1. If you can monitor the site BEFORE the owner is willing to sell, you can really asses the community
I know that it doesn't work for a forum you want to buy, after the owner has already started advertising their intention, but, if you're looking to buy out a competitor, always take a good hard look BEFORE even letting them know you're interested.
Most of the time a forum owner will try to work on some posting deals or do anything to show you the forum is active, even if it's not the case. When monitoring your competitor, try to see DAILY what's happening on their site. Write down how many new members they have, how many posts etc. Do your homework or you will lose money.
If the owner is announcing the sale, you can still do some assessing. Hit the new posts and see how the content looks for many days ago. Do you see a sudden increase in the activity in the past days? How active was the forum 3 weeks ago? Yes, with a little digging, you can still see this and make a correct estimate.
2. As a general rule, nobody is selling a very active forum with excellent revenue.
There are exceptions to this rule, but most of the time, when people decide to sell a forum they're either too involved with life/work (so they can't handle it anymore) or it's already dead. So, general rule: when someone is willing to sell, their site is already NOT doing too well.
Start with this in mind. Don't go blindly into a negotiation and understand that you are in an advantage here. And the forum you're about to buy is maybe doing tremendously well or, in most cases, is really going down and the owner is trying to cash out until it's too late.
3. Don't even think about buying unless you have REAL access to the stats, adsense revenue details, other advertising results etc.
Before finalizing any deal, insist on gaining access to the forum's statistics, AdSense revenue details, and other advertising results. Don't rely on images or data provided by the owner. They could be false or showing old statistics. Access to the actual Analytics account is crucial to understanding the forum's history and performance over time. Evaluate the SEO efforts, traffic sources, backlinks' quality, bounce rate, and other metrics to make an informed decision.
4. What should I look for in the forum stats?
Don't be swayed by big numbers alone when assessing a forum's value. Instead, focus on the quality of content and activity. Look for on-topic content and distinguish it from general chat, welcome threads, or irrelevant posts. The number of members who actively participate and contribute to meaningful discussions is more important than the total member count. Evaluate the forum's overall activity to determine its real worth. Remember; statistics mean nothing. You could have a forum with over a million posts but dead as a doorknob.
5. Last but not the least: features, design, script
The choice of forum script matters when purchasing a forum. Free scripts like SMF might require investment in a paid script and migration. A well-executed custom design can add value to the forum. Evaluate the features that make the forum stand out and set it apart from competitors.
6. Take your time to do a thorough review and ask for as many details as possible
Take your time to conduct a thorough review of the forum and request all relevant details from the owner. Access to site statistics, revenue, and other important information is your right as a potential buyer. Perform an SEO audit to understand the forum's current performance and future potential. Search online for the owner's name to check for any issues or complaints related to the forum.
If the owner doesn't like it, let him sell to someone else. Don't pay for something you don't really know a lot about.
7. You will not get a fully active forum and will surely not retain 100% of the members
Understand that acquiring a forum doesn't mean retaining 100% of its active members. In many cases, a small percentage of active members will stay, and some might even feel disconnected or betrayed by the change in ownership. Be prepared for the likelihood of a drop in activity and focus on nurturing the remaining engaged members. As I said before, most people do not sell a forum in its prime, there is a reason for the sale. Don't fall into the statistics trap, that 'huge' forum you see at first can prove to be a big statistics forum with almost no current activity. Members who are no longer active will surely not be interested to work under you anyway, that's if they even bother visit the site under the current owner.
Imagine I would buy out a fellow admin forum. 70% of the 'on topic' threads (am not planning to pay for chit chat, that I can do for free) are similar, since we're not reinventing the wheel here, nor do they reinvent it on their forums. So you're not being left with 100% of the members or the posts in the end.
8. So, in the end, how to I assess a forum?
Assess the forum's overall value based on various factors such as domain name, search engine positioning, script quality, design, activity, and content. Don't get carried away by post counts; instead, focus on the quality and relevance of the content. Use a comprehensive evaluation to determine a fair price for the forum and negotiate accordingly.
Is the content really good or will you have to throw it all away? If you see 1000 on topic posts (that you should be paying for) and the owner is asking for hundreds of dollars, maybe you could just BUY THE POSTS from private content writers. At around 10 cents / post as you can get many posters to offer (or similar prices), you'd pay 100 bucks and not have to waste time with an overpriced forum.
9. Still want to buy? Now you can set a correct price offer
Be cautious when buying forums outside of specialized marketplaces and demand full disclosure from the seller. Plan carefully, know exactly what you're paying for, and act professionally throughout the process to make a successful and informed purchase.
Remember, buying a forum requires careful assessment and planning. Taking the time to thoroughly understand the forum's history and potential will help you make a wise investment decision. I like to say that a forum's worth is just as a buyer is willing to give. It's all in the eyes of the buyer and, guess what, you're the buyer. Good luck with your forum purchase!
Looking forward to your experiences and of course additions to this article
