Overpriced vs. Undervalued - You Decide

What we'll cover this week

• Dream Business - A highly professional food blog

• Don’t Buy - An overpriced food blog

• 2010 vs. 2025 - Why it was easier back then

This Week’s Pro Tip

Until late last year, we were managing four e-commerce sites in the same vertical. Sounds like a dream, right? The cash flow was great—but the reality? Managing four sites is exponentially harder than growing one big one.

Here’s the lesson:
- Avoid shiny object syndrome. Running multiple businesses might sound appealing, but spreading yourself too thin can kill growth.
- Scale one site before chasing the next. Instead of juggling multiple projects, optimize what you have, then level up.
- Exit strategically. If you’re ready for something bigger, sell your current site and reinvest in a better opportunity.

More businesses don’t always mean more success—sometimes, it just means more headaches.

Short Disclaimer

Online Acquisition Weekly is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or legal advice. We do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of third-party listings. Always conduct your own due diligence or consult a professional before making any investment decisions.

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A Tale of Two Similar Businesses

This week, we’re switching things up. Instead of just one dream business, let’s compare two similar listings—and see why one is a steal and the other is overpriced wishful thinking.

I found two food blogs that look almost identical on paper—high profit margins (99% vs. 97%), similar price ranges ($80K vs. $75K), and both open to negotiation. But here’s where things fall apart.

• Business A ($80K) makes $2,390/month → 2.8x profit multiple

• Business B ($75K) makes $1,636/month → 3.8x profit multiple

See the problem? One seller knows their worth (listing on Flippa), while the other is delusional about valuation—a red flag for how the transaction might go.

Let’s break down why Business A is the clear winner—and how to unlock its full potential.

TL;DR

• Business A is run by a pro—highly organized, detailed listing, and growing organic traffic.

• Biggest flaw: No funnel. Tons of rapport, zero structured monetization.

• Best strategy: Negotiate down to $70K or less and implement a proper email marketing system to boost revenue.

Why This Listing Stands Out

I love seeing a professional, highly organized seller.

Just look at this instant snapshot of key metrics:

This is beyond rare. Most listings make you dig through walls of text to find critical details. This seller is crystal clear in their communication. You can bet they run a tight ship—no messy inbox, no last-minute surprises.

And then there’s the organic traffic growth:

A strong upward trend in today’s food SEO landscape. That alone makes this one of the more promising food blogs I’ve seen.

Beyond that, the business already has:

• A solid email list

• Quarter of a million social followers

• A roadmap for the next owner

• Representation by a top-tier broker

This is a business set up for a smooth transition—and with the right tweaks, it could be way more profitable.

What Could Be Improved

Monetization & Funnels

If I had a dollar for every time I said “this site needs a funnel”, I’d have retired already.

This blog does an amazing job of building rapport—it’s personable, engaging, and actually fun to read. But then… nothing. The business side never kicks in.

Fix this immediately:

• Add a lead magnet - “The Free Keto Starter Guide – Become a Keto in 15 Minutes.”

• Capture emails before selling anything.

• Turn existing eBooks into structured offers instead of passive sidebar clutter.

• Use an email sequence to warm up visitors and increase conversions massively.

Right now, they’re just hoping visitors will buy something. That’s a huge missed opportunity.

Expand Other Marketing Channels

Facebook? Already strong.
Everything else? Untapped gold.

Here’s a sneaky trick:
- Don’t want another newsletter? Follow us on Instagram.
- Then use IG to plug the newsletter.

Cross-promotion done right.

What to Watch Out For

• No Analytics Prior to March 2024 – This site has been around for 12 years but just started tracking traffic. Odd. Maybe the broker set up the listing instead of the owner. Worth a closer look.

• F&B Blogs Are a Dying Breed – Food blogs aren’t what they used to be. The audience is aging, and AI-generated recipes are creeping in. The market will always exist, but it’s shrinking.

• Passion Matters – If you don’t love food blogging, this will turn into a grind. I ran a sushi blog for years. Turns out that I love eating sushi way more than writing about it.

Due Diligence Checklist

Before making an offer, verify everything (and more):

Who’s actually selling this?

• A broker is managing the listing, but who owns the business?

• Are they marketing-savvy or finance-focused? This tells you where the hidden risks and opportunities might be.

Is there an undisclosed team?

• If someone’s running the site behind the scenes, their costs might not be included in the P&L.

Revenue verification

• Video call to check Stripe & PayPal transactions from the last 30 days.

Traffic quality

• Google Search Console access to verify organic search legitimacy.

What’s a Fair Price?

This listing has 105 watchers, which suggests it’s been on Flippa for months.

The asking price is $80K with a 2.8x multiple. I’d prefer it closer to 2.0 - 2.5x, meaning $70K max.

Negotiation: Start at $55K, aim for $65K. If it’s been sitting for a while, the seller might bite. If they do, this could be an absolute steal.

Don’t Buy and Why

This is where we break down listings that aren’t worth your money—but still offer valuable lessons about buying online businesses.

The 75K property

Due to an NDA, I can’t share the actual brand name—but this is still a useful learning experience.

Beyond the overpriced 3.8x profit multiple, this site lacks focus. There’s no distinctive theme that makes it memorable. The menu alone is a mess:

This isn’t a cohesive brand—it’s a hobby project that happens to make some money.

Major Issues

• No Clear Niche – Where would you even focus if you bought this? Can you produce content across this many unrelated topics?

• No New Content in Over a Year – This wouldn’t be a deal-breaker in many niches, but for a highly personal blog, it’s a problem. Regular updates keep old readers engaged.

Final Take

It’s not a hard pass, but this one is objectively weaker compared to the $80K listing. The better move is clear given the high price and lack of direction.

2010 vs. 2025

I’ve been around long enough to see the wild west days of online marketing and e-commerce. Back in 2009/2010, this stuff was easy.

The biggest change? You can’t just send traffic to a website and expect conversions anymore.

When competition was low, people would Google “furniture online”, land on your site, and buy something—no funnel, no long game, just straight cash flow.

Why That Doesn’t Work Anymore

Today, if you’re not running a proper conversion funnel, your marketing isn’t profitable. Period.

Most businesses focus only on the last step—prettier design, smoother checkout, maybe an abandoned cart email. But in 2025, that’s not enough.

How to Actually Win in 2025

You need to position yourself earlier in the buyer’s journey. That’s where AIDA comes in:

• Awareness (A) – Get in front of buyers before they even know they have a problem.

• Interest (I) – Show them why your product solves that problem.

• Desire (D) – Make them want your solution.

• Action (A) – Make buying as easy as possible.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

The more common your product, the harder it is to stand out. You have two options:

1. Be the cheapest. Good luck. There’s always someone willing to undercut you.

2. Build trust before the sale. That’s how you create pricing power.

When people trust you before they even know they need your product, you’re no longer competing on price—you’re reducing their perceived risk.

The 2025 Playbook

• Show value before asking for the sale. A lead magnet, free resource, or educational content builds trust.

• Position yourself early in AIDA. If you win before they even start comparing prices, you win long-term.

• Build relationships, not just landing pages. When people trust you, cheaper competitors seem riskier.

That’s how you win in 2025 and beyond.

Final Words

That’s it for this week. This week’s dream business is a fantastic purchase for anyone who’s into writing about and taking photos of food. There’s a lot of room for negotiating the price which might present itself as a golden opportunity.

Got something on your mind? Hit reply and let me know—I’ll get back to you ASAP.

See you next time,
Tim