Looking to Buy the Next Big Online Business? Here’s What You Need to Know
Looking to Buy the Next Big Online Business
Looking to Buy the Next Big Online Business? Here’s What You Need to Know
So, you’re thinking about buying an online business—maybe you’ve been inspired by the success of Cool Cabana, Oodie, or HiSmile, and now you’re on the hunt for your own eCommerce empire. Buying a website or an online store can be an amazing opportunity—work from anywhere, scalable income, and access to global markets.
But not all online businesses are created equal. Some have solid SEO rankings, low marketing costs, and a loyal customer base, while others are propped up by expensive ads and risky social media strategies. Before you jump in, you need to do your homework.
1. Understand The CPA
CPA = Cost Per Acquistion.
Dont buy an online business without knowing this! You need to know how much it costs to get a customer.
Basically, can you afford to keep the sales coming in?
If the business relies on Facebook Ads, Google Ads, or TikTok Ads, you need to dig into the CPA (cost per acquisition). A business can look profitable on paper, but if it's spending $50 in ads to make $55 in sales, the profit margin is razor-thin.
What to Check:
- How much is being spent on ads each month?
- What is the Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)?
- Are they using email marketing and retargeting to reduce costs?
- Do they have repeat customers, or is every sale from a new ad spend?
2. SEO, Keywords, and Website Traffic – Can People Actually Find It?
A good eCommerce business should have strong SEO rankings and organic traffic so customers can find them without paid ads. SEO is a constant ongoing game, there are big competitors, lots of money being spent and strong tactics to get good rankings. Don't buy a business thinking it is easy to raise its online presence. It takes alot of hard work.
SEO is not just about ranking - well it is, it stands for Search Engine Optimisation. But it is so much more than that. Its about user experience, page speed, bounce rates, time on site, and so much more. How well the website is functioning, is a huge indicator not just to Google - for ranking purposes, but also to people visiting the site. For example, a slow website will probably have very low user engagement.
What to Check:
- Does the business rank for important keywords?
- What percentage of traffic comes from Google vs. paid ads vs. social media?
- Are the product pages optimised for search?
- Are they running a blog or creating content to attract free traffic?
- Dive deeper and get a full SEO audit - you want to know onsite issues (such as page speed, canonical tags, duplicate content) as well as backlink profile and more.
3. Market Share – Is This Business Actually Competitive?
The best online businesses dominate a niche. They have raving fans, repeat customers, and a strong community—not just a store selling the same products as everyone else. If your online business is going to sell products across Australia and overseas.
You need to know who the competitors are, how they are ranking, their SEO strategies, their marketing strategies. You want to know how much market share the business currently has, and how much there is to get.
What to Check:
- Who are the top competitors, and where does this business stand?
- Does it have brand recognition, or is it just another dropshipping store?
- Are customers loyal or just buying because of a discount?
- Do they have raving reviews on Google, Trustpilot, or Facebook?
4. Social Media Presence – Big Following? Not Always a Big Asset
A business might boast 100K Instagram followers, but that number alone doesn't tell the whole story. You need to dig deeper—how engaged are these followers, and are they actual customers? Look through posts, check comments, and ask for detailed insights such as engagement rates, audience demographics, and organic vs paid interactions. A high follower count with low interaction could mean the audience isn’t truly invested in the brand.
One critical factor to consider is that social media accounts can’t be bought or sold. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram (owned by Meta) explicitly prohibit the sale and transfer of accounts. According to Meta’s Terms of Service, “You may not sell, license, or purchase any account or data obtained from us or our services.”
While it is common for social pages to be included in business sales, there is no official way to transfer ownership, the seller will basically make you the Manager of the Business Centre account. This means you are taking on a potential risk—if Meta detects a transfer that violates their policies, the account could be suspended or permanently deleted, though this isnt very common, especially for smaller pages.
Before buying a business with a strong social media presence, ensure you understand this limitation and risk. Consider strategies like keeping the original owner involved in a transition period or ensuring key marketing assets (like content and audience data) are secured outside of social platforms.
What to Check:
- Does the business rely heavily on social media for sales?
- Do they have real engagement, or is it just bot followers?
- Are the social pages linked to ad accounts that could be shut down anytime?
5. What Platform Is the Website Built On?
Not all eCommerce platforms are created equal. Some are easy to use, while others require a full-time developer to manage. If the website is Open Source like Wordpress or Woo Commerce you will find thousands of developers who can assist you with issues. If it is a custom site, you may be tied to one website company, which can become costly and may have issues such as time delays with updates. You need to understand the platform, its limitations and its benefits.
What to Check:
- Is the website built on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or a custom system?
- Can you easily update and manage the store?
- Is it mobile-friendly and fast?
- Are there hidden costs, like expensive plugins or ongoing dev work?
6. Supplier Contracts – Who Actually Owns the Product?
If the eCommerce business sells physical products, you need to know where they come from and whether those supplier relationships are locked in. This is a big part of online businesses. Sometimes the products are mass-produced and you are selling from a supplier that has no exclusive contract to the business, other times it may be a custom product. You need to understand what the supplier agreement is. There is no point buying an online business to later discover, the supplier contract is usesless or they will raise prices, and you now cant get stock to fill your store.
What to Check:
- Does the business have exclusive contracts with suppliers?
- Are they dropshipping from China or using local fulfilment?
- Is there control over branding and packaging?
- Can suppliers increase prices at any time?
Looking for an Online Business? Here are 5 for Sale Now.
Unique & Profitable Niche Jewellery Brand
Price: $89,000
Halo Fiction is an established online business specializing in high-quality, book-inspired jewellery and apparel tailored to Young Adult (YA) novel fans. With a strong brand presence, 700+ Etsy reviews, and a global customer base, this is a fantastic opportunity for a creative entrepreneur or book lover. Includes stock, supplier contacts, branding, website, social media, and email marketing assets.
Online SaaS Educational Start-up
Price: $99,000
Talk Revolution™ is an early-stage online educational platform with strong income potential. Includes 8 programs, 54 modules, and 71 videos. Serves both parents and schools. Features a registered trademark, full website, payment systems, and an extensive contact database. Full training and transition support included.
Profitable Online Retail Business
Price: $22,000
Established for 10 years, this fully online business generates strong revenue with minimal time commitment (5-10 hours per week). No lease or rent obligations. Perfect for a flexible, low-maintenance income stream.
Online Baby Sleep Aid Business
Price: $40,000 (Includes Stock)
Highly profitable online business with a 75% profit margin per unit. Includes a well-established website, 9,300+ social media followers, and new complementary products ready to launch. Simple operations with strong growth potential through paid ads and baby expos.
Niche E-Commerce Store Health & Wellness Products
Price: $99,950
online business specializing in ketogenic and low-carb products. Features premium international brands, a loyal customer base, and a fully optimized Shopify store. Recent SEO upgrades and social media presence in place. Perfect for a health-conscious entrepreneur looking for a flexible, home-based business.
So Is The Online Business Worth Buying?
Buying an online business can be an incredible opportunity—but only if you do your research.
Key Takeaways:
- If CPA is too high, it’s a money pit.
- If SEO is weak, you’ll struggle with traffic.
- If the brand has no customer loyalty, it’s just another store.
- If it relies only on social media, that’s a big risk.
- If it’s built on a difficult platform, you’ll have technical headaches.
The best eCommerce businesses have strong SEO, a loyal customer base, low CPA, and a platform that’s easy to manage. Thinking about buying an online store? Do your due diligence and make sure you’re getting a real business, not just a good-looking website.
Tags: buying a business small business online
About the author
Catherine Mangana
Customer Support
Catherine enjoys generating articles that highlight some of the opportunities that are now available for purchase on Bsale. She hails from a family of ...
