We were humbled to be interviewed by Humans of Flippa series. We share our deep insights into how we do website flips, and how we’ve done over 135 flips on Flippa alone. Check it out!
Interview Video
You can view the video here on YouTube.
Interview Show Notes
Mushfiq S buys, grows, and sells websites. He has sold over 175 websites since 2010. Of those, 135 have been bought and sold on Flippa. In this interview, Mushfiq discusses his history with online acquisitions and website flipping. He discusses the metrics he uses to determine when to buy a website as well as the tricks he uses to increase revenue after a purchase. Additionally, he talks about two of his biggest wins and the process he uses to determine when to sell. The interview concludes with Mushfiq offering a brief look into his perfect day.
Introduction (0:00-0:51)
Mushfiq’s History With Online Acquisitions and Website Flipping (0:52- 2:53)
- Mushfiq began his career buying, growing, and selling websites in 2008.
- In late 2008 or early 2009, he started his first website targeting the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) niche community where Mushfiq promoted VoIP companies, including Skype. He sold the website in 2010 to Slashdot.
- Since 2010, Mushfiq has bought, grown, and sold over 175 websites, including 135 on Flippa.
Metrics Used to Determine What Websites To Buy (2:53- 6:02)
- The key metrics Mushfiq uses to determine whether to buy a website include:
- High organic traffic
- Undermonetized given the amount of organic traffic
- Age: websites must be at least one year old
- Whether the site is created by hobbyists: “Where website flippers like himself attempt to take all the value out of a website, the hobbyists are the people who don’t really know how to monetize, they don’t look at it in a business sense. So they have high traffic but very little revenue but very well written content…those are the ones I love to buy” (4:53-5:21).
Easy and Cheap Tricks to Increase Revenue Quickly (6:03- 8:50)
Some of the tricks Mushfiq uses to increase revenue quickly:
- “Conversion rate tricks that you can do on high traffic pages” (6:46-6:50): Examine the 10 pages which generate the most traffic. If they are product-based pages, he looks to see if there are comparison tables, appropriately placed affiliate links, call buttons, and other things which can be quickly added to exponentially grow the site.
- Ensure the site has a combination of display advertisements and affiliate links.
- Edit the site using various SEO techniques
- Perform a full theme change within the first month after purchase
Mushfiq’s Two Biggest Wins (8:51- 11:48)
- A website purchased in the outdoor niche was generating approximately $300 in monthly revenue with over 100,000 organic monthly views. Mushfiq paid $23,000 and then boosted monthly revenue to $6,000 before selling.
- A second website he mentions he purchased in 2019 on Flippa. This site was in the dating niche and had been online since 2005. At the time of purchase, the site was generating $1,000 in monthly revenue. Mushfiq purchased it for $32,000. The site now generates an average of $9,000 in monthly revenue and has peaked at $15,000. The site was sold off for 75% equity. Mushfiq retains 25% and manages the site as part of a partnership.
When to Sell (11:50 – 14:15)
Mushfiq explains how he use a three-stage website flip lifecycle to determine when to sell. The three stages are
- Post-Acquisition Growth Stage: Lasts for 1-3 months when changes are made to the site in order to quickly and easily increase revenue
- Stabilization Stage: Lasts for 3-6 months when the growth matures and the revenue stabilizes to an average. During this period, new content is added, small CRO techniques are implemented, and a team is built around the site.
- Maintenance Stage: The first two stages should last around 6-9 months at which time Mushfiq chooses whether the site has continued growth potential. If it appears there is significant growth potential, the website enters into a stage of general maintenance as the site’s revenue continues increasing. The site may be sold instead of entering into the maintenance stage.
Selling on the Upswing (14:15- 15:19)
- Mushfiq discusses the importance of selling websites when they still appear to have some growth potential.
- Website buyers are seeking to purchase websites that appear to have continued growth potential
- Selling on the upswing has allowed Mushfiq to build a pool of investors that steadily return to purchase websites from him.
Mushfiq’s Perfect Day (15:20- 17:12)
- Mushfiq says that he does have a day job, so he wakes up at 6:00 AM and begins his day by checking emails, getting the day structured, and doing website portfolio and newsletter work.
- Throughout the day, he is regularly looking into potential websites to buy.
