How to Sell Your Shopify Store: The Definitive Guide (2021)

Selling your Shopify retailer could seem to be fairly sophisticated and extremely daunting.

Having not too long ago bought my very own retailer for the primary time, I felt it apt to put collectively a information to provide help to promote your Shopify retailer in 2021.

Why would you promote your Shopify retailer?

There are many causes to need to promote your Shopify retailer, maybe issues are going nice for you proper now, and the thought could by no means have even crossed your thoughts.

However, in case your retailer isn’t performing so nicely, that is one predominant motive why individuals would need to promote their retailer. Selling a poor performing enterprise is a tough promote, however doable if the customer thinks there are enterprise elements with potential.

Perhaps you could have a brand new retailer that wants an injection of each time and capital; that is one other legitimate motive to need to promote. Are rivals getting slightly an excessive amount of, driving the CPC greater and squeezing your revenue margins? Or is your as soon as excessive changing product concept on a gradual decline?

These are once more all good causes to need to promote your retailer. Yet this brings up a vital query:

Why would the customer need your Shopify retailer?

To promote the shop, you want to perceive what worth you’d deliver to the customer ought to they purchase your retailer.

If your corporation includes of cash misplaced to adverts, chances are you’ll assume that the customer would have zero curiosity in your retailer. On the opposite, you could possibly have an enormous social media following or mailing record and simply not know the way to use it finest, whereas the customer could.

You might have an costly theme that you’ve got spent just a few $100 on and are simply attempting to recoup a few of that cash again. You might even have a .com area, which might be seen as extremely wanted. (This can be known as a premium domain name)

The level being right here, comparable to a job interview, you’d at all times promote your corporation on its strengths.

Where are you able to record your Shopify retailer on the market?

When promoting your Shopify retailer, there are a number of platforms to contemplate; nevertheless, the 2 main gamers are Exchange Marketplace and Flippa.

We will go into just a few professionals and cons of each platforms and allow you to resolve which is finest:

1. Exchange Marketplace

This platform integrates superbly with Shopify, it’s a case of downloading the app, filling in just a few particulars, and the remainder is extracted out of your retailer.

This offers the potential purchaser an excessive amount of confidence because the platform verifies your figures.

One of my very own private gripes was the dearth of engaged patrons, it was widespread to get a small handful of messages a day, and sadly, fairly just a few appeared to be scammers. This is one thing which we’ll go over afterward on this article.

My retailer was listed right here for a month with little to no curiosity, but it surely price me nothing to record it right here.

The Exchange Marketplace doesn’t cost a charge to record the shop; nevertheless, they do cost a hit charge, which is at present undefined on their web site. It will, nevertheless, present all prices beneath the appraisal when it generates on their app.

2. Flippa

Flippa was the second possibility I went for and which I used to be profitable in promoting my enterprise with.

They boast 1.5 million registered customers, and on the time of scripting this, they’d 14,896 bids made this present week on their listings.

Similar to Exchange Marketplace, they too have their share of scammers and tire kickers, however Flippa managed to drive an ideal deal extra visitors to the shop in addition to much more real queries.

For the sale of a enterprise underneath $50,000, Flippa will take a ten% success charge, and that is deducted from the sale.

They additionally cost a $15 itemizing charge, which can entitle you to an public sale itemizing that isn’t compulsory. Once the public sale itemizing is completed, chances are you’ll proceed as a categorised itemizing for so long as you want to.

How a lot would you record your retailer for?

Exchange Marketplace is an app you could add to your Shopify Store. It will scrape your retailer’s information and have a look at just a few elements corresponding to visitors, mailing record measurement, and income.

It will then generate an appraisal based mostly on these elements.

In their article on valuations, they are saying that the shop’s worth will be something between 10-24 occasions the typical month-to-month earnings.

However, this has to be taken with a grain of salt, as they afterward state that the shop is finally price what the customer can pay, and rightly so.

Flippa is one other platform that’s simply as common. For their appraisal, they are going to ask just a few primary questions on your retailer corresponding to time opened, income, and expenditure; it should then present a valuation comparable to beneath:

It’s essential to observe right here that whatever the appraisal given, they’re there to get a tough information worth, and it’s completely your selection how a lot you would like to record your retailer for on each platforms.

How lengthy does it take to promote a Shopify retailer?

The time it will take to promote your retailer depends upon each common curiosity and your will to promote it. I passively listed my retailer for a few months with little to no curiosity.

When I made a decision to absolutely commit to it, making a well-written itemizing and paying for a good gross sales platform to record it on, it was solely a few weeks earlier than it really bought.

Of course, it then took a pair extra weeks to undergo the sale course of. (More on that beneath)

Ways to record your retailer

After itemizing my retailer on Exchange Marketplace for a month and it gaining no traction, I made a decision to record it on Flippa. As it solely prices $15 for a primary itemizing, it didn’t price an ideal deal to give it a go.

There are many different choices, as seen above, to enhance your itemizing and get extra individuals each trying and interesting together with your retailer.

On step one, Flippa will ask just a few questions corresponding to what the shop sells, its income, age, and visitors. The visitors will also be verified by a Google Analytics integration.

Next, you’ll be requested to put collectively your itemizing; they make this simple by placing collectively a pleasant bullet-pointed kind which you’ll amend as you go on, or fully throw out and begin from scratch if you want.

On this similar web page, it is possible for you to to record the shop in one in every of two other ways, both by a categorised itemizing or as an public sale. We will go into slightly extra element on how each work:

1. Classified

For this itemizing, you possibly can have it on Flippa for so long as you would like. You mainly set an asking worth and neglect about it till somebody contacts you.

This will likely be extra aimed toward somebody who’s attempting to really feel out the curiosity however not in a rush to promote.

The downside to that is it doesn’t usually generate as a lot curiosity as an public sale would by giving that sense of urgency to take motion.

2. Auction

Should you record your retailer as an public sale, you’ll be given the choice to set the length of the itemizing to a most of 30 days:

A beginning worth and a reserve will likely be required and a ‘Buy it now price’ is optionally available. It was fairly widespread to see shops listed as little as $1 merely to drum up curiosity and get individuals bidding early on.

Should your retailer not promote inside this era, you don’t lose your $15 as you might be nonetheless ready to revert again to a categorised itemizing afterward.

My selection of itemizing

The selection of itemizing technique was a simple one; I went for the public sale understanding that I used to be ready to revert to the categorised after ought to it not promote.

Unfortunately for me, the itemizing itself was of poor high quality, and the value, recommended by Flippa, was simply too excessive. So, on this case, I fell again onto the Classified itemizing.

Writing up the itemizing

This half is sort of essential. You need to very concise about your retailer within the itemizing. You need to give as a lot data whereas holding the reader’s consideration.

Here are some things to point out:

1. About your self

Up till the purpose of promoting the shop, the enterprise is you. Give the reader a little bit of background on your self and what worth you introduced to the shop.

If you could have expertise in ecommerce, now is an efficient time to point out it, let the reader know the shop was in good palms.

Mention right here why you might be promoting the shop and the way a lot time within the week operating it typically takes. You will likely be requested questions many occasions, so reply them preemptively.

2. Summary of the shop

A fast run-through in your retailer, its enterprise mannequin, and the place merchandise are sourced from. This half should be participating as most readers are unlikely to learn past this level.

For my very own itemizing, I made a decision to point out the enterprise’ strengths and alternatives; that’s proper, don’t use the phrase weaknesses as this may be promoting the shop shortly.

What this implies is that in the best palms, the enterprise might thrive.

3. Your clients

Potential patrons like to know who their viewers can be, whether or not they can relate to each the product and the shopper. Paint an image right here as to who the typical buyer is, be it age, gender, and even pursuits.

4. Business Financials

This is a very powerful part to add to the itemizing.

Whilst Flippa does have a monetary part to full on shops income/revenue, corresponding to beneath, it’s helpful to summarise the financials you could have declared in a few sentences.

5. Attachments

Flippa permits you to connect fairly a wide selection of attachments to your itemizing for readers to obtain and take a look at.

At the very least it is best to put a screenshot of income in your Shopify platform and a profit and loss statement.

As talked about earlier than, giving this information beforehand will prevent a variety of pointless backwards and forwards with questions. The intention is to get individuals bidding as quickly as doable, particularly when you could have the itemizing arrange as an public sale.

What to count on after itemizing your Shopify retailer on the market?

Unfortunately, once you record your retailer on any public platform, you open your self up to tire kickers and imitators. Whilst it’s an extremely irritating a part of promoting your retailer, it’s inevitable.

Let’s go over two sorts of issues you could count on after itemizing your retailer on the market:

1. Tire Kickers

These are individuals who should not have a honest intent to purchase your retailer and are merely showing occupied with doing so.

This is likened to individuals who go to automotive dealerships, kick the tires on just a few automobiles to counsel their curiosity, then depart once more with out ever shopping for a automotive.

It could be very tough to know who’s genuinely and who isn’t. It is finest simply to deal with them with the identical courtesy as you’d with anybody making a question.

One factor to look out for is individuals blindly reaching out asking for entry to go searching your Google Analytics or Shopify Platform.

Nothing incorrect with offering visitor entry, however ask them what particularly they need to have a look at; your typical tire kicker will typically lose curiosity at this level.

2. Imitators

As earlier than, it’s tough to determine who might probably need to copy your retailer somewhat than purchase it. Protecting your self fully in opposition to this may be tough as a result of if somebody needs to do that, then they are going to.

All you are able to do to mitigate the possibility of this occurring is providing your provide contacts with the shop and never give this away free of charge. It’s additionally fairly essential to stay guarded on any successful advertising and marketing technique you will have.

When promoting my Shopify retailer, I gave a possible purchaser momentary entry to Google Analytics. Two days later, a carbon copy of my retailer was operating Google Ads going after the identical key phrases. Several DMCA petitions later, the shop was taken down.

In hindsight, I don’t assume I’d have bought my retailer with out giving individuals the possibility to ‘look under the hood’, so to converse. Imitators and tire kickers occur. Just make sure not to spoon-feed them data.

Following the method

In order to safe your self in opposition to unsavory characters, at all times comply with the method set out on the platform. Any agreements should happen inside your selection of the gross sales platform.

Speaking with patrons

On the Exchange Market place, they’ve fairly a strict coverage in opposition to communications outdoors of their platform. It is essential that you just comply with this coverage when promoting a retailer by their platform.

Flippa has a looser coverage the place it’s permitted; nevertheless, agreements will not be set in stone outdoors of their gross sales platform. So ensure that these happen on their messenger portal.

During the sale of my retailer, I used to be requested to chat by Whatsapp on fairly just a few events, I entertained this concept, and it was nearly at all times individuals attempting to promote their ecommerce companies. They would get banned rapidly doing this inside Flippa.

The solely time this wasn’t the case was the one that ended up shopping for my retailer, so you can’t write this concept off completely.

Offers/Bids

When your retailer is listed, individuals are actually ready to bid or make a proposal, relying in your itemizing kind. When this occurs in Flippa, you’ll get an e mail, and the supply will present up in your dashboard as beneath:

You will then have the choice to settle for or reject the supply; once more ensure that this occurs by the platform. If the customer requests dealing outdoors, just don’t do it.

If you reject the supply, you should have the choice to put ahead a counter supply together with a message. Should you resolve to settle for the supply, you’ll then transfer ahead to the following step, which is the alternate of the shop.

Outlining the customer necessities

The sale of the shop is not going to at all times be simply the shop and will contain the switch of any of the next:

• Shopify Store
• Domain
• Social media accounts
• Media kits (pictures, branding, or advertising and marketing materials)
• Advertising account
• Suppliers
• Logistical contacts
• Physical stock
• The firm deeds if a longtime enterprise
• A non-compete settlement will be hooked up to the sale for an additional price.

It is essential at this stage to agree on this as a result of as soon as the acquisition has been accomplished, this can’t be renegotiated.

Put collectively a guidelines of this and have each events log out on each aspect of the sale to cowl your self ought to a dispute come up afterward.

What is Escrow and the way does it work?

Escrow handles the switch of money between two events and ensures all agreed necessities are met prior to the discharge of the funds to the vendor.

Once you could have accepted a proposal, Flippa will direct you to Escrow to arrange an account and undergo their validation.

Unfortunately, it may possibly take just a few days to undergo, and it’ll take even longer for the customer as their cost additionally goes by validation.

Once they’re proud of all the things, you’ll get an e mail instructing you to start the switch of property over to the customer.

It took a complete of two weeks from the sale of the shop to Escrow releasing the funds from the sale. This was delayed by every week as a result of the patrons’ cost technique wanted vetting by Escrow.

Communication is essential

Some patrons could also be new to ecommerce, and the sale can also require an settlement of some weeks of you serving to them transition to the possession of their new retailer.

This was the case with my retailer’s purchaser; he requested a small quantity of hand-holding for the primary week. It was not a significant drawback for me as he was an actual pleasure to converse to and work with.

We had candid conversations concerning the shops’ strengths, weaknesses, and the path he wished to take.

For ease of accessibility at this stage, we continued speaking outdoors of Flippa on Whatsapp, the sale went by with out a hitch.

My expertise when promoting my Shopify retailer

The quantity of curiosity that my retailer received was uncontrolled earlier than the sale was agreed on. In in the future, I acquired 150 emails with questions that might have simply been answered preemptively within the itemizing.

I encountered an enormous quantity of foolish provides for $100 and a bunch of tire kickers. It was irritating to see somebody copied my retailer phrase for phrase, and submitting a DMCA in opposition to them was not one thing I anticipated to have to do when itemizing the shop on the market.

I used to be initially complacent, didn’t assume the shop would promote, and all I’d acquire from this may be just a few new rivals. To have the option to promote my retailer for $7,000 was consequence for me. I paid $700 in success charges from this quantity plus a $10 disbursement to Escrow.

Whilst it was fully unchartered waters for me, the Flippa platform was very clear to use and walked me by it step-by-step.

Handing over the keys to my enterprise was tough because it’s simple to get emotionally hooked up, however the purchaser was a pleasure to work with.

I’m assured the customer will inject the capital and a focus that my retailer wanted to take it to the following stage. We stay in contact; he values my enter and is sustaining the enterprise identification. What extra might anybody ask for?

Want to Learn More?