Disadvantages of Buying a Blog

Jan 20, 2010 by Shivendu Madhava

We have already covered Advantages of Buying a Blog although there are many benefits, buying an existing blog is not always entirely free of problems.First of all, of course, there is the cost. Starting a blog is cheap, and buying a blog can be expensive. If you look at just dollar value there would be no competition; you have to look at it as an investment. Like all investments, value can go up or down, and history is not always a reliable indicator of future performance.

Even with the best deal, you might be starting over with an existing audience. How this goes depends on your approach and how open-minded the readers are. Blog subscribers do not always take to new writers; after all, the new guy is not who they signed on to read.

Loyalty here is both a boon and a bane; it is hard-won and easily lost. In many cases it is a good idea to keep the old writer(s) on long enough to transition, or longer if you can work out a deal all parties are happy with. It helps everyone, not just the audience, adjust and settle in.

In most financial deals there is an element of risk. Will it all go wrong? What happens if you buy something broken or misrepresented? Could the seller run off with your money? All you can do is try to mitigate any risks you identify, and these worries put a lot of people off trying.

Research is key—look into both the seller and the site. Just like a car, a blog has many interdependent moving parts. Knowing how they work is essential, or at least knowing an expert who will help you. On the surface everything could look nice and shiny, while under the hood there could be problems.Getting third and fourth opinions could pay dividends, but you never truly know what you have bought until it is yours.