Today we are lucky enough to speak to Adrian Cooke who in mid-2007 purchased the famous NetBusinessBlog.com blog. There has been a lot of talk about the sale, and it was one of the most high profile blog purchases of the year, so let’s speak to Adrian and hear his side of the events.

Adrian, thanks for taking the time to speak to me. How long have you had Net Business Blog.com for now?
since June 2007, that is roughly.

And what made you decide to purchase NetBusinessBlog?
I purchased NBB because I saw a possible great future brand (in the world of blogging) not for money at first.

Speaking of money… what has been your overall thoughts thus far in terms of traffic and revenue? (if you don’t mind me asking?)
To be honest, traffic has tailed off because of lack of posting in the last week, overall we hit 10k uniques per month, but revenue as of now is zero.
I was making $1300 p/m three months ago, but lack of marketing and a new structure idea for NBB has made me pull away from monetization this will all change next week though.

Excellent, I look forward to seeing that.

Yes, we have a new theme coming very soon.

Have you purchased other sites prior to NetBusinessBlog?
I have purchased a Facebook app and one other site that is yet to make any money because of lack of commitment, nothing prior to NBB though, all after. I was also part owner of a Digital Memory Store.

Ok, so that must have been quite a daunting first purchase then, considering the reputation of NBB and the cost involved.
It was actually thinking back, but I understood the value of the loyality and content, It was by pure luck I found the auction though.

Perhaps a little fate ;-)
yes

You mentioned loyalty there…..
Buying blogs has the risk of losing the core readers once you replace the blogger with some else… what was the reaction from the regular readers?
Some of them gave me a lot of grief I must admit, I have learn’t a lot, but I was a bit put off in the first month, so I decided to hire a blogger who could keep the momentum going daily
I think the audience was much younger than me, and that was something I needed to understand.

Very interesting. I have purchased a few blogs myself, but never one with a large existing reputation. Any regrets Adrian?

None now, I am very driven and need to reach a certain goal with NBB the goal I had in mind when I purchased it. It was well worth the money, the goal is basically to reach $5k p/m

Excellent. A lot has been said about the sale price, did you have a valuation calculation or due diligence blueprint when buying the site?

Although I have blogged about this myself - I did go in head first and only did basic calculations based on readership loyalty, revenue and longevity, I saw an oportunity that suited me at the time, and I needed something after I left my last company.

Excellent, so more of a gut instinct and common sense than a hard calculation in terms of valuation
Yes I think you could say that

Do you have any tips for people who may be looking to purchase or sell blogs in 2008 Adrian?

Difficult question I think as there is so much to evaluate
I would say… an absolute must is to know the market place, content etc… which I did. Also, try and ensure you have had some experience with the back end system which most use wordpress. Realise that blogging is hard work not an easy passive income… the most important thing I think is - understand how to market the blog/site you’re going to buy. There are so many things to consider really

Yes, some great points Adrian. Very useful, many thanks. Final question…

What does the future hold for Adrian Cooke in 2008?
the future… well I have a successful offline Web Development business going well now, I aim to make NBB the best business blog online offering even more targeted content for the readers. Possible forum launch to help other bloggers get started (hosting, content, marketing etc) I want more interaction on the blog and to build the brand name.

Excellent, it sounds like you are set for yet another successful and busy year….
I hope so

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, and I am sure the readers will really benefit from your advice and experiences.
The new theme is going live later today I hope

Excellent. I will look out for that
Thank you very much Dean, very enjoyable interview

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