Are you looking for a way to safely and easily transfer your website to another person? If so, you have come to the right place. The following tips and techniques will explain how to avoid common issues associated with website transitions.

Escrow

If you will be transferring your website to a new owner, you should use an escrow service. Escrow protects both the buyers and the sellers in any transaction. It allows the buyer a chance to inspect the website before their money is released to the seller. The seller, on the other hand, is guaranteed payment for their website. One of the most popular third-party services used to sell domains is Escrow.com. This service is a government licensed; so, both you and the seller can rest assured that your money is protected. So, either use a site with escrow or use an external escrow agent such as Elemental Cosec.

If you buy or sell a website on a non-escrow site, such as eBay, you have no protection against fake identities, insufficient funds, chargebacks and fake credit cards. There are many dishonest people out there who lie about what they are offering. If you have a dispute with one of these non-escrow sites, the resolution process takes longer and is much harder to get a satisfactory resolution. You can save yourself from these issues by using a professional escrow service.

Do Your Research

When you are thinking of buying or selling a website, you should carefully research the information. Be wary if it seems there are details missing or if the information seems exaggerated. Read the agreement beforehand carefully. The buyer should receive a detailed report explaining the stats, revenue and traffic the website is generating.

* Tip: A website with a higher asking price should include detailed information and documentation about the website’s statistics. Protect yourself by verifying the information. If this information is not provided, ask for it. Although this sounds like common sense, many people do not ask for this information and simply take a person’s word as truth. Save yourself the trouble and verify all information beforehand.

Understand You Are Buying or Selling a Website

It is essential that you understand you are buying a website, not a company. Sellers should be listing the information about the website and its statistics instead of information about the company. As a buyer, you should understand that the only thing that you will be purchasing is a website, no a brand or a company.

When you are considering purchasing a website, you need to determine if the website is successful because of the site or the owner of the site. Many people are surprised when they buy a successful website and then its success begins to decline. This is because the new owner does not understand how to make and keep a website running successfully. Here are some good tips.

Social Media Cannot Be Sold

Many people do not realize that Facebook pages and twitter handles cannot be sold. Therefore, the affiliated social media accounts associated with the domain is non-transferable.

If you see a website that lists the statistics and pricing of social media accounts, beware. If you purchase such a site and purchase these accounts, you can be permanently banned from using the social media site.  Transferring of social media accounts must be free and not included in the sale of a website.

Be Nice!

If an issue arises during the sale of a website, both you and the other party will enter into arbitration. If this occurs, you should be respectful and work with one another to resolve the issues. Do not turn ugly and begin sending nasty emails or voicemails. In fact, you should never contact the other party except through the escrow company and the arbitration firm. Contacting the other party can actually damage your case.

Escrow protects both parties and all communications should be done through this site. The company’s arbitration committee will research and settle the dispute.