Building successful blogs is a proven strategy for entrepreneurs seeking to generate income online. Marc Andre, the founder of FlipMySite.com and FounderReports.com serves as a prime example of this approach, as he has created over $2 million in value by strategically growing and selling blog businesses.
In this article, Marc generously shares his methods for achieving success in the blogging and website flipping business. He provides insights on how to select profitable niches, develop high-quality content, optimize traffic sources, monetize blogs effectively, and structure sites in a way that attracts lucrative acquisition opportunities.
By following Marc's comprehensive framework, bloggers can replicate his blueprint for establishing blogs that not only generate long-term revenue streams but also offer attractive opportunities for profitable exits. Marc's expertise provides valuable guidance on how to make money by building and selling blogs.
Marc Andre
Getting started
Marc’s blog-flipping journey began in 2007 when he launched his first design blog as a side project while working a full-time job. He aimed to make some extra money without having grand ambitions.
However, the blog quickly gained traction, prompting Marc to consider pursuing blogging as a full-time business. It took about a year and a half, but in late 2008, he left his full-time job to focus on blogging.
Marc had some background in photography and visual design from his job, which really helped the initial success of his first blog. One day, he stumbled upon the idea of selling blogs, and it blew his mind. A blogger he knew sold his blog on Flippa for $40k. Since then, Marc has built his websites and blogs with the intention of selling them at some point.
Selling his first blog
In the course of its lifetime, Marc's design blog generated monthly profits of $25,000 before he sold it in 2013 for $500,000. This six-figure sale motivated him to structure future blogs with an acquisition endgame, aiming not just to build blogs but to create sellable businesses.
Over the past decade, Marc has built, grown, and sold five additional blogs, along with related online businesses, including an Amazon FBA venture. His total acquisitions now exceed $2 million across various niches and models.
In 2023 alone, he sold three blogs for a combined total of about $800,000.
Currently, he's working on two projects. FlipMySite.com covers topics related to buying and selling websites and online businesses, and FounderReports.com is a site he recently launched with a partner
Choosing profitable niches
When it comes to picking a niche, Marc likes to keep it simple. He chooses something he's interested in and that also has the potential for making money. With Google putting more emphasis on expertise and authority, he also considers his own strengths and experiences.
Looking back on his past challenges, especially in growing email lists for certain blogs, Marc has shifted his focus for 2024 and beyond. Now, he thinks about the kind of content people would want to subscribe to and share on social media. This content is often different from what's created for SEO purposes.
While he doesn't believe you have to be an absolute expert, having some knowledge about your chosen niche certainly helps. Marc has experimented with niche sites on topics he knew little about, hiring freelancers to handle the writing. However, it proved challenging since he couldn't effectively edit their work without extensive fact-checking. Those sites didn't perform well.
Despite the common advice to target low-competition niches in the blogging and online business world, Marc's successful ventures have all been in popular, competitive niches like design, photography, and personal finance.
Choosing these crowded niches has its advantages, especially in terms of making money. The possibilities for earning are usually more significant compared to less competitive niches. He doesn't aim to be the industry leader; instead, he focuses on grabbing a small piece of a larger pie.
Content strategy is King
With search engine algorithms constantly updating, Marc recommends diversifying beyond just SEO. However, he still uses proven tactics like keyword research, content clusters around subtopics, and continuous optimization that give his sites topical authority.
For new sites, email lists and social followings now supplement organic traffic. "Some niches are better served focusing less on search," Marc points out. User-generated and AI content have lessened search dependency as well.
Marc's approach follows this general outline:
- Research target keywords and topics people search for using tools like KWFinder and SEMrush.
- Create optimized articles grouped by related sub-themes rather than isolated posts.
- Continually audit older articles and improve for better rankings over time.
- Promote quality, human-written content AI can't reliably replicate yet.
- Leverage passive promotion channels as the main driver of new visitors.
By writing insightful, shareable content aligned with buyer intents, bloggers establish themselves as reliable resources, attracting engaged audiences. This content foundation supports diversified growth.
How to grow content sites
Marc has always used content for traffic generation. In recent years, he's focused heavily on SEO, but with the frequency and severity of Google updates and changes related to AI, he's now emphasizing other sources like an email list and social media.
While Marc still believes SEO is important and values organic search traffic, he no longer relies exclusively on it. In the past five years, he did very little to get traffic aside from SEO, but he now considers that approach unsafe. One of the sites he sold took a big hit from Google updates after the sale.
His approach involves keyword research using tools like KWFinder and Semrush to find topics and keywords. He also engages in link building, with his best links coming from HARO and networking with other bloggers.
Thoughts about AI content
Marc acknowledges two basic threats from AI when targeting organic search traffic:
- Competing with AI-generated content in search results.
- Google and other search engines might also start using AI to answer some search queries, instead of directing people to websites for information.
For Marc, the biggest threat is the second one.
AI writers have advanced rapidly, but Marc believes it's still possible to manually create content and outrank the competition. However, if Google answers more queries with AI and directs fewer visitors to websites, there might not be much to do.
To counter this, Marc suggests two options:
- Create content that AI currently struggles to reproduce.
- Get your traffic from various traffic sources instead of relying solely on search.
“I’m trying to focus on content that I know AI can’t currently reproduce as well as I can write it. For example, I wrote a guide to website flipping that’s pretty detailed. There’s no way AI could currently cover this topic effectively without a lot of human involvement.”
While Marc doesn't like AI for writing full articles, he finds value in using tools like ChatGPT for brainstorming, idea generation, outlining articles, and overcoming writer's block.
Marc says that he is also exploring ways to use AI for social media, particularly in converting video/audio content into written blog posts and social media posts quickly. With search engine algorithms constantly updating, Marc recommends diversifying beyond just SEO. However, he still uses proven tactics like keyword research, content clusters around subtopics, and continuous optimization that gives his sites topical authority.
Monetizing through multiple streams
Marc's approach to monetization has varied across different sites, involving digital products, affiliate marketing, and ad revenue. While there isn't a one-size-fits-all method, selling digital products stands out as Marc's favorite.
Digital products appeal to Marc for several reasons:
- Income is less dependent on traffic levels.
- Products can generate revenue for years.
- Growing and scaling is easier and more lucrative.
- Numerous opportunities for collaboration exist.
- You don't need a huge audience or high traffic to make good money.
- More details are within his control compared to affiliate marketing or ads.
However, the best method depends on the site's topic, audience, and Marc's personal interests.
Marc initially used ads, and although he liked monetizing with them, he disliked constantly chasing traffic. Creating and selling products offered a different approach, allowing him to generate income without being overly dependent on traffic. He could sell products on marketplaces and deal sites or run sales and promos if he needed revenue. With more experience and improved conversions, Marc made more money without necessarily increasing traffic.
About a year into his photography site, Marc decided to start a second photography site that was similar to the first one. While this might seem like an unusual decision, he had a specific reason.
At that point, Marc had established contacts with about 10 different deal sites and marketplaces where he sold his products. They were always on the lookout for new deals to promote. However, his opportunities were limited because they couldn't promote the same deals on his products all the time. Creating another brand that sold similar products essentially doubled the number of promotions and sales he could achieve on these sites.
Marc believes in having multiple ways to make money that can grow and be attractive to potential buyers. Here are some strategies he finds effective:
- Digital products: Marc recommends creating and selling things like online courses, guides, templates, and other downloadable items. Websites can also earn recurring fees from memberships. Digital products can bring in more money through additional sales and provide a steady income even if website traffic fluctuates, which makes them appealing to potential buyers.
- Affiliate marketing: Marc suggests promoting products from trusted third-party companies that pay commissions on sales. He has had success by joining affiliate networks in different areas like design, finance, and tools. Links within popular blogs can continue to generate affiliate income even after a sale, making them valuable assets for potential buyers.
- Sponsored posts: Marc also uses contextual advertising, such as sponsored articles, banners, or dedicated ad spaces, to earn money. He advises being careful when choosing sponsors to maintain credibility. While ads can supplement other strategies, it's important to note that the amount of money earned may vary, and potential buyers might not see this income source as favorably as more stable sources.
- Email marketing: Marc relies heavily on email to make money. He regularly sends emails to subscribers, offering exclusive discounts and special offers. Some of his affiliate marketing campaigns benefit from having engaged email subscribers. This shows how different monetization methods can work together.
Overall, he believes that having multiple income streams that can grow and appeal to potential buyers is important. He has found success with digital products, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and email marketing.
Preparing sites for acquisitions
To maximize the value of a website, Marc suggests implementing certain strategies from the start with potential acquisitions in mind. These practices include:
- Reducing reliance on personal branding: Buyers are not looking for audiences that are solely loyal to the founder. They want audiences that are interested in the content and topics covered on the website. Over time, it is advisable to minimize focusing content, offers, and messaging solely around the founder's story.
- Limiting working hours: Websites that demand excessive time and effort to run may deter buyers seeking passive or semi-passive assets. To address this, it is important to systematize and document standard tasks so that they can be handled by freelancers or automated software.
- Sticking to reliable monetization models: Websites heavily dependent on advertising and affiliate programs may appear risky to buyers who prefer predictable revenue from digital products or subscriptions. Gradually transitioning towards higher-margin offerings can help mitigate this concern.
- Diversifying traffic sources: It is beneficial to give equal importance to email marketing, social media, and direct access in addition to SEO visibility. Buyers are wary of overreliance on Google rankings and the potential for competitors to replicate those rankings.
- Using multiple revenue streams: Relying solely on one flagship offer for income is not ideal. Selling multiple products, leveraging affiliate programs, or offering diverse services can provide backup sources of revenue in case any one of them declines.
- Documenting key processes: Documenting essential processes, logins, workflows, and contacts is crucial. This enables buyers to smoothly take over site management upon acquisition.
- Building a team: Instead of operating solo, it is advantageous to have freelancers, agencies, or contract workers involved. This demonstrates that the site can continue to function effectively even without the original owner's direct involvement, which reassures buyers.
Marc says that a lot of these things don’t need to be in place until you’re closer to selling. For example, there’s nothing wrong with personal branding if you have no plans to sell the site anytime soon. But if you’re thinking of selling in the next year or so, it makes sense to ease off of the personal branding gradually.
Choosing an exit strategy
When it comes to selling websites, Marc has explored different ways to go about it, including private sales, using online marketplaces, and working with brokers. While some sellers are hesitant to work with brokers due to the fees involved, Marc has found that reputable brokers can provide significant value.
In two recent sales, Marc partnered with Quiet Light and had Brad Wayland as his broker. He can confidently say that using a broker was a wise decision. The process was fast, and he was able to fetch a much higher price than if he had tried to sell the websites on his own.
In Marc's opinion, using a broker is usually the best choice unless he already has a specific buyer lined up and is certain about getting a fair price. However, it's important to note that brokers often have minimum requirements, which may make them less suitable for smaller sales. In those cases, platforms like Empire Flippers can be a good option, especially for sites generating $2,000 or more per month. Alternatively, marketplaces such as Investors Club and Motion Invest are solid choices for smaller deals.
Here are some key things to consider for different exit strategies:
- Specialist brokers: Companies like Quiet Light and FE International specialize in facilitating online business deals. They have expertise in this area and can often secure significantly higher sales prices compared to selling independently. While they do charge fees, the long-term benefits usually make them worthwhile.
- Marketplaces: Platforms like Flippa, Empire Flippers, Acquire, Investors Club and Motion Invest cater more to smaller sites, typically valued under $500,000. They make it easy to list your website quickly, but they also take commissions.
- Private deals: If you have existing contacts or connections within your industry who might be interested in buying your website, a private deal could be an attractive option. However, it's crucial to ensure that the valuation is fair in such arrangements.
Ultimately, the choice of which exit strategy to pursue depends on factors like the size of your site, the level of expertise required to sell it effectively, and your personal preferences. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to carefully consider them before making a decision.
Scaling through repeated exits
Marc is currently running two new websites called FlipMySite and Founder Reports, and he still focuses on monetizing his blogs. However, his goals go beyond individual ventures.
"I'm building a portfolio of assets that generate recurring income, similar to dividends," he explains. Marc's long-term strategy revolves around establishing and growing self-sustaining businesses that steadily appreciate in value.
By consistently running profitable websites that appreciate over time and eventually selling them, Marc experiences repeated success, which helps him accumulate wealth at an accelerated rate compared to individual efforts alone. Adopting a buy-and-hold strategy allows him to maximize returns by multiplying his positions.
Marc continues to identify new niches and acquire additional blogs to fuel growth and future sales. This approach allows him to scale his financial freedom according to a blueprint he has refined over the course of a decade. His model serves as a blueprint for sustained entrepreneurship and creating wealth online.
Conclusion
Blogging is an accessible avenue for entrepreneurship that is often overlooked in favor of more flashy sectors. However, as demonstrated by Marc Andre's career, bloggers can establish reliable income streams and achieve life-changing financial outcomes by methodically growing and selling profitable blogs, following tried-and-true principles. Marc's step-by-step framework demonstrates the potential and rewards of this approach.
