The Mentality
Web site creation and flipping require extensive research, patience, smart, and timely decision making. Your extensive research is based on what your intended potential customers want (Keyword research), how you plan to present them with the solution (Information products), and the tools you’ll require to execute your plan (Web site development). Research should always be your priority.
For this reason, DO NOT RUSH through the keyword research. Concentrate on the pain and needs of your online readers and create products to solve their problems. A perfect example is this book that you are presently reading. According to my intensive research, a significant number of people like yourself, search online daily looking for ways on how to create a Web site and sell them, or otherwise flip them for profit. To make the most important things happen for you in life, always remember to help others. Make every day your masterpiece, drink deeply from good books, make friendship a routine, build a shelter against a rainy day, pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day – The Power of a Lot of Little Things Done Well (Pat Williams, Jim Denney).
The Business Model
There are so many business models out there that you can use, but you should concentrate more on the type of business model used in this book. Identifying your business model makes your life easy because you now have a focus. Your focus is to make money using a proven type of business model described in this book. There are advertising business models, subscription business models, transaction business models, sales business models, affiliate business models, and many more types of business models.
The type of business model that you will be using to generate money online, according to this book, is called the “Sales Revenue Business Model.” From the word “sales,” I believe it should not be difficult to understand that you will be selling a product. In this case, you will be selling a cyber product – Web sites. Now, let’s get back to business. Below you’ll find few definitions that would be of great help to you as you read along.
Web Site Flipping: Website flipping is the act of making, producing, or even buying an existing Web site, fix it and sell it for more than you invested (Spent) to build or fix it. You don’t need to have any prior experience to flip a Web site, but it pays, even more, to have some knowledge about how to create a new Web site or improve an existing Web site that people have rejected and may be expired.
The search online for the pre-built Website is very high. Lots of people are too busy learning how to create a Web site; some succeed while most don’t succeed. The crowd is hungry for your Cyber product, and that is where you come in by creating or fixing those Web sites and selling them for profit. You can watch the program called Flip That House to get a better understanding of what flipping for benefit is all about.
In your scenario, you will be flipping newly developed Web sites (Cyber houses) instead of earthly dwellings. I hope it makes sense.
Web Host: Storing of Web sites: the business of supplying server space for storage of Web sites on the Internet, and sometimes the provision of ancillary services such as Web site creation
Domain: A group of networked computers that share a standard communications address
Domain Name: A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control on the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System (DNS). Any name registered in the DNS is a domain name.
WordPress: A web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.
- HTML Editor: An HTML editor is a computer program for creating web pages. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality. For example, many HTML editors work not only with HTML but also with related technologies such as CSS, XML, and JavaScript or ECMAScript. In some cases, they also manage communication with remote web servers via FTP and WebDAV, and version management systems such as CVS or Subversion.
- cPanel: A Unix based web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of organizing a Website
- Niche: Specialized market: an area of the market specializing in one type of product or service
- Keyword: reference point: a word used as a reference point for further information or as an indication of the contents of a document
What You Need
You might want to get everything you need to create a Web site readily available before you start your project. The establishing of a Website is just like making your particular dish. You need to have all the ingredients readily available and checked before you embark on the cooking tour. The same thing applies in the case of creating and selling Web sites. To create a Web site, you’ll need:
- A Web hosting company. To get the best of your Website selling business model, you need a reseller account because you’ll be hosting many Websites. This is where you will house all your developed Websites. It’s like having a roof over your head before you start planning your life. A Web host provider will provide housing for your advanced Websites. I used and still using the 1and1.com server to set up a reseller account. The technical support people at 1and1 Hosting company are fantastic. They would assist you in setting up an account you wish to set up. If you cannot afford either a dedicated server or a reseller account, you can only settle for the primary account (This means that you can only sell maybe one Website at a time). You can use the money you made to reinvest in a server account when the time comes.
Useful Keyword/ domain research tool(s) – Sometimes, you need more than one keyword tool to check and recheck your mined data. Don’t rely solely on one type of keyword tool. I use Wordtracker, Traffic Travis, and a few other tools like NicheMania to check and recheck my data before proceeding to purchase the domain name. After my research, I only use some other tools like Namecheap to buy and secure the domain name. When doing your research, make sure that you focus on your target visitor. You need to know your target visitor before you start creating Web sites for sale. I visit Flippa from time to time to see what people want to buy, or I only use Nichemania and Wordtracker to discover my target visitor and to whom I intend to sell my products. I’ll teach you all about it.
- A domain name. After my intensive research from Wordtracker, NicheMania, and Traffic Travis. I used Namecheap to find and purchased the final researched keywords I found.
- An HTML or PHP or Web editor. You need to decide what tool, or which platform you will use to create your Website. At this point, there are unlimited resources, platform, and means that you can use to create your Website. You can use a free Website editor like KompoZer (If you like to work with HTML), an HTML editor like Dreamweaver (Paid), or the free WordPress tool (If you are comfortable working in PHP environment) to create your Web site. I use both WordPress and KompoZer. For this guide to work well, let’s stick to the WordPress tool. Remember that you intend to create serviceable Websites that can be sold quickly.
- Traffic generation tools. I use a suite of software and outsourcing to get my newly developed Websites ranked quickly to get more for the value. More on my recommended traffic generation can be found at http://thenextinternetbillionaire.com/resources/free-website-traffic
Get Organized and Stay Organized
Your workspace should be your top priority of getting organized. Make sure that you have a comfortable computer chair and desk because you’ll be by the computer a lot, as well as a good laser printer and a reliable high-speed internet. Adjust the resolution of your monitor to suit your eyes well. Get a time-card if you can because you need to keep a tab on the time you spend on each project. You can also get a big wall clock to help you keep track of time.
Get a notepad and sharpened a pencil for brainstorming keywords, water to keep your body hydrated (I learned the hard way), and a cup of coffee if you wish. Remember that a business is only a business if you make it a company and not a hobby. I take my time seriously and pay myself at the end of the month.
Sign up for a free Flippa Account
Sign up for a free Flippa account, if you don’t already have one. Point your browser to https://flippa.com/signup to get a free account. Make sure you read and abide by Flippa terms and condition. You can get banned from the site if you don’t honor your promise. Below is a summary of Flippa’s terms of site use and conditions.
Services Offered by Flippa
Flippa provides an online service, per and subject to, the terms and conditions of this Agreement, whereby (“Services”):
- Sellers may, via Flippa.com, advertise their Website for sale whether by way of a Private Sale or an Auction
- Buyers may, via Flippa.com, contact Sellers to offer to purchase their Websites; and
- Buyers may, via Flippa.com, bid in Auctions conducted by Sellers.
- You, as a user of the Services, may use the Services in the capacity as a Seller, Buyer, or both a Seller and a Buyer. The terms and conditions of this Agreement will apply to your use of the Services in either or both of those capacities.
What must be sold as part of a Web site?
- All files contained in the Website including HTML code, other source code, logos, images, music, animation, films, and other media
- One or more domain names for the Website which must be transferable to another registrar;
- If specified by the Seller, all of the Seller’s rights and obligations about any Third Party Agreements. For more information, point your browser to https://flippa.com/termsandconditions
Develop and Maintain a Realistic Mindset
I understand that you are under stress. I also know that you need a quick fix to your financial problem as well as your bills, but you need to set a realistic schedule that you can live by daily. We all have 24 hours to spend daily; the way you spend your 24 hours will dictate your success. Relax, and do not get overwhelmed. You must stay in control of yourself at all times. Chapter 2 will show you how to select your niche, as well as keyword research, to create your Web site successfully.