramune to a Competitor

Daisuke listed Ramune on Flippa and a couple of other Japanese platforms, including one of the world’s largest Affiliate Marketing Networks A8.Net. To his surprise, he received the most interest and feedback from potential buyers once he listed the business on Flippa.

Daisuke came across Flippa via search results when researching platforms to sell his website online. He wanted to be able to sell his business in US dollars, and Flippa offered the best platform to do this.

Given Ramune’s strong performance at the time of its sale, it’s unsurprising that it attracted significant attention and interest from potential buyers.

Daisuke managed 84 different discussions with buyers on Flippa, compared to only a few on other Japanese platforms.

The process took around 6-7 months from listing the business on Flippa until the sale was finalised. The sale was managed by Ashwin, a Flippa Advisor, who helped Daisuke throughout the journey. 

“Ashwin was very proactive in helping me out throughout the process. Flippa’s platform was good to use and not complicated,” Daisuke added.

While there were many discussions and interest from potential buyers, Daisuke ended up selling to a competitor, Comparitech. A pro-consumer website providing information, tools, reviews and comparisons on a range of topics, including VPNs and other related content. Despite being a competitor, Daisuke believed that Comparitech would be a good fit.

“They had some Japanese-focused content, which ranked at the same level as my website. I I believed that if they acquired my content, they would be able to keep it well-maintained and even improve upon it,” Daisuke said.

The transaction was smooth, and Daisuke transferred all content to the buyer. He is now consulting with the buyer on modifying the content and articles.

What’s Next?

Daisuke is now using his profits from this sale to invest in future business ventures and is focusing on growing his other websites which focuses on cosmetic surgery in Japan. He hopes to grow them more and sell again on Flippa.

“Right now I am considering buying a few other websites in other industries to expand my knowledge in web design and SEO consulting,” he said.

Daisuke had a clear goal, the drive to make it a reality, and the smarts to know when it was time to move on to the next challenge. 

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, check out our First Time Seller’s Guide.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.

Erilan, named after a combination of her two children Dylan and Erin, became so much more than a successful business providing post-mastectomy clothing, sun-safe headwear and accessories. It was a safe space for women going through their own cancer journeys to support and help each other move forward with their lives. 

Jill sold the business on Flippa for $533,460 USD in late 2022. At a time when her business was experiencing tremendous growth and boasted a loyal customer base with a 32.51% repeat rate.

“I thought it was always going to be successful, but how successful is another question,” Jill remarks. 

Read Jill’s inspiring success story about founding, growing, and exiting Erilan.

How It All Started

Jill Tucker loved growing up on a farm. “Living in a rural town instills this strong sense of community and helping each other out. But you can also feel very isolated,” she explained. 

For Jill, founding her business Erilan, was her way of creating another kind of community of women who could support and help each other navigate through the hardship and vulnerability of their experiences.

“Wagga Wagga is a country city with a big rural population (~67,000). Before Erilan, there were no services or anyone here to provide women with what they need. So I just thought this wasn’t good enough, I could do something about it,” she said. 

Erilan serves women locally and beyond through both a brick-and-mortar store (an extension added to Jill’s home) and an online store.

As a trained bra and prosthetic fitter, Jill offered professional fitting services that took place in the privacy of her homestore.

Jill’s main reason for selling online began as a lifeline to many farmers doing it tough in the 2017-2020 droughts.

“I thought, how could they possibly afford to travel two and a half hours to Canberra, which was the closest access to a store.” 

So, in addition to running the homestore for in-person appointments, Jill started offering remote online video appointments.

The Big Learning Curve

During the first 10 years of running Erilan, Jill also managed and taught 200 students at a speech and drama school in Wagga Wagga.

Despite having no experience in Ecommerce or the clothing industry, Jill was set on her purpose and mission with Erilan.

“I am a dreamer and always think positively. But it took a long time to get going.” 

Luckily, Jill’s son was able to set up the website and integrate it with Shopify. 

The business slowly grew. Albeit with very little social media activity and sporadic email marketing (which Jill’s son eventually took over). 

“I posted things on Instagram and Facebook, but it wasn’t regular. I started getting customer stories and knew they were valuable, but I got busy with other things,” Jill admitted. 

“I employed a manager (Sarah) through word of mouth, who is now working with Erilan’s new owner. We started with 3–6 hours a week and grew from there. I also had two other part-time employees, plus my husband was always lending a hand.”

When Jill retired from teaching three years ago (2018), all focus turned to Erilan. 

The first turning point and acceleration for Erilan’s growth: Google Ads.

Jill also believed her experience as a speech and drama teacher gave her a great base for building the business.

“Hosting charity fashion parades, morning teas, community group meetups—I could speak to people. And people wanted me to tell my story,” Jill said.

Erilan experienced 128% growth from 2019-2020, 84% growth from 2020-2021, and as of the end of May 2022, 49% growth compared to the previous year. 

Time To Sell

“It hit me when my husband retired and turned 70. I was thinking I’ve got to stop and do things together, there’s more to life than working!” Jill recalls.

As there were no local options available in their small town, Jill reached out to someone in Canberra for assistance. They couldn’t help. Jill’s son Dylan suggested using Flippa as an option for listing the business. 

“Flippa ended up being the only option for us, and Dylan helped with listing the business as I am not as computer-savvy. Once the business was listed, I initially panicked about what to say and do. However, Ashwin was extremely helpful and responsive, which made the process easier,” Jill said.

To Jill’s surprise, the sale ended up being more than she ever thought it would be. “I even questioned the price at first, but Ashwin assured me that it was accurate.”

Initially, Jill had a buyer who wanted to purchase the business but backed out due to vendor financing issues. Within two months, they had another interested buyer. 

“The buyer was a doctor who I trusted, and we were able to negotiate a deal.

Throughout the handover process, I stayed in touch with the new owner and was involved in the transition,” Jill said.

As the buyer was based in South Australia and had difficulty finding a storage location for the stock, Jill ended up moving $100,000 dollars worth of stock to the part-time employee’s (who had been helping since day dot) home for better management.”

“I would recommend selling your business on Flippa. My accountant initially estimated that my business would sell for around $300,000, but Flippa’s expertise in online businesses allowed us to realize its true value. They helped me understand the global potential of my business, and I am convinced that working with Flippa was the best decision.”

Sale Details

• Erilan sold for $533,460 USD
• Age: 13yo
• Monthly Profit: $21,647
• 24% profit margin
• 178,812 monthly page views
• Sale profit multiple 2.1x
• Revenue multiple 0.5x
• Last 3 years of growth:
  • 128% increase for 2019-20
  • 84%increase 2020-2021
  • Currently up 49% compared to the previous year as of the end of May 2022. (based on net turnover & Australian tax years). 
• 3 part-time staff
• $101 AOV
• $1,067,634 annual revenue

Happy Retirement

Looking back, Jill is content.

“I haven’t missed it, so it was the right decision. The only thing I would have changed is diversifying earlier, getting into sun protection instead of only focusing on breast cancer and breast surgery.”

“I would have spread out earlier into lymphedema areas, which is a side effect of having breast cancer. And become more cancer-focused in general, with hats for skin cancer.”

Jill is looking forward to traveling, meeting her new grandchild and visiting her son in the UK, building memories with her three grandchildren in Canberra, revamping her garden, getting more involved in her church, taking up playing croquet, and going on day trips and road trips with her husband.

“I believe that out of hardship, good things can come.” 

Many would argue that Erilan—and everything the business stands for—is far better than simply ‘good.’ It’s a shining example of how one person’s struggles can lead to a positive impact on the lives of countless others.

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, check out our First Time Seller’s Guide.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.

Helping teams through the use of gamification, she became intensely curious about its potential. 

She took this emerging field to the next level, co-founding and building PentaQuest— a SaaS business that helps teams and organisations thrive using cutting-edge behavioural science and gamification.

After four years, Kerstin decided to sell PentaQuest and use Flippa’s marketplace to connect with potential buyers from around the world.

The business sold within 30 days. 

Kerstin shares her founding story and how she navigated the process of selling a business close to her heart.

Where It All Began

Kerstin has always been interested in people, business, and how they work together.

She began experimenting with gamification as a business consultant and quickly saw the potential for combining high performance and psychology to boost performance.

“It was a lightbulb moment,” Kerstin said. “I thought this is it, this is how you connect the two.”

She decided to undertake a PhD in Gamification to further her research.

“I designed an experience for my colleagues to encourage a range of team behaviours. From daily irritants like tidying a mess and submitting a form, to strategically critical behaviours like sharing knowledge and building culture of appreciation.” 

For example, one game mechanic to help colleagues reframe daily behaviour like cleaning up a mess was called “Mess Monster”.

“You would place them on a mess to signal that this area of the office needs cleaning and to empower someone to clean it— even if it wasn’t their own” Kerstin explained.

She put together a physical leaderboard as a way of tracking progress and motivation. 

Kerstin’s approach to gamification and her systems were so popular that her consultant clients began asking if she could create similar systems for their teams.

It was time to take her proof of concept and turn it into a minimum viable product (MVP). 

From MVP to a Fully-fledged SaaS Business model

Kerstin partnered with the Australian National University to develop a MVP for a gamification platform through their Tech Launcher program, which pairs undergraduate students with real-life projects. 

The MVP was built in 2016 and was tested in multiple offices, including Kerstin’s own workplace.

Kerstin got talking with a client, who expressed interest in building their own HR gamification platform. Kerstin was able to use the MVP she had already developed as the foundation. 

PentaQuest was born.

The name PentaQuest came from the idea of a quest or game with the goal of striving towards a high-performing team with five key attributes. It was also a nice nod to the positive gesture of high fives.

Growing & Selling PentaQuest 

PentaQuest grew through word-of-mouth and through speaking at events. One event in the US led to Amazon becoming a client. The company also had a strong presence in multiple teams of the Australian government in Canberra.

“At first I thought ‘can I survive doing this?’ and then you let your mind wander and think ‘maybe this could be Australia’s next million dollar unicorn!’ Kerstin beamed.

While Kerstin saw herself building the business and working in it for 10 years, the exit plan was always a sale or acquisition. 

After four years of building PentaQuest and with her first baby on the way, Kerstin decided it was the right time to sell PentaQuest.

Kerstin googled marketplaces for selling businesses and came across Flippa.

“If you don’t have buyers in your network, where do you find them? Flippa made it easy to connect to potential buyers all over the world,” Kerstin said. 

She listed the company on the platform in early January and received a valuation from Flippa’s calculator. While it was in the same ballpark of Kerstin’s initial gut feel, they had to take into consideration the huge amount of IP baked into the business.

At the time of listing, the business was turning over six figures in annual profit with a 72% profit margin.

The Process of Selling on Flippa

The selling process was both validating and vulnerable for Kerstin.

“We listed it early January. There weren’t too many bites (messages/interest) in the first week. However, when we were featured in Flippa’s monthly newsletter, I woke up the next morning and there were 30 messages in my inbox!”

🔥Hot tip for other sellers: Kerstin generated a word document with common responses to make the process faster.

After receiving several offers from Australia, Kenya, US and UK, Kerstin narrowed down the list of potential buyers to a shortlist of eight. Evaluating them based on criteria such as location, cultural fit, their proposed use of the platform, and terms and conditions. 

They accepted an offer from an Australian-based company who was the best cultural fit.

“In some ways, PentaQuest was my first baby,” Kerstin explained. ”I didn’t want it in the hands of someone who didn’t get the values of it.”

From the time of listing, PentaQuest sold in under a month. 

Looking back on her experience Kerstin said, “I had no idea what to expect with selling a business, but Flippa has scaffolded that process nicely. I felt supported every step of the way.” 

Kerstin was still in touch with the new owner after the sale and even worked with them on a short contract to assist with the transition. The client transfer process went smoothly, with the buyer regularly meeting with clients to ensure they were happy.

As for building another business to sell, Kerstin says nothing is off the table “never say never!”

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, check out our First Time Seller’s Guide.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.

Despite his incredible success, curveballs were thrown—including the time Google put a complete ban on his Adsense account.

We sat down with the seller to understand his journey with buying, building, and selling AllAboutCookies.org.

About the Business

AllAboutCookies.org is–you guessed it– a website all about cookies. 

But we’re not talking about the edible kind, we’re referring to browser cookies or tracking cookies. They are small often encrypted text files located in browser directories. 

AllAboutCookies.org homepage

They are used by web developers to help users navigate their websites efficiently and perform certain functions. The site is focused on general data privacy regulation compliance (GDPR), privacy, and web security. 

So, how did a website all about cookies become a multi-million dollar success?

You’re about to find out.

The Beginning of the Cookie Revolution 

Domain names are big business where a lot of money is at stake—but this wasn’t always the case. 

In the early 2000s, the seller realised expired domains were selling cheap. “You could pick them up for their registration price at $8-$10,” he explains, “so I started buying a few of these.” 

At the time, the seller was driving taxis for a living. With his first child on the way, he wanted to find other lucrative ways to build up his nest egg.

The seller said he didn’t know much about computers before he got started, and his first was a Commodore 64.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the registries started waking up to fact that they were sitting on a gold mine with these expired domains.

“The owners were letting these sites expire and forgetting the fact that they still held a lot of value. Many had legitimate websites on them, and a healthy backlink profile to drive organic traffic,” the seller explains. 

So instead of letting them expire and scooped up by the next buyer for chump change, the registries began auctioning off expired domains to make some profit.

Allaboutcookies.org was one such domain.

“It had a website on it previously, owned by a media privacy company based in Europe. They let it expire, possibly because they thought cookies lost their relevance at the time,” he explains.

The starting bid was $60. With cookies still being relevant in the seller’s eyes, he made the bold (and winning) bid of $9,000 to secure this domain. 

Interestingly, the same company that let it expire tried to buy it back once they clued onto the growing success and potential of AllAboutCookies.org once the seller took over.

Early Signs of Success

The seller leveraged the website’s previous content and put it into a number of different European languages. 

This was before The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effective as a regulation in 2018. 

Before long, cookies started to be taken seriously by the European Parliament and European sites needed their own cookie policy. To explain what cookies were, these sites were linking to AllAboutCookies.org.

“I got a lot of links that way. When Google had page rank, it turned out AllAboutCookies.org was a page rank of 9 out of 10, nearly as important as Google itself!”

Even to this day, the domain analysis for AllAboutCookies.org looks strong. Source

And the links kept growing. 

“I had a small amount of Adsense on it at the time, but I wasn’t trying to commercialise it. It never really made a lot of money in the beginning—maybe around $100 a day,” the seller explains.

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

Two Google Bans & One Account Suspension Later

After a while, the seller was notified of a high number of invalid traffic pointing to the website.

It was coming from a US Fortune 500 company that created a bunch of spammy sites linking to AllAboutCookies.org.

After Google issued a warning, the seller managed to block the invalid traffic. 

But it kept happening. A month later, they suspended him again.

Once the US began introducing cookie policies, more fake sites appeared and linked to AllAboutCookies.org. This resulted in more invalid traffic.

For the third and final time, Google completely banned the account. 

Refusing to give up without a fight, the seller got in contact with experts in analytics and security to help him devise a plan to protest Google’s ban. 

Together, they worked out what they could do to control the invalid traffic. This plan was proposed to Google and about a week later, Google accepted the proposal and AllAboutCookies.org was back in business.

What the seller didn’t know at the time, was that the silver lining was just around the corner.

What was the silver lining? (Hint: money) Photo by Simone Viani on Unsplash

The Unexpected Silver Lining

Although the seller experienced a large decline in traffic, he started to make more money than he was before.

“The funny thing is, although the traffic dropped, the price per click for the ads was increasing,” the seller explains. “It turned out the advertisers could now see this was real human traffic so they were bidding more! The US were paying up to $12NZD per click.” 

His income went from $20,000NZD per month to $50,000NZD per month.

After 6-8 months of continual growth, he began conversations with Flippa.

Enter Flippa:

“I have a Moz Top 500 website and I’m looking to sell it”

All About Cookies stats at the time of sale:

• Passive in nature
• An average of $56.8K monthly
• 267,000 monthly page views
• 100% Adsense (with substantial optimization opportunity)
• 92% margin 
• 50.8M organically acquired backlinks I 321K referring domains
• Strong Search Engine Rankings Position (SERP) but with limited reliance given the enormous referrer traffic

For the seller, it was time to relax and unwind.

“The stress of coping with all this invalid traffic was enough,” he explained, “it still has potential but I wasn’t doing anything new. I was just checking the stats and counting the money. But there was always room for improvement.”

Unsurprisingly, the hard work certainly paid off. AllAboutCookies.org had serious business appeal. 

During the time of sale, here are some of the impressive results:

When the website was acquired, it was generating over $300 per thousand page views consistently. In 2011, the website was averaging about $5 page RPM and around $400 RPM at the time of sale. 

To add even more credibility, the AdSense site is referred by big-name sites like NYT.com, Linkedin, Spotify.com, Amnesty.org, and Samsung.com.

The buyer is a US based publisher with an excellent portfolio of rich content sites and will be optimizing the website for revenue. There’s optimal opportunities for continual growth, given that cookie regulatory policy is commonplace and the site is the single most relevant reference point for cookie-related information. 

“The Professionalism from Flippa with the proposed buyer and arranging Zoom meetings is a testament to this great result,” the seller explains. “If I decide on selling any further of my domains I own, I’ll definitely use Flippa.”

As for the seller, this sale has opened up opportunities to use the money for something good. He explained he will be using the money to go towards developing a small island in Vanuatu where his partner is from and enjoy life as a retiree.

Out of 600,000 monthly searches AdSense sites are still number one on Flippa, searched more often than any other asset type or business model. 

Inspired by this story? Read up on others who have successfully bought and sold their businesses here.

If you’re ready to sell, check out our First Time Seller’s Guide.

Like this buyer and seller, you too can master proper buyer and seller communications etiquette. We’ll show you how to that here.