Building and Flipping a Website: My 24-Hour Journey
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Chapter 1: The 24-Hour Website Challenge
In just 24 hours, I constructed a content website and successfully sold it a mere nine days later. This endeavor began as part of a challenge I initiated on TikTok through my website flipping account. I aimed to showcase the entire process of building and flipping a website in real-time to my followers.
To build a site efficiently within a day, you need a few essential tools:
- Domain Name
- Web Hosting
- Theme (optional)
By linking your domain with hosting, and then integrating WordPress alongside a visually appealing theme, you can create a functional website quickly. While it’s possible to leave the demo content in place, I prefer to enhance my site with original blog posts and a professional theme, though the latter is optional.
Once I completed the build, I added some content and applied a budget-friendly theme. Here’s a glimpse of the homepage from my site, which may look different now after the new owner’s redesign:
I documented the entire building journey on my TikTok account. You can follow the progress day-by-day in the videos I recorded for this challenge.
Chapter 2: The Selling Process
After running a 7-day auction, my site initially went unsold despite receiving three bids, peaking at $30.
Even though the auction didn’t yield a sale, I remained optimistic since many of my sites are sold post-auction. A few days later, I received several offers, including one that was just below the reserve price and another at about 50% of it. I opted for the higher offer, and the transaction was completed within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a website auction?
A website auction operates similarly to an eBay auction, where a seller lists their site for a specific period, and bidders place their offers. The highest bid at the end of the auction wins.
2. What does reserve price mean?
The reserve price is the minimum amount a seller is willing to accept. For instance, I set my reserve price at $150, meaning I was not obligated to sell if bids fell below this threshold.
3. Are auctions the only method for selling a website?
No, auctions are just one of the quickest ways to sell. If you're looking for a fast, low-cost sale, auctions can be a great option.
What Was the Sale Price?
The site ultimately sold for $125. Here’s a video showcasing some screenshots from the payment process.
Why a Low Sale Price?
I engage in flipping websites across various price ranges. My portfolio includes sites that have sold for close to $100K, as well as those in the four-figure and three-figure ranges. Higher-priced sites generally demand more time and effort, but I focus mainly on starter sites, which are often under two years old and typically not generating income or traffic.
In two years, you could either develop a single site to sell for $10,000 or $20,000 or flip 200 sites within that timeframe, potentially achieving the same income.
Example Calculation:
200 sites × $125 each = $25,000 (before fees)
One of my students has even made over $12,000 in website sales within a year.
In conclusion, that’s how I built a site in just 24 hours and sold it nine days later. What are your thoughts on website flipping? Is it something you'd consider trying?
For more stories like this, check out my Substack, where I discuss side hustles, social media, content creation, and entrepreneurship.