Online business platform transfer
Domain Name
The domain name is an important asset of a modern business. It reflects the brand and the place online where the online business can be found. Over the years, your business gets bigger and the domain name represents some of the value. This is because people remember the name (URL), but also because you will collect links to your website, which help ensure findability. But by far the most important thing is position in Google. If you are on page 1 in the results (or even in position 1, 2 or 3) for your most important keywords, that will provide free traffic; a valuable asset in this day and age. After all, competition for the top positions in Google is fierce.
Software
An online business needs software to function. When you transfer the software package, the customer data and order history are automatically transferred to the new owner. There are many online business software packages, roughly divided into 2 main groups:
1. Self-hosted - Do you use your own server with a hosting provider? Then that's a self-hosted online business. This usually applies to online businesses such as Magento and Woocommerce. You may also have built a online business yourself or had it built for you. These often predate the time when well-known open source packages became usable.
- Open Source - If your online business uses an open source package, it is important that its own changes, themes, customizations are well documented. Ask the relevant web builder / webmaster / technical staff to write down as much information as possible. After all, an undocumented system is a risk for the potential buyer.
- Self-built - With self-built systems, documentation is even more important. Self-built systems can be (have been) useful for example for businesses in specific industries where standard packages do not suffice (think of product configuration tools). Also, in the past it may have been more economical to link a self-built online buisness to an existing site. In general, these days a fully self-built online business is only useful for large multinationals with hefty ERP systems, to which the online business will be linked. For SMEs, an Open Source or SaaS solution will almost always work out better. If you want to sell your self-built online business, it is therefore important that it is easily transferable. Make sure you have good documentation. But have you outsourced the build & management to an IT company? Then such a maintenance cont(r)act can also be included in the sale.
2. Software as a Service (SaaS) - In recent years, parties like Lightspeed and CCVshop have become enormously popular to start an online business in. The costs are very clear and manageable, and you can build a beautiful online business without too much technical knowledge. It is also possible to grow within these platforms, although many online businesses from a certain turnover often choose a self-hosted solution. These SaaS solutions are very transferable and provide limited risk for the buyer.
Hosting
With SaaS, hosting is included in the monthly fee, but if you have built your own or are using an open source package, the server (or hosting account) is generally rented or leased. What happens a lot with companies that have been around longer is that there is a range of website(s), landing pages and domain names. All mixed on 1 server or 1 account. If you are selling your entire business, be sure you can transfer the entire server (check that no vacation photos, ZIPs, etc. are left behind). Will your business continue to exist? Then set up a completely separate hosting account for the online business to be sold and start collecting everything belonging to the online business there at an early stage. A good transfer document here, increases security for the buying party. An independent it-scan by a third party can also certainly help.
Remember, that in addition to the domain name, the e-mail (history) also belongs to the sale. Make sure that personal and sensitive emails do not go with the history. This applies to private matters. A dispute with a customer or supplier from the past should of course not be hidden, about that openness is best.
Social Media
An online business is more than just a site. Linked Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts also contribute to the brand and value. So these should be part of the sale.
Affiliate & other accounts
Adwords - Advertising platform, make sure it is on the right name (company)
Consider further: Feedbackcompany, Beslist, BOL, Tradetracker, Daisycon.