Seller prep checklist: what buyers ask for
Most small website sales stall at the same point. A buyer is interested, asks for proof, and the seller takes a week to pull it together. By then the buyer has moved on. Preparing the evidence before you list is the cheapest way to sell faster and defend your asking price.
This checklist covers the documents and access buyers ask for when they look at a blog, content site or small website business, and how to present them in your listing.
Why preparation matters more on small sales
On Money Nomad, the team reviews every listing before it goes live, to check it's complete and a good fit. It doesn't audit your figures. Due diligence is the buyer's job, so buyers will check everything themselves.
Money Nomad's own buyer pages tell them to. The under $50k page says: "ask the seller for proof of revenue before you make an offer". The FBA page says: "Ask for Seller Central screenshots and a profit and loss statement". So expect those requests and have the answers ready.
1. Financials
- Monthly P&L for at least 12 months. Revenue by source, then every cost: hosting, software, writers, editors, ads and tools.
- Revenue proof for each source. Ad network, affiliate programme, Stripe, PayPal or sponsorship invoices. Be ready to screen-share each dashboard live.
- Add-backs listed separately. If you've added back your own time or a one-off cost, say what it was and why.
- Explanations for unusual months. Spikes, dips, a lost affiliate programme, a price change. A buyer who finds an unexplained dip will assume the worst.
In your listing: give average monthly revenue and profit, say which months that average covers, and break revenue down by source. Say proof is available on request.
2. Traffic
- Analytics for at least 12 months, ready to screen-share or give read-only access
- Google Search Console, showing clicks, impressions and top queries
- Traffic split by source: organic, social, email, referral, paid
- Notes on any algorithm hits and how traffic has recovered, if it has
- Top pages by traffic and by revenue, so buyers can see concentration
In your listing: state monthly visitors (or pageviews, saying which), the main sources and the trend. If traffic has dropped, say so plainly. Buyers will find it anyway.
3. Assets and ownership
- Domain: registrar, expiry date, and confirmation you can transfer it
- Hosting and CMS: where the site runs, and the theme and key plugins (including paid licences and whether they transfer)
- Content: number of posts and pages, who wrote them, and confirmation you hold the rights
- Images: your own, or stock with licences that allow transfer
- Email list: size, platform, and whether your privacy terms allow it to move to a new owner
- Social accounts: platforms, follower counts, and whether each platform allows handing over the account
- Affiliate and ad accounts: these are often tied to you personally, so say which ones the buyer will need to reapply for
- Contractors: writers or VAs who may stay on, and their rates
In your listing: add a plain "What's included" list. Ambiguity about assets leads to arguments late in the deal.
4. Operations
- Hours per week, and what you spend them on
- A short standard operating procedure: how content is published, how deals are managed, which tools are used
- Monthly running costs, separate from the P&L, so a buyer sees the bills they'll inherit
- Support you'll offer after the sale, such as a set number of weeks of email support
In your listing: state the hours honestly. "About five hours a week, mostly editing and publishing" is more useful than "passive".
5. Risks, stated upfront
Every business has some. Naming them builds trust and saves time.
- Reliance on one affiliate programme, ad network or traffic source
- Recent drops in traffic or revenue
- Anything that depends on you personally (your name, face or relationships)
- Content that's ageing and needs updating
In your listing: add a short "Risks" section. Buyers who still enquire after reading it are more likely to be serious.
How to present it all in a listing
A clear listing usually follows this order:
- Summary: what the business is, how it makes money and why you're selling
- Figures: average monthly revenue and profit, the period they cover, and the revenue breakdown
- Traffic: monthly visitors, sources and trend
- What's included: the full asset list
- Operations: hours a week and what's involved
- Risks and opportunities: honest on both
- Proof: what you can show buyers on request
Add screenshots where the sell form allows them. Money Nomad's sell page asks for "your business metrics, screenshots, and asking price". Make sure the screenshots match the figures you've typed in.
After you list
On Money Nomad, buyers contact you from the listing page, and their messages reach you by email. Reply quickly, offer a screen-share early, and use escrow when you agree a deal. Money Nomad's FAQ says the payment and asset transfer are handled between buyer and seller, and recommends escrow for larger transactions. You can edit your listing from the dashboard at any time, so update the figures as new months come in.
Money Nomad charges a one-time $297 listing fee and no commission. For how that compares with other marketplaces, see marketplace fees compared. If you're selling an Amazon business, read how to sell an Amazon FBA business under $50k.
Ready? List your business.
FAQ
How do I sell my blog? Prepare 12 months of financials and traffic data, list exactly what's included, then list it on a marketplace and answer buyer questions with live proof. Use escrow for payment.
What documents do buyers ask for when buying a website? Usually a monthly P&L, proof of each revenue source, analytics and Search Console access, a list of assets and confirmation that you own them and can transfer them.
Does Money Nomad check my figures? The team reviews every listing before it goes live, to check it's complete and a good fit, but doesn't audit your figures. Buyers carry out their own due diligence.
Can I update my listing after it goes live? Yes. Money Nomad's FAQ says you can edit your listing from your dashboard at any time.