When selling a website in 2021, would you give access to Google Analytics before you've been paid?

[GNews]

As we all know, there's tons of reverse engineers in 2021 (see post)

Many are proud of their ability to simply steal ideas / copy the innovators and make a buck. To each their own.

I've tried selling some projects on Flipping Website facebook group and as I see there's some serious buyers there, the vast bulk just want to know what you're doing and have 0% intention of purchasing.

If their process is just 'Let me see your site' or 'let me see your keywords," i dont even entertain discussion. Serious buyers don't do this.

However, i'm lso debating. In 2021, there's technology to analyze sites. Should you even give access to your Google analytics before a person has paid for the website or at least given a deposit ?

Would love to hear opinions on this.

 

[coredev]

As a buyer, if you wouldn't give me access to your website stats, I would think that is suspicious and you are hiding something. I would move on.

 

[DarkRed]

Serious buyers will always ask for Analytics access. If you want to filter some of the "spies" maybe ask them to sign a NDA and ask for proof of funds.

 

[MrMedia]

Would you buy a website without access to GA?

 

[gschmidtus]

As a buyer it would be red flag I couldn't get GA access before the purchase. The reverse engineering argument has some validity but most information to reverse engineer seems to be available through tools like ahrefs, etc. anyway.

 

[GNews]

@gschmidtus @MrMedia @DarkRed @coredev

When part of a community like BuSo. Would you expect more integrity from a seller, who's established on the board, knowing they had something to lose?

My site sales all previously came without giving access to Analytics directly. If there was a midddle-man in my deals, they would confirm stats but still, never gave them access to Google-Anlytics

The buyers were just serious in knowing what they wanted. One of my early repeat buyers is now a silent owner of instacart. Just a very skilled guy who knew what he was buying, before you could explain what you were selling.

 

[secretagentdad]

well I dont use ga or anything unless it comes preinstalled on the server...
I guess I'm never gonna sell anything. #peasantlife

Build and hold it is.

 

[bernard]

I did consider myself to ask for a deposit of $200 to get access to analytics, to be refunded by a binding bid, but I decided against it.

 

[Potatoe]

Would you expect more integrity from a seller, who's established on the board, knowing they had something to lose?

No.

I mean, maybe to some degree, but not to the point that I'd take the risk of buying a site without seeing any proof that it is what they say it is.

"Just trust me, bro. Source: me." isn't very compelling anymore. Someone having a big name on a forum used to influence me, but eventually you start to realize that a lot of them are paper tigers, or the Wizard of Oz hiding behind a curtain of social proof and self-aggrandizing. The mask always slips eventually, and once you've seen it a few times, the whole idea of "being an established poster" starts to carry a lot less weight.

There are plenty of people who seem cool on forums and end up being irredeemable pieces of shit or flat out frauds. Also, people change, someone who may have been legit at one point when easy money is bring printed, runs into some issues, and tries to leverage their good name for quick cash. Even fairly recently, someone who I'd trusted with ~40k at one point, couldn't be trusted with $400 today.

On the other hand, there's also at least one fairly established site buyer who is B L A T A N T L Y ripping off people's sites when the deals don't go through, so there's always that... OP's concern here isn't unfounded at all.

But to answer the main question directly, no I wouldn't buy a site without seeing analytics first. I guess you could make analytics access part of Escrow if you want to make sure they're serious?

 

[Ryuzaki]

Protecting yourself is a must. That goes for the buyer and the seller.

But bottom line, as a buyer, if the seller refuses to allow me to do my due diligence, then there's no deal, period.

As a seller, I'm not going to post my site on Flippa and add every dunce in the comment section to the analytics account either.

This is where 3rd party brokers come into play, where they can verify everything is kosher and have you join them in creating a prospectus that includes analytics information (but not every single bit of it). Combine that with having the potential buyer signing a non-disclosure agreement and the broker being willing to back it up and take it to court, and also using Escrow to transfer the payment, and every one should feel safe enough. Especially if there's an earn-out plan in place.

But even without a broker, you can provide screenshots or even a screen recording to help alleviate concern. Clearly in that case the seller simply doesn't want to divulge all the information, and that's not only understandable but smart. Because have fun chasing down an NDA breach across international waters, etc.

I agree that asking for a deposit that is refunded upon a serious bid or purchase is good. It's a tiny hurdle that will stop 99% of the dummies trying to copy you. I wouldn't even reveal the domain to anyone that hasn't put down the deposit, if I was rolling with this scenario.

But when working with a broker, who cares, because you're nearly guaranteed to get the sale and then it's out of your hands anyways, and anyone who reaaally wants to copy you doesn't need your analytics, when they have stuff like Ahrefs and Semrush and Moz and whatever other data collectors out there to sift through.

Also, people change, someone who may have been legit at one point when easy money is bring printed, runs into some issues, and tries to leverage their good name for quick cash

Yeah, this is really sad to see. Another similar issue besides addiction or whatever that creates this is the general greedy exit scammer. I've seen it a ton of times.

Guy grows a reputation on a forum, realizes he's going to quit internet marketing and take a day job, and does the exit scam, as in he's exiting the industry but only he knows it. So he hypes up some launch (keeps it small because if it's too big he's going to be in trouble) then starts taking orders. People announce they ordered, he thanks them, welcomes more orders, says progress is going good and the deliverables will go out soon, takes more orders, and then *POOF* he's gone with the wind.

I've seen people that I trusted with my own sites, spoke on the phone with them, even digitally met their fiancé... you just never know what somebody has in their heart when they think they won't be held accountable.

 

[MrMedia]

Guy grows a reputation on a forum, realizes he's going to quit internet marketing and take a day job, and does the exit scam, as in he's exiting the industry but only he knows it. So he hypes up some launch (keeps it small because if it's too big he's going to be in trouble) then starts taking orders. People announce they ordered, he thanks them, welcomes more orders, says progress is going good and the deliverables will go out soon, takes more orders, and then *POOF* he's gone with the wind.

I've seen people that I trusted with my own sites, spoke on the phone with them, even digitally met their fiancé... you just never know what somebody has in their heart when they think they won't be held accountable.

This and this again. After 7 months I finally have MOST of the money back that I sent a person here as part of a new biz deal.

Reputation means shit on a forum. I only got my money back when I threatened to expose their BS for the world to see and that seemed to do the trick.

Be careful boys

 

[GNews]

This and this again. After 7 months I finally have MOST of the money back that I sent a person here as part of a new biz deal.

Reputation means shit on a forum. I only got my money back when I threatened to expose their BS for the world to see and that seemed to do the trick.

Be careful boys

Do you feel there was more due diligence you could have done vs the blame being strictly on them?

 

[MrMedia]

Do you feel there was more due diligence you could have done vs the blame being strictly on them?

This was not a traditional website deal so the answer is no. I trusted a long established reputation and that was taken advantage of. A great shame really but you live and learn.

Some very odd people in this business.

Lesson learned. It will not happen again.

 

[GNews]

This was not a traditional website deal so the answer is no. I trusted a long established reputation and that was taken advantage of. A great shame really but you live and learn.

Some very odd people in this business.

Lesson learned. It will not happen again.

Was it taken advantage of or someone with lack of experience making a big mistake ?

If they are paying you back, I'd think it wasn't quite done with bad intention

 

[bernard]

Some very odd people in this business.

Yes.

I don't mind odd people though, but I mind bullshitters, and the nature of this online business, means you might get a completely wrong idea about what people are doing and their success doing it.

 

[MrMedia]

Was it taken advantage of or someone with lack of experience making a big mistake ?

If they are paying you back, I'd think it wasn't quite done with bad intention

Lol. Your karmic views of the universe are not aligned with my thinking. Good luck though.

 

[GNews]

Lol. Your karmic views of the universe are not aligned with my thinking. Good luck though.

I studied different psychologies for a while and have a natural knack for personalities.

I never met a guy with bad intent giving a refund like that honestly with such an easy exit. But i dont know the whole story to speak but immediately find it interesting.

 

[Ryuzaki]

I studied different psychologies for a while and have a natural knack for personalities.

I never met a guy with bad intent giving a refund like that honestly with such an easy exit. But i dont know the whole story to speak but immediately find it interesting.

I've seen it quite a few times.

When a dozen people are all having their banks file chargebacks and are talking to their local government agencies about wire fraud, scammers are reaaal quick to explain their misunderstanding and pay back the money.

You think a small time scammer who knows he did what he did and left a chat log paper trail is going to keep charging onward if the person he scammed is having a lawyer send him letters?

You don't have a knack for anything in the context of this conversation. You have zero details about the possible scammer, the deal that went down, nor their personalities. None of us do.

But you seem overly interested in undermining MrMedia's story and siding with the potential bad guy while pretending to be able to read the bad guy's mind while also placing the blame on the victim.

 

[GNews]

^ right.

that's why i wrote: But i dont know the whole story to speak but immediately find it interesting.

No desire at all to side.

I just wonder if could he have played his cards better when entering the deal. Was it avoidable.

Sounds intense though. Has this person not been exposed on the forum?