How to Sell a Website With No Revenue and No Traffic

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Do you have a website or blog sitting around just collecting dust? Maybe you started it a year ago, added some content, and then got distracted with other things. Or maybe you started several sites and then chose to focus on one that’s doing well. 

This is extremely common. Most bloggers and online marketers have a few projects they started at some point that never really went anywhere. Maybe you’ve been holding on to it in case you get a fresh burst of inspiration to revive it, but you know that’s unlikely to happen.

Believe it or not, there’s an audience of buyers looking for small sites that have no revenue and sometimes no traffic. If you’d like to sell the site and move on, you just need to get it in front of the right people, and this article shows you how.

Is It Possible to Sell a Website With No Revenue or Traffic?

Yes, selling a website with no traffic or revenue is possible. However, it’s essential to set realistic expectations. These are usually considered “starter sites” and won’t sell for millions of dollars or anything close to it. But it is possible to get rid of the site and collect some money you can use towards another project.

When you’re trying to sell a site that doesn’t have any revenue, it’s helpful to consider the type of buyer that might be interested in it. These buyers are generally much different than those looking for established, profitable online businesses.

The buyers of starter sites typically fall into a few categories:

• Beginners who don’t have much experience and would like to get a head start on their site.
• Experienced website owners who want to save time or buy a site/domain with some age.

Where to Sell Your Website With No Revenue or Traffic

If you have a no-revenue site you’d like to sell, a few platforms are realistic options. Of course, most website marketplaces and brokers only deal with established, profitable sites, but the platforms listed below are valid options.

Facebook Groups

There are several Facebook Groups for buying and selling websites, and most of these groups have many members interested in starter sites. All you need to do is join the groups, create a listing with the details of your site, and respond to whatever inquiries you receive. 

Selling a site through a Facebook Group lets you quickly get your listing in front of potential buyers. You don’t need to dedicate lots of time to create a detailed listing. All you need is the basic info (the site’s niche, amount of content already on the site, traffic stats, and anything else that makes the site unique).

👉 Be sure to read the group’s rules before posting anything about the site you want to sell. It’s also a good idea to browse other posts in the group to see what information sellers typically include to attract potential buyers. For example, if the site has traffic, you can include screenshots from Google Analytics.

Some of the best Facebook Groups include:

• Flipping Websites
• Website Flipping
• Niche Website Flippers
• Upniche

There are no fees for using these groups, which is one of the most significant perks. The downside is there’s no assistance with vetting the buyers or transferring the site.

For a more detailed look at this subject, please read How to Sell Your Website or Blog on Facebook.

Motion Invest

Motion Invest is a marketplace focusing on lower-revenue sites often ignored by other marketplaces and website brokers. They only work with content-based websites like blogs and niche sites, so you can’t sell e-commerce stores or other types of websites through Motion Invest.

If your site has no revenue, it will be listed as a starter site. The asking price for a starter site on Motion Invest is usually below $1,000, but some are higher. They have an onboarding process where they’ll evaluate your site and determine the suggested asking price. If you agree, you can move forward, and they’ll list it for sale.

Motion Invest has a large pool of buyers looking for sites in this price range, so some websites sell quickly. However, there are a lot of starter sites available, so it’s also possible that it won’t sell right away.

Sites that sell on Motion Invest for less than $20,000 are subject to a 20% fee. However, there are no fees to list a site, so the fees only apply if they sell it. Motion Invest also assists with the transfer and collects payment from the buyer (acting as an escrow), so you don’t need to worry about getting scammed.

They offer a free valuation tool you can use to see how much your site might be worth.

Flippa

Flippa is one of the oldest and largest website marketplaces. They have a huge audience of buyers, and you can sell just about any type of online business, including starter sites. 

Although Flippa is excellent for getting exposure, there are a few downsides to be aware of:

1. Flippa charges a listing fee that applies whether you sell your site or not. 
2. There are some scams on Flippa, so you need to be careful.

After listing your websites at Flippa, interested buyers will bid on your site in an auction. You can set the reserve (the lowest price you’re willing to accept) and a “buy it now” price.

While Motion Invest handles the payment between the buyer and seller and assists with the transition, Flippa does not. You can potentially save some money on fees, but you’re mostly on your own.

The listing fee to sell websites on Flippa is $49. There’s also a 10% success fee if the site sells.

How to Determine The Site’s Value

Profit is typically the most influential factor in website valuations for established businesses, so you may be wondering how to determine the value of your site that has no monthly revenue. Here are some factors that can influence the price buyers are willing to pay.

1. Content

Existing content is the biggest selling point for many websites without revenue. It gives the buyer a springboard to their new site since they don’t have to create all the content from scratch. 

How much content is already on the site, and how much would it cost to create it? For example, let’s say the site already has 50 pages with an average of 1,000 words per page (50,000 words total), and hiring a freelance writer to create similar content would cost $0.05 per word. In this case, the content is worth about $2,500. A buyer of a no-revenue site probably won’t be willing to pay $2,500 for that content, but you can use that in your listing to establish value for the site. 

Content quality also matters. Was the content written by AI, outsourced to an inexpensive writer, or written by someone with expertise (you or someone you hired)? 

2. Domain and Age

How long has the site been online? A site and domain name with some age may add value to a buyer. An aged site may be more likely to rank in Google searches and generate free organic traffic than a site on a brand-new domain. If the website and domain have been active for at least six months, there may be additional value here.

It’s also possible that the domain name itself is worth some money. This is especially true with .com domains since they’re harder to come by. Someone may buy your starter site just because they want the domain name.

You can check GoDaddy’s domain name value and appraisal tool to get an idea of what yours may be worth. But be aware that they tend to estimate the value on the high end.

3. Traffic

If the site has existing traffic, it could add value for a buyer (especially search engine traffic). For example, maybe the site gets a small amount of traffic, but you never got around to monetizing it. A buyer may be able to start making money faster with a site like this.

4. Monetization Potential

Which topics does the site cover? Are there strong monetization options in the niche? A site with significant profit potential for a buyer may be worth more than one that could only be monetized with ads. Most sites have potential for affiliate marketing, but the payouts of programs in different niches vary drastically.

Overall, there’s no specific formula you can use to determine the valuation of a site that doesn’t generate revenue. You can keep the factors above in mind, but you should also check Facebook Groups and Motion Invest to see what other no-revenue sites are selling for.

Final Thoughts on Selling Websites With No Revenue

Since monthly profit is the #1 factor determining an online business’s value, you might assume that a website with no revenue has no value. However, that may not be the case. There are people looking to buy starter sites, and selling a no-revenue site is definitely possible. You won’t get a huge amount of money for it, but that site that’s just been sitting for a while could be sold if you get it in front of the right buyer.

With the help of Facebook Groups, Motion Invest, or Flippa, you could get money for a site that hasn’t been touched in months.