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Flippa is essentially the Ebay of website selling. Users can list their websites for sale as well as shop for available websites. Entrepreneurs searching for a better URL can scroll through thousands of listings to find the ideal name to compliment their product or service. Individuals can use Flippa to create a web space to share information about themselves, their hobbies, or causes and organizations they support. Since Flippa is set up to run like an auction, users have the opportunity to buy highly sought after websites at a competitive price.

Although the name has changed, the mission has remained the same. Flippa was once the SitePoint website trading market place. Officially launched as Flippa in June of 2009, the website boasted a long list of auctions and a large community. The original business done on SitePoint was shifted to Flippa. This contributed significantly to Flippa’s fast popularity and sizable growth.

Flippa is not like other auction websites because of its focus on the product sold here. The Ebay-style listings found on Flippa allow users to monitor price changes and variations. This in turn makes room for a better understanding of the current market and how to price websites. This is not just a site for massive companies; the bids start as low as $1 and go up from there.

Flippa offers a very bare bones layout that works well for this kind of website. You do not have to wade through advertisements to find the actual user listings. A pleasant minty green and light blue color scheme compliments the minimalist website design. You will not get a lot of bells and whistles with Flippa, but this works in the site’s favor. Those who come to buy and sell websites can do so without distractions or difficult navigation.

After clicking the sign up link on the home page and entering your email address, a username and password, Flippa requires an email confirmation. Once the emailed link has been clicked, new users can then gain access to Flippa listings and activity feeds. More detail can be added to user profiles; however it is not a requirement for buying and selling.

Account creation on Flippa is completely free. However, there are some costs involved if you plan to use the site’s features. Users can purchase Flippa credits in $30, $50, $100, $150 and $200 increments using Paypal or credit cards. These credits can then be used to place bids and make purchases. Auctions require listing fees which can quickly add up. The base rate is just under $20 for the creation of a single auction. Should the auction sell, there is a 5% success fee taken out of the seller’s earnings. The success fee minimum is $5 while the success fee cap is nearly $500. That means the average user can expect to pay no less than $25 just to post their website for sale on Flippa. There are also auction upgrades available at rather high prices, such as $5 for a bold title or highlight, or $8 for a row border. For $50, the auction can be “tweeted” to Flippa buyers who have registered their Twitter account. These luxuries are of course, not required for selling, but still rather pricy for the average user.

Almost anyone who is selling a website or looking to purchase one would find utility in Flippa. The only downside is the cost, which some private sellers may consider prohibitive. Businesses or individuals with a decent amount of extra income may not mind the fees. Plus, there are always options to go with a watered down auction, which can reduce some of the nickel and dime charges that might turn some users away.

• Marketplace to buy and sell websites
• A number of auction-selling options that can draw attention to a listing
• A large, well established customer base that keeps this virtual marketplace active and full of potential buyers and sellers
• Paypal payment option for secure Flippa credit purchases that can easily be controlled and monitored
• A Flippa blog that shares information about getting the most out of website sales
• Domain sales tab for the buying and selling of domains

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