If you are interested in website flipping, you will be asked to add prospective buyers into Google Analytics. At first, this may seem like a red flag from the seller’s point of view. However, it’s necessary for the buyer to view the traffic data in order to verify if the site you are selling is legitimate and meets their investment criteria.
In this write-up, I explain from the buyer’s perspective what they are looking for, and what steps you need to take as the seller to grant access.
Let’s get to it!
Why Does The Buyer Want Access?
Google Analytics stores a plethora of your website’s traffic metrics. The buyer as part of their due diligence must review analytics to feel comfortable with the purchase.
What Metrics is the Buyer Reviewing?
The buyer in Google Analytics at a bare minimum will review the following metrics over yesterday, last 30 days, last 12-months, and lifetime:
- Number of page views
- Number of unique visitors
- Bounce rates
- Time on page
- Top visited pages
- Traffic country locations
- Top traffic sources
- Top traffic sources over time
- Referral traffic sources
These options can be found under Google Analytics’ Audience, Acquisition, and Behavior.
Tutorial: Granting Buyers Access To Google Analytics
Here is the step-by-step process.
Step 1: Ask For Their Google Email Address
You will need the buyer’s email address. They need to have a Google account with this email address to get access into Google Analytics.
Step 2: Navigate to Google Analytics Settings
Log in to Google Analytics. Then on the left sidebar, find the Admin settings and open it.
You will now see the Google Analytics admin settings:
Step 3: Navigate to the Specific Google Analytics Account
If you are not in the correct action, you can change your account by clicking the dropdown box. See below:
You can now search for the specific account that holds your website. After finding it, click on the account to open the settings page for that account.
Step 4: Go to View -> User Management
Now, navigate to the View properties, where you can add a user for view access only. This will ensure they can only look at the data and not alter anything. See example below:
Then, navigate to View User Management:
This will open a popup where you can see all users that have access. Here is a snapshot of the menu:
You are now ready to add the buyer’s email.
Step 5: Add Buyer’s Email
Click on the blue circle on the top right of the screen to add the buyer’s email address:
Choose Add Users. Then, you will have a form to add the buyer’s email:
Step 6: Add Permissions for Buyer
You can now edit the permissions. Make sure you only provide Read & Analyze access ticked. Anything else will give the buyer too much control over your Google Analytics account.
Once that is done, enter the email address and hit Add on the top right.
That’s it! You’ve successfully added the buyer to Google Analytics.
Bonus: How to Remove A Buyer From Google Analytics
Now that you know how to add a website buyer, you also need to know how to remove them. When you put your site live for sale, you will get many prospective buyers and many will back out.
To remove a user, click on the three vertical dots next to their name, and click Remove Access. That’s it!
Common Questions from Website Sellers
Will the buyer get view access to ALL of my websites in Google Analytics?
Each “account” can have multiple “properties”. You are giving the user view access into a specific property; not the entire account.
Make sure to double check that you did not give them full account-level view access. See below diagram showing where to navigate to give a user access to a specific property, and not the entire account:
How long should I give buyer access to Google Analytics?
I usually give the buyer 48-72 hours maximum. If they do not get back to me within that time frame with any questions, next steps, or request for more time, I remove them.
Can the buyer “steal” ideas from Google Analytics?
Yes! They definitely can. If you are selling the site, that’s something you have to live with. The buyer has a definitive right to perform full due diligence before buying your website asset, and that means they will get a detailed understanding of the business.
If you want to ensure you are dealing with a legit buyer that is genuinely interested, you can ask for a proof of funds screenshot before providing access. This is one extra layer and if the buyer provides it, you can rest assured they are at least in the market to buy a site.
Takeaways
A proper buyer of a website asset will want Google Analytics access to verify the data. As sellers, it’s best to not introduce any friction during this process as it can turn away good buyers.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Provide access to Google Analytics for max 48-72 hours
- Let the buyer know you will remove them after that timeframe
- Only provide view-level access
Good luck in your journey of selling a website!
