How original is the content

Plagiarism Web sites, such as Copyscape.com, can be used to make sure the site isn’t copied anywhere else. It won’t be worth the money you spend on this site if it is merely a copy of some other site online.

Is the content of a high quality?
People who own blogging sites will often hire overseas writers to write their content at a lower price - which often shows up in the grammar used on the Web site. Having a site with poor grammar or that isn’t checked for misspellings won’t keep the attention of people who come across it. Be sure to read the content to see if it is actually high quality and that there will be value within it for your visitors as well.

Is ongoing content required?
First time buyers don’t often think to ask this question. It is good to find out if there will be a need for constant updates. The content might be what is keeping the site up and running. If it is a blog site, then there will definitely be a need for ongoing content. You will need to decide where this ongoing content will come from and how much it will cost you on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis compared to the revenue it generates.

How willing is the seller to help you with the content?
Maybe the seller will connect you with the writer or writers he/she uses, if not, you will have to find sources for content. Be sure to ask this question. Many sellers are more than willing to connect the buyer with sources for content.

Is there any content that is underutilized on the site?
There just might be underutilized content posted on the site that can be sold via subscription as a newsletter, eBook, or some other form of paid access. This is a good thing, especially if the content is high quality. This is yet another example of monetizing the site to bring in additional revenue streams.


How much room is there for addition of new and improved content?
If you know someone in this niche and can get more content or improve what is already there then this will help. Keeping the ranking high or making it higher is what is needed. If it is just a static Web site, then there is the possibility that more articles or advertisements can be added to it. Blogs tend to need more content on a regular basis, so the quality needs to remain high or higher than current posts, in order to improve the Web site.

Can more keywords be added?
Find additional phrases and keywords to boost ranking for more traffic. This can easily be done by adding a few new pieces of content.

Is there a newsletter that goes along with this site?
With a newsletter, there might be a way to package the content and use it somewhere else on the site. It’s also wise to look into plugging content into an auto responder - so as to start building a list. Being able to do either of these successfully will make this Web site worth buying.

How valuable is the content on this site?
You need to also find out how common the content of this site is across the Internet. If it is unique or specialized content, it might be able to be sold for more money. Be sure to check and see if it is offered for free anywhere else online. If not, then you might be able to even raise the price and sell it later on. Bottom line, the content needs to be valuable to you now and later.

Content is what Web sites are made of and good content will bring in traffic. Even if you have great content and no graphics, traffic will still move at a steady pace. When it’s the other way around, lots of graphics and no content, there is far less traffic flow. Content is key.

Why should you purchase a site other people are ignoring? To avoid this, go through the checklist before buying a Web site and be sure to ask the buyer each of the above questions.