Purchasing a website

What things look out for?

[johnblack]

Hi, apologies in advance if this post is in the wrong forum, it seemed the most appropriate at the time!

I'm looking at purchasing an existing website - I do have one in mind but my question would apply to any purchase really.

What do I need to check? I can think of the following

1)Google PR
2)Confirm any traffic figures
3)Back links
4)Any existing revenue figures
5)Existence in SE indexes
6)SERPS for keywords
7)Duplicate content

What else should I ask about/find out about? In my case, I'm generally looking at sites with exisiting traffic and unique content and then monetising them. What pitfalls can I easily avoid, one thing that springs to mind is how to check if a site has been banned from Adsense?

All help greatly appreciated

Cheers JB

[AjiNIMC]

8) Age of the site.
9) Domain name - Do a phone test

[johnblack]

Thanks for the reply - I'd forgotten about site age!

Can I ask what you mean by 'Do a phone test'?

[Durham_e]

Well I think by a phone test AjiNIMC meant that the domain is better if it can be accurately conveyed and is likely to be retained when verbally communicated.

The main thing in that respect are numbers. Lots better if you don't have to say .... now thats the NUMBER TWO
when there's no chance to reinforce it visually say over the phone. Hence expression the phone test.

[johnblack]

I must be having a bit of blond day.

So you guys mean actually ring up the current owner?

[Durham_e]

No

We mean the domain name ideally should be as it is said.
Imagine you were telling someone about your site over the phone (completely verbally).

Say the domain is 2sew.com
You would have to say thats the number two and sew is as in stitch things together.
All that sort of explanation gets in the way of memory so it's nice to avoid.

[johnblack]

The light's just come on! Thanks guys!

[Green_Grass]

Check the Google quality score of the site, so that you can have the possibility of advertising and bringing some traffic to it , if required. With the changes in the G algo, this may turn out to be very important.

[percentages]

All I can add is a very, very, very small thing.....the business model.

A little like the NasDaq, who really cares about a business model these days?.....LMAO!

Buy as you wish.....but, I only buy PR6 sites for short-term goals....and pay accordingly!