Empire Flippers Podcast

Creating a website that generates a steady stream of revenue is goal number one for the majority of site owners.  The challenge is leveling your site up further, to where the money you make from your site can replace your main source of income.  Teaching people to do exactly that is Ricky Kesler’s passion. Ricky is the co-founder of Income School, an educational platform that teaches website owners how to build profitable blogs and YouTube channels that provide a reliable source of income.  In this episode, Ricky joins us to discuss why focusing on building authority is the best way to create a profit-generating website. Building authority not only helps your site rank better on Google but also makes accumulating backlinks that much easier.  “Five or six years ago, just writing good content was enough. But now, in addition to good content, it’s grown more and more important to have authority of some kind.”  According to Ricky, there are two main areas to focus on when building authority, topical authority and industry authority. You can build topical authority through a depth of content. Instead of focusing on surface-level topics in your niche, pick 1-3 niched-down categories that you can dive deeper into. Writing an extensive amount of content will help you become an authority in these subcategories before expanding into the wider niche.  Second, build authority and renown in your industry by writing guest posts, or even better, appearing on relevant podcasts. This will help you become a known name in your niche and, as an added bonus, will help you build relevant backlinks to your site.  Ricky also walks us through the key building blocks you should put in place when starting a site from scratch, how to leverage YouTube to grow your audience, and he shares several powerful growth strategies you can use to level up your site. This episode has all the information you need to grow your website from a side hustle to a money-making machine! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Ricky’s background and the origins of Income School (02:57) How Ricky goes about building authority for his sites (06:34) The key building blocks needed to create an authoritative site (12:31) Additional growth strategies you can use to build your site (17:31) The optimum number of websites to have in your portfolio (21:44) The criteria you should look for when buying websites (24:43) How Ricky knew it was time to sell some of his sites (28:46) SEO myths and misconceptions that you should avoid (32:40) How to use YouTube to build an audience (37:55) Ricky breaks down the ins and outs of his Project 24 course (43:44) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Income School Project 24 Epic Gardening Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build an income-generating website by growing your site’s authority.

Building and maintaining a handful of websites is enough to keep most SEOs extremely busy. But is there a way to build a large portfolio of sites that can generate a passive monthly income?  As Luke Luke Van Der Veer discovered, this can be achieved using the rank and rent business model.  Luke builds high-ranking, lead-generating websites that target profitable niches. He then rents these sites to business owners who can take advantage of the leads. After investing a few hours into building and ranking the sites, the majority of Luke’s work is done. He can then sit back and enjoy the recurring rental income that the sites bring in.  In this episode, Luke sits down with us to discuss the rent and rank business model in detail. He walks us through how he scaled his business to include 100+ rank and rent sites, how he outsources work, and the fee structure he used to get to a 6-figure monthly income.  For those who are just starting out in rank and rent, Luke breaks down how to source clients for your sites, which niches can be money pits, and the mindset entrepreneurs need to adopt to make a success of this business model.  Luke also sheds light on the strategies he uses to get his sites to rank, including using Google My Business, the ins and outs of citations, and how to use blog comments and PBNs to build up his sites’ backlink profiles.  If you are skilled in SEO but don’t have the time or resources to maintain a traditional content site, then rank and rent may be the solution you’ve been searching for. Grab your notebook and pick up invaluable tips and tricks from the industry leader in rank and rent websites! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Luke’s background and how he ended up in the online business world (03:30) A breakdown of how the rent and rank business model works (06:50) How Luke goes about finding clients to rent his sites (12:40) Why Luke prefers to work within the home services niche (15:55) The common mistakes people make with rank and rent (17:25) The benefits of ranking on Google My Business (20:06) Why you should wait until your address is verified before doing citations (28:22) How Luke uses blog comments and PBNs as a backlink strategy (30:25) How Luke structures the fees for his services (35:26) Examining the earning potential of rank and rent (39:35) Why Luke is diversifying his business with brick-and-mortar real estate (45:15) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Luke's Website Rental Coaching  Side Hustle Nation Online Jobs  CallRail Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build a passive income using the rank and rent strategy!

Attracting a high volume of traffic to your site means very little if your traffic isn’t converting into sales. So, how do you turn window shoppers into paying customers?  According to Chris Silvestri, it’s all about positioning.  Chris is the founder of Conversion Alchemy, an agency that combines copywriting and UX design with clever digital psychology tricks to help SaaS business owners improve their website conversions.  In this episode, Chris joins us to reveal what he believes is the root of most conversion problems - many SaaS entrepreneurs don’t fully understand their audience.  Chris explains that achieving product-market fit is not enough on its own. You need to narrow down your target audience and truly understand what drives them. This knowledge feeds your positioning, helping you create a website that clearly communicates why consumers should purchase your product.  Chris goes on to explain the different categories he covers when compiling audience research and how to use this data to inform the copy on your site. According to Chris,  “There are three categories of messaging that you should have on your site. First, is motivation - what brings customers to your site, and does your product provide what they need? Second, is value - are the features and solutions your product provides made clear on your site? Finally, address consumer anxiety by countering objections and instilling trust.” Chris also sheds some light on the common mistakes SaaS owners make when writing copy for their sites and the essential features every good SaaS site should have. If you’re looking for that extra push that will convince consumers to stop browsing and start buying, then follow Chris’s advice on how to optimize your SaaS product positioning. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Chris shares a brief overview of his entrepreneurial journey so far (02:06) The unique challenges SaaS owners face when it comes to copywriting (06:08) Why many SaaS owners don’t fully understand their audience (09:20) The framework Chris uses to conduct audience research (10:26) The features every good SaaS site should have (13:05) How often you should revisit your brand positioning (18:00) How to narrow down which audience you should focus on (19:40) Common mistakes SaaS owners make when writing copy for their sites (25:55) Product problems are often audience problems in disguise (30:59) The toughest obstacles Chris faced when building Conversion Alchemy (33:50) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Conversion Alchemy Capterra G2 Alchemy by Rory Sutherland Hotjar Conversion Crimes Fathom Copy Hackers The NN Group MECLABS Institute Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to correctly position your SaaS product to increase conversions!

Sometimes, consumers need a little nudge to convince them to add your product to their checkout cart.  You could try using discounts and promotions to lure consumers in, but these techniques aren’t always sustainable and can eat into your bottom line. So what strategies can you use instead? Nancy Harhut believes the answer lies in neuromarketing. Nancy is the Co-Founder and CCO of HBT Marketing, an agency that blends creativity with behavioral science to drive consumer engagement. Through many years of research, Nancy has learned that consumer behavior often isn’t rational. Instead, people are driven by hard-wired, instinctive and emotional responses. By tapping into behavioral science techniques, entrepreneurs can trigger these instinctive responses to boost conversions.  In this episode, Nancy joins us to explain the science behind consumer decision-making and walks us through how to use concepts like the authority principle, social proof, and loss aversion to increase purchase intent. According to Nancy,  “Behavioral scientists have found that people are twice as motivated to avoid the pain of loss as they are to achieve the pleasure of gain. So as a marketer, you should inject a little well-placed loss aversion. Instead of saying “Take advantage of”, try saying “Don’t miss out on”. That’s what people really pay attention to because people hate to lose out.” Don’t risk missing out on any more sales! Use Nancy’s expert advice to gain an advantage over your competitors and stand out from the crowd. (See what we did there?) Topics Discussed in This Episode: Nancy’s entrepreneurial background and the origins of HBT Marketing (03:45) Neuromarketing and behavioral science and how it applies to marketing (08:43) The topics Nancy’s book covers and how it can help marketers (15:40) How Nancy created a 13% increase in purchase intent for one of her clients (17:41) Top techniques to trigger emotional responses in your customers (20:54) How different demographics respond to neuromarketing techniques (31:17) Common mistakes people make when attempting to use neuromarketing (35:01)  Cringy marketing techniques you should avoid (37:47) What inspired Nancy to write her book Using Behavioural Science in Marketing (44:38) Changes and trends that have influenced marketing over the last few years (48:35) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  HBT Marketing Using Behavioural Science in Marketing by Nancy Harhut  The believing Brain by Michael Shermer Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to increase purchase intent through behavioral marketing.

While every business faces its own unique challenges, many early-stage SaaS startups share common characteristics that can dictate their success or downfall. Figuring out what makes these startups thrive and what causes them to crumble requires years of expertise and industry knowledge. Having invested in and worked with over 450 pre-seed & seed stage SaaS startups, Marvin Liao has certainly earned his stripes when it comes to identifying and nurturing profitable and sustainable SaaS businesses. In this episode, Marvin joins us to discuss everything early-stage SaaS founders should be doing. He provides actionable tips and advice including focusing on a narrowed-down, niche audience, remembering to listen to your gut instead of relying solely on data, and waiting until your business is more established before raising growth capital. According to Marvin,  “I’ve found that, in general, bootstrap founders are better at running businesses. Money can be a crutch. You figure out business basics faster when you don't have a lot of money. It forces you to not waste time. So, bootstrap first, and then once you’ve gained traction and have a better sense of what you're building and who you're targeting - that’s the time to raise funding.” Marvin also touches on the common mistakes that SaaS founders make, like modeling themselves after industry giants, spreading their focus too thin instead of doubling down on what works, and undercharging for their software while it’s still a work in progress.  If your SaaS business is still in its infancy, then you can't afford to miss out on Marvin’s expert insights to help your business reach its full potential. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Why startups shouldn’t model themselves after business giants (02:00) Marvin explains why he’s the Forest Gump of Silicon Valley (15:04) Why early-stage SaaS founders should focus on bootstrapping instead of VC funding (20:55) How to balance data-driven decisions with creative “gut-driven” decisions (28:58)  What SaaS founders get wrong when pricing their products (31:26) The benefits of focusing on a narrow, niche audience as a startup (35:34) The common mistakes SaaS founders make when trying to scale (38:54) The criteria Marvin looks at when investing in a business (40:20) It’s easier than ever to create a successful SaaS startup (45:37) The best professional advice Marvin has ever been given or heard (50:38) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  The Hard Fork by Marvin Liao The Next Big Blue-Collar Job Is Coding Conversion Crimes Wayback Machine Justine Musk’s Quora post Sit back, grab a coffee, and listen in as we pick the brain of an early-stage SaaS expert!

For many entrepreneurs, the road to success is a long and winding one, with each milestone helping you prepare for the next leg of your journey.  Dom Wells's journey is no exception. Unsatisfied with his job as a teacher, he began building websites. This led to the creation of Human Proof Designs, a business that creates done-for-you starter websites for people looking to get into the content site game. The success and eventual exit of that business allowed Dom to begin acquiring higher-value websites. As he built a portfolio of his own, Dom was inspired to create Onfolio, a holding company that buys, grows and operates online businesses, particularly in the content niche.  In this episode, Dom joins us to reflect on his 10-year entrepreneurial journey, walking us through the process of selling Human Proof Designs and explaining how he knew it was the right time to exit the business. According to Dom, “Many entrepreneurs build successful 6 or 7-figure businesses because they’re really good at one thing, or they’re driven by sheer passion and force of will. The tough part is when you reach a plateau. Then you have to decide if you’re willing to push through and learn a new skill and think more strategically in order to level up, or if you’re going to use your existing skills to start over again.” We then shift our focus to Onfolio as Dom describes the evolution of his business’s service offering. Dom also explains the dangers of spreading yourself too thin and shares advice on how to structure your team to make sure nothing falls through the cracks as your business expands. Finally, Dom reveals what motivated him to take Onfolio public and the process involved in listing a business on Nasdaq.  With a decade of experience under his belt, Dom has a wealth of knowledge to share, so make sure you don’t miss a minute of this fascinating episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Dom reflects on his 10-year entrepreneurial journey and how he founded Onfolio (02:22) The reasons why Dom decided to leave Human Proof Designs (08:56) A breakdown of what Onfolio offers, and how it has evolved over the years (14:20) The criteria Dom looks at when buying a business for his portfolio (19:05) How Dom grew a $1.1 million business’s net profit by 50% in three months (24:31) The pros and cons of cross-business synergies and operating leverage (26:53) How Dom has structured his Onfolio team to make the best use of their skills (29:41) How Dom balances marketing the businesses in his portfolio vs marketing Onfolio (33:27) Why Dom decided to list Onfolio publicly and what the process involved (35:22) Dom’s goals for Onfolio moving forward (40:41) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Onfolio Human Proof Designs Empire Flippers Capital Before The Exit by Dan Andrews Ahrefs Semrush Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn valuable entrepreneurial lessons from a 10-year industry veteran!

When creating content for SaaS sites, “build it and they will come” is no longer an effective strategy.  In today’s competitive landscape where Google Algorithms rule the roost, SaaS owners need to employ clever SEO techniques to make sure they drive the right traffic to their content.  According to Alan Silvestri, link-building or “digital PR” is one of the most effective ways to get eyes on your content and boost your brand recognition. Alan is the Founder and CEO of Growth Gorilla, an agency that provides high-quality, no-nonsense content distribution and link-building outreach for SaaS companies. In this episode, Alan walks us through the tried and tested framework he uses to build high-converting links and how to modify this framework to suit the needs of different businesses.  Link-building doesn’t exist in a black hole, and if you want the best results, you’ll need to employ additional marketing and social media strategies to support your link-building efforts. According to Alan, “Effective link building starts with the preparation you do before you even start building links. The first thing, which is often overlooked, is to make sure that your content is top-notch. Then, focus on optimizing your internal linking structure because that can really help to make the most out of the links that you build.” Alan also warns that not all backlinks are good, explaining the desirable qualities and red flags SaaS owners should keep an eye out for, and why quality trumps quantity every time. If your blog content isn’t getting the recognition it deserves, then take note of Alan’s expert advice on how to open the traffic floodgates and build brand authority through strategic link building. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Alan shares insights into his background and how he ended up working in the SaaS industry (02:51) The unique challenges SaaS companies face when it comes to link building (08:33) The framework Alan uses to build links for SaaS businesses (11:11) How Alan adjusts his framework to suit individual business needs (16:14) The red flags SaaS owners should be aware of when it comes to link building (17:45) The effectiveness of quality vs quantity (22:28) The common link-building mistakes SaaS owners make (24:03) Alan’s take on the power of social media vs SEO for building brand authority (27:12) The interesting trends Alan has seen in the SEO industry (31:09) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Growth Gorilla Growth Gorilla Chrome extension Pitchbox Ahrefs Hunter.io Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to use link-building to drive more customers to your blog content!

When it comes to navigating the twists and turns of acquiring a business, particularly one in the 7-figure range, even the most seasoned entrepreneurs often find themselves in unfamiliar territory.  In this episode, Nate Ginsburg, a 10+ year online entrepreneur and investor gives us a behind-the-scenes look into his 7-figure acquisition of Centurica, a due diligence service that guides buyers through the complexities of assessing and purchasing web-based businesses. Nate walks us through the biggest pressure points of the acquisition, including how he approached the previous owner with an offer to purchase Centurica, how he financed the deal, and the support structure made available to him as a buyer.  He shares the biggest lessons he learned from the purchase and reveals the advice he would give himself if he had to do it all over again. According to Nate,  “My advice to buyers is, during your due diligence, spend some time looking into the nitty gritty parts of the operation to understand the deliverables you’ll have to build out when you take over the business. You should also try to engage the seller in as long of a transition and support period as possible.” We also dive into the different categories and components of buyer due diligence, how to overcome key-person risk, and we break down the hidden risks and opportunities that buyers can uncover with the right research.  If you’re considering buying an online business you can’t afford to miss out on Nate’s first-hand knowledge of the ins and outs of the acquisition process. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Nate walks us through his entrepreneurial background (02:14) A brief overview of Centurica and why Nate was inspired to acquire the business (06:30) Nate walks us through how he went about acquiring Centurica (09:22) The SBA loan process and how Nate determined the value of Centurica (12:41) Key-person risk and importance of hiring the right team (15:33) The different categories and components of due diligence (29:54) Hidden risks and opportunities that can be uncovered during buyer due diligence (34:40) Why online businesses are a great investment (36:31) The biggest changes Nate has seen in the online business industry over the past few years (37:33) The advice Nate would give himself if he started his online journey all over again (40:13) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Centurica SellerPlex Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn the importance of buyer due diligence when acquiring an online business. 

This week we revisit one of our most eye-opening episodes where we learn first-hand what it's like to buy and sell a 7-figure online business. Many entrepreneurs dream of making a seven-figure exit from their online businesses, but few people understand the logistics, high emotion, and intense negotiations that go into a successful sale.  In this episode, we'll have a round table with the buyer and seller from a recent seven-figure deal to give you some unique insights into what it's really like to buy and sell an online business with Empire Flippers.  The seller, Wilson Dos Santos, owned a rapidly growing FBA business and was ready to quit the rat race to enjoy the spoils of his hard work. The buyer, well-known FBA aggregator Thrasio, represented by Acquisitions Manager Kevin Flaherty, saw the business as a prime opportunity for investment.  Wilson walks us through his journey as a seller, explaining what prompted him to sell his business at the height of its success, the ins and outs of the listing and negotiation process, and ultimately, how his life has changed for the better since selling the business.  Kevin gives us an insider’s perspective on what kind of FBA business catches the eyes of aggregators, how Thrasio vets potential acquisitions, and how they structure their offers to stand out from the competition. If you’re considering buying or selling an online business, you don’t want to miss a second of this special behind-the-scenes episode! Topics Discussed in this episode: Wilson shares a picture of the business he sold (4:12) The shadow of success - the stress that comes with building a profitable business (6:12) The moment Wilson realized his business had outgrown him (7:43) Wilson walks us through the valuation process (12:56) Why Thrasio enjoys working with Empire Flippers (15:02) What qualities will make your business attractive to an aggregator? (16:29) The high emotions when a seller's business goes live on our marketplace (21:23) The metrics Thrasio looks at when vetting a potential business acquisition (24:20)  Vetting potential buyers and the negotiation process (27:58) What made Thrasio’s offer stand out from the rest (31:51) Why Wilson’s business caught Thrasio’s attention (33:54) How Wilson’s life has changed since he sold his business (36:53) The benefits of using a broker when selling your business (44:32) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Free valuation tool Schedule a call with one of our expert sales advisers Sit back, grab a coffee, and get ready to take a sneak peek at the Empire Flipper’s buy and sell process!

While Greg gets his bearings after weeks of travel, we revisit another of our most popular episodes. Successfully scaling one online business is hard enough, but building out an entire portfolio of businesses is a challenge few entrepreneurs are able to overcome.  Not only did Simon Treulle knock this challenge out of the park, but he achieved this entrepreneurial milestone before the age of 24!  Simon is the founder of Pangolia, a business with multiple high-value brands and content sites under its umbrella. In this episode, Simon explains how building a strong network of mentors and fellow entrepreneurs helped him accelerate his success, and why maintaining good relationships with suppliers is key. According to Simon, “If you want to grow your content site, build good relationships with your affiliate managers. They are humans and they are in the business of relationships. Talk, help each other, and you’ll see your business grow.” Simon gives us insights into his entrepreneurial journey, including what inspired him to move from Denmark to Chaing Mai, the epicenter of SEO, when he was just 19. He walks us through the hard work and sacrifice that helped him achieve success, and why he chose to hone in on the pet niche when building out his portfolio. Speaking of his portfolio, Simon also discusses how he transitioned from building sites into buying them, what he looks for in new business acquisitions, and the benefits of consolidating multiple small websites into one big site. He also explains why he made the jump into eCommerce through his latest acquisition, Hepper, and reveals how he grew Hepper from 100 visitors per day to 40.000 readers per day.  If you want to know how to make the leap from owning one business to owning several, this episode is the perfect place to start! Topics Discussed in this episode: Simon walks us through his experience entering the world of online business (02:14) Why Simon decided to build a portfolio of businesses in the pet niche (12:14) How Simon transitioned from owning one business to running several (14:17) The benefits of running eCommerce and content site businesses in synergy (16:36) What qualities Simon looks for in a new business acquisition (18:46) How Simon adapted to running an eCommerce business alongside his content sites (23:53) How Simon grew the traffic on his eCommerce site from 100 daily visitors to 40,0000 (27:11) The key to successfully running multiple businesses simultaneously (31:22) Simon’s advice to entrepreneurs looking to replicate his success (32:04) Simon reveals what’s next, and his plans for growing his businesses further (37:23) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Pangolia Hepper Ahrefs Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to grow one content site into a powerful portfolio of online businesses.