beginners_shouldnt_buy_websiteWhen first starting out online, many beginners think that the best way to get started is to buy an existing affiliate site.

I’m here to convince you otherwise.

I firmly believe that buying an existing site is not the right move for a beginner, because you’re likely either to fall for a scam, purchase a site that isn’t useful to you, or wind up with a site that you don’t know how to grow.

Affiliate marketing isn’t hard to learn, so if you’re just starting out it’s better to take the time to invest in your own education, so that you can see real returns down the road.

Scams and Pitfalls When Buying A Site

The first major pitfall that beginners fall into is looking for sites that are too good to be true.

It’s easy to look at advertised earnings numbers and say “hey, I can make my money back in 8 months and then make 10% per month after that!”

But, if the site were really that good a deal, why would the owner be selling it?

In general, anything that is for sale for an advertised price less than 2-3 times the annual earnings is something to be leery of.

Faking revenue numbers or site traffic growth isn’t hard to do for a sophisticated scam artist, so always look cautiously and be sure to verify any information that you see advertised.

Useless Sites and Lack of Growth Potential

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great deals to be had when buying affiliate websites, but you need to know what you’re doing in order to find them.

Even if the site you buy is a valid site with good earnings potential, as a beginner it’s unlikely that you’ll have the skills or expertise necessary to turn the site into the cash cow it could be.

This means that you’ll miss easy opportunities for expansion and growth, making it hard for you to generate a solid return on your investment.

You’re Better Off Investing In Yourself

Instead, the best option is to invest your time in learning the ropes.. There are a couple of great beginner courses that will teach you the basics of how to build a profitable affiliate site from scratch.

If you take a few months and build a profitable site yourself, learning the key skills of internet marketing in the process, then you’ll be in a much better position to purchase a site down the road.

Learn more about beginner marketing courses or click here to access a free introductory course from Wealthy Affiliate.