Over the years I’ve received many questions from readers about buying websites to generate income. Today I’m sharing a practical guide from Stacy Caprio that explains how she buys websites and turns them into profitable assets. Enjoy!
My name is Stacy Caprio and I run Her.CEO, a site featuring entrepreneur case studies and practical advice on buying and selling websites profitably.
I’ve invested a little over $35,000 in purchasing websites and have earned substantially more in passive income from those investments. The sites I bought continue to provide ongoing revenue and profit.
Website investments are appealing not only for recurring cash flow but also because you can improve and flip sites if you prefer a larger one-time payout. I recently sold one of my acquisitions for a profit—after broker fees I made just over $8,000 on that sale.
Before becoming a full-time buyer and operator of websites, I worked a traditional 9-to-5 in digital marketing for a finance company and ran paid ad campaigns at a Google-focused agency and a Facebook/Pinterest ad agency. My background is in search marketing and paid advertising.
I’ve always been drawn to online marketing, but I never fit well into sitting at a desk eight or nine hours a day. I wanted the freedom to take a run mid-day, stretch, or step outside to clear my head and then return to work refreshed.
Many traditional jobs expect employees to be glued to their screens, which often made those roles less enjoyable and less flexible than I wanted. I also wanted to influence more than just revenue and growth—I wanted a role where I shared in strategic decisions and profited directly from the company’s success. Most full-time roles don’t provide that kind of ownership or profit-sharing.
After about three years of working for companies and gaining skills in online marketing and website growth, I left my full-time position to pursue my long-term dream: running my own business.
While still employed, I began buying websites and made a few mistakes along the way. My first purchase was a lesson in diligence: I failed to properly verify the seller’s revenue claims and ended up overpaying—about 20 times what the site was actually worth. It was a $1,300 loss I now view as an essential learning experience: always verify revenue and analytics thoroughly before buying.
The second site I bought I rushed into as well. I verified traffic and revenue correctly and quickly increased income by switching ad networks, but the site was tied to a trendy phone game whose popularity declined a few months later. Traffic and revenue dropped and I recovered only about 70% of my purchase price. That purchase taught me to buy deliberately and focus on sites with long-term potential and a stable traffic history.
When I left my job I was making roughly $1,000 per month from side projects and had three site purchases under my belt—two mistakes and one successful acquisition that gave me confidence I could grow web properties further.
My grandmother generously let me live with her while I built my business, which saved rent and allowed me to reinvest in another website. That purchase ended up being the best investment I’ve made and continues to return steady monthly revenue.
So far I’ve invested $35,700 across four website purchases. The recurring income and the lessons learned about how successful sites function and monetize have been invaluable.
How can you buy a website on your own?
There are several routes to buying a website: using online marketplaces, working with brokers, directly contacting site owners, or joining niche Facebook groups and marketplace communities where owners list sites for sale.
Online Website Marketplaces
Flippa – I’ve bought sites on Flippa because you can sometimes find lower multiples than on other platforms. That said, due diligence is essential since listings vary widely in quality.
Latonas – I used Latonas to sell a site and found the brokers responsive and hardworking. Buyers should still verify revenue thoroughly because brokers don’t always pre-verify profit claims.
Empire Flippers – Empire Flippers conducts in-depth revenue and traffic verification and holds funds for 14 days after transfer, providing extra buyer protection. Expect to pay higher multiples for vetted listings.
F.E. International – This marketplace lists larger, more established businesses. You’ll often need to sign NDAs to get detailed information, which can add legal complexity, but it’s worth checking if you have a larger budget.
There are many other marketplaces and brokers—search broadly and compare options.
Starter Site Marketplaces
Starter sites built by companies like Motion Invest or Human Proof Designs are another option, but I generally don’t recommend them. Starter sites can be expensive relative to their initial earnings because the price reflects creation costs and the seller’s margin. Marketplaces with existing profit-making sites often offer better value because pricing is based on actual earnings.
I’ve only unintentionally bought a “starter site” once (my first mistake on Flippa) and it never performed well. For that reason I avoid non-earning starter sites going forward.
Buying a Website: What to Expect
When I began buying sites about four years ago, typical valuations were roughly 20x monthly profit. In other words, a site making $100/month in profit would sell for around $2,000. As the market has matured, averages have shifted toward 30x monthly profit, and highly desirable sites or SaaS businesses can command 40x–60x or more.
My strategy is to target sites priced as close to 20x–30x monthly profit as possible. Lower multiples reduce risk and shorten the time needed to recoup your investment. For example, a 20x valuation means you could recoup costs within two years at current profit levels; a 40x valuation makes that horizon much longer and riskier, unless you have strong plans to grow traffic and revenue.
Always think about how you’ll improve a site after purchase. It’s far better to buy a site you can scale quickly than to wait for organic improvements to return your capital.
How to Vet a Website Before Purchasing
My core vetting criteria include:
- Valuation: Prefer sites near or below the 20x–30x monthly profit multiple.
- Understandability: I must be able to clearly understand how the site makes money and why visitors come to it.
- Verification: Traffic, revenue, and profit must be verifiable through multiple methods (analytics, ad network screenshots, merchant statements, etc.).
- Maintenance: I prefer passive sites that don’t require constant hands-on work.
- Stability: The site should not be trend-dependent. Look for long-term traffic potential, multiple traffic sources, a brand presence, and ideally an email list. Sites older than one year—and preferably several years—are generally more reliable.
Never buy without verifying the owner’s claims and having a plan to grow the site beyond simply maintaining current revenue. The online landscape changes quickly: a site can perform well one month and lose most of its income after an algorithm change or shifting audience interest. The faster you can recoup your investment, the safer your purchase.
Once you have a successful site, now what?
I typically hold onto successful sites for the long term to benefit from reliable cash flow. Nurturing a strong website is often more valuable than trying to find the next promising acquisition. Finding a good site can feel like finding a needle in a haystack—once you have that needle, focus your efforts on making it the best it can be.
For example, Michelle’s site Making Sense of Cents has been developed into a high-revenue asset that generates significant monthly cash flow rather than being sold for a one-time windfall.
How to grow website revenue after purchase
After purchasing a site, there are practical steps to increase revenue quickly and sustainably:
Speed up the site: Faster load times improve user experience and mobile traffic. Use caching plugins, CDNs, image compression, lean themes, or a developer to remove excess code. Faster sites often improve engagement and ad earnings.
Add more monetization methods: If a site relies only on display ads, add affiliate links, sponsored posts, or product sales. Create or sell digital products—ebooks, courses, or membership access—and build an email list to monetize repeatedly.
Test ad networks and placements: Different ad networks pay differently by niche. Try multiple networks and experiment with placements to find combinations that maximize revenue.
Reach out to brands: Approach relevant brands for sponsorships, paid posts, or banner ads. Direct outreach can secure lucrative partnerships or product collaborations.
Invest in long-term SEO and content strategy: A steady content and SEO plan builds organic traffic and long-term revenue growth. While not an instant fix, steady improvements compound over time.
Buying websites has been one of the best financial moves I’ve made. It taught me how online businesses operate and gave me reliable income streams. If you’re considering buying a site, I hope this overview helps you get started. Share your experience in the comments if you’ve bought a website or plan to do so.
Are you interested in buying a website to make money?