A tumultuous transition period post-sale can be easily avoided by seeking professional migration services. At Investors Club, a full-scale migration service comes as standard with any deal on the platform. But even with expert help, there’s always going to be a transition period. Luckily there are plenty of ways to use this time to your advantage and start your new website tenure with a bang.
Here are five steps to take immediately after buying a website.
1. Implement Your Quick Wins
With the help of a migration service, your website takeover should be plain sailing. But that doesn’t mean those first 2-4 weeks aren’t the perfect time to make a few waves yourself.
Major site updates can affect numbers in the short term, so it’s a good idea to get them out the way as quickly as possible. Ripping the bandaid off early creates short-term disruption but long-term stability.
Major updates include:
- Changes to the site’s theme
- Rebranding
- Streamlining a site’s structure
- Removing/adding/updating plugins
- Testing new ad placements or networks
- Implementing better-paying affiliate offers
Essentially if there’s anything you don’t like about how the site looks or operates, now is the time to change it.
If you’re looking to flip a site, this is even more vital as site valuations use the last 6-12 months’ data to generate a selling price. If you’ve got the (potentially) disruptive updates out of the way early, your valuations are likely to be higher and the flipping process shorter.
Tip: As you’re carrying out any changes, make sure to keep an eye on the data. Monitoring Google Analytics is not only an excellent way to identify any changes that need to be made, but it’s also an indicator of how well those changes are received. Run A/B split tests for best results.
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2. Reach Out to Partners/VAs
If your new site comes with additional extras like a team of freelancers, affiliate partners, etc., then reaching out and introducing yourself early is a good idea. Not only is this the polite thing to do, but it’s also practical.
As the new owner, you might find your expectations or working practices differ from what they’re used to. Communicating this early will prevent crossed wires going forward and make your first few months smoother.
3. Audit Existing Processes/Automations
One of the time-saving benefits of running a website, and a content site, in particular, are the sheer number of automation options available. Some site owners use automation to cut their involvement down to just 5 hours a MONTH.
Spending the first few weeks getting familiar with and updating automations is another post-acquisition step you should be taking. Asking the seller to provide a round-up of all existing processes and live automations will save a lot of time.
Understanding what automation processes are in place will help identify areas for optimization that could make your job easier. In addition, it’s an excellent way to find out what’s expected from you. For example, if the site has an email flow set up to send out a weekly newsletter, that’s a top priority — readers are likely to notice if that goes missing.
4. Learn About Your New Niche
If you’ve bought into an unfamiliar niche, now’s the time to get familiar. Hopefully, you already identified competitors, threats, and opportunities within the niche during your due diligence. But, if not, do so now — and don’t leave it so late next time!
Once you’ve understood the niche, it’s easier to set objectives for the site and develop a content strategy based on data and not hunches. The more you know, the more successful you can be.
Tip: When setting objectives or goals for the site, make them SMART — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely. It will help give them direction and prevent pie-in-the-sky ideas from taking hold.
5. Update Affiliate Tags
For sites running affiliate advertising, the transition period is the perfect time to update any out-of-date or underpaying affiliate tags with new ones.
One of the many benefits of owning a content site is earning money via old content. However, affiliate programs change, links expire, and new products become available. Ensure you’re still benefiting by ensuring all tags are up to date, linking to relevant pages, and bringing in the most money possible.
For sites without affiliate advertising, now is also a good idea to introduce it. Affiliate advertising is an easy and passive way to earn income. Amazon is the most popular program, but there are hundreds of different options, some niche-specific that might be better suited.
BONUS — Improve Site Speed
It’s not a generalization to say that nearly all websites could benefit from faster loading speed. With access to information at our fingertips, users aren’t prepared to wait around. 53% of internet users will navigate away from a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load. That’s more than half of your traffic.
Improving a site’s speed will improve the user experience. This translates to more time spent on the site, which means more targeting opportunities and more chances to boost profits—a simple fix with enormous consequences.
For more ways to boost your site’s potential, take a look at our growth guides for expert tips, tricks, and inspiration.
Content Marketing Specialist
Hannah is a content marketing specialist at Investors Club and a freelance copywriter. When she’s not busy behind the keyboard, you’ll find her baking her signature salted caramel brownies or trying to sink that elusive hole-in-one.
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