europeforvisitors - 4:25 am on Jul 2, 2005 (gmt 0)

EFV's site is a good example. It wasn't long ago that he had some problems with traffic dropping off. That is a discrepancy that would have to be explained to a buyer. And let's be blunt - there is no good way to explain it. It was not something he could control or predict and therefore is an unknown disaster just waiting to happen again.

Actually, it wasn't a disaster, and it lasted only two months (on a site that has been around at its current domain for more than 3-1/2 years). So yes, it's the sort of thing that might make a buyer nervous, but not as nervous as a buyer might be when evaluating a site that depends almost entirely on search for traffic.

I say that fairly objectively since I'm not looking for a buyer. :-)

BTW, this does bring up an interesting point: namely, whether a buyer would be interested in a "content site" mainly for its content or for its current traffic and income. Depends on the site and the buyer, I guess. Also, when purchasing a content site, the buyer should also think about the cost of maintenance (and who's going to perform that maintenance). Some content is completely evergreen (e.g., the collected works of Shakespeare), but a lot of "evergreen" content does need updating from time to time.