When it comes to investing in online businesses, underperforming websites can be a goldmine. Although these sites might seem like a lost cause at first glance, they’re often ripe with growth potential. The trick is knowing how to spot the right opportunities and put the right strategies in place to transform them. 

Let’s break down how to identify underperforming websites and turn them into profitable assets.

Spotting an Underperforming Website

Before you can improve a website, you need to identify why it’s struggling. Here are some key areas to examine:

• Traffic issues: Check the site’s analytics. Are visitors dropping off quickly? A high bounce rate or low monthly traffic might signal issues with content quality or SEO.
• Revenue gaps: Does the site have monetization in place? If not, adding affiliate links, display ads, or even e-commerce features can instantly boost earnings.
• Outdated design or functionality: A clunky design or slow load times drive users away. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights can help pinpoint technical problems.
• Lack of content optimization: Thin content or poorly targeted keywords often prevent sites from ranking. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to audit the site’s keyword strategy.

Once you have this data, you’ll have a clearer picture of what’s holding the site back and whether it has potential for growth.

Why Underperforming Websites Are a Hidden Opportunity

Of course, not every underperforming site is worth your time. However, it is possible to find diamonds in the rough. Here’s why they’re appealing:

• Lower purchase price: Sites with issues often sell at a discount compared to well-performing ones. This lowers your upfront investment.
• Easier fixes: Small tweaks like updating content, improving page speed, or adding backlinks can lead to significant improvements.
• Untapped potential: Many low-performing sites have existing traffic or rankings that just need better monetization strategies.

By focusing on these opportunities, you can turn a struggling site into a revenue-generating machine with minimal risk.

Website Turnaround Strategies That Work

Once you’ve found a site with potential, the next step is implementing strategies to improve it. Here’s how to tackle the transformation:

• Optimize content: Refresh outdated posts with updated information, better keywords, and engaging visuals. Focus on internal linking to guide users through related content.
• Fix technical issues: Address problems like slow load times, broken links, and poor mobile responsiveness to improve the user experience and SEO rankings.
• Drive traffic: Invest in SEO strategies like on-page optimization and backlink building, but also explore email marketing and paid advertising for faster results.
• Add monetization: Implement income streams such as affiliate marketing, display ads, or selling digital products to capitalize on the site’s traffic.

These steps will often give an underperforming site the boost it needs to thrive.

Turn a Struggling Site Into a Success Story

With the right strategies, even a low-performing website can become a profitable investment. From content optimization to technical fixes and smarter monetization, the possibilities are endless–if you’re willing to put in the work, that is.

If you’re ready to dive in, browse our available site listings on Motion Invest to see if you can find the underperforming website that could be your next big success story.

You never know–turning a struggling site around might just be the most rewarding project you’ll tackle this year!