Many individuals, whether they are establishing a website for their business or for an organization, wonder what to choose when it comes time to build a website. Should an individual buy an older site or get a fresh start by establishing a website from scratch? While buying an older site gives the individual a number of benefits, there are also benefits to be had in getting a fresh start. So how does an individual decide? By reviewing the benefits of buying an older site as well as considering the benefits that accompany starting a site from scratch, an individual can determine which of the benefits they want to derive when they establish a web presence.

It’s no secret that a domain name has a significant effect on the successfulness of a website. If an older website has an extraordinarily popular domain name it may prove to be beneficial to buy an older site instead of starting one from scratch. The most popular domain names are often difficult to get a hold of: businesses scoop them up as fast as they become available. In fact, the most simplistic domain names are those URLs that disappear quickly because they are easy to remember; they provide the website creator with a memorable and professional appearing URL. In addition, an older website may have a domain name that includes critical keywords in the URL, making the website far easier to find via major search engines. In contrast, starting fresh with a nonexistent website, the Webmaster may not be able to get the URL they initially hoped for. Of course, the latter fact is not necessarily a bad thing – a fresh URL that is simple and concise can prove to be equally successful if the Webmaster is skilled in the proper URL promotional methods.

Buying an older site also gives the Webmaster something to work with, a template of sorts. The benefit of having a website already established is that the webmaster can get the site running to his or her specifications in a relatively short time, simply by making the changes necessary. What’s also nice about buying an older site is that if the Webmaster is uncertain where to begin, they will already have a template available to them, a format that is suggestive of how to establish a web presence.

Promotional efforts differ between older sites and newer ones. An older site has a recognized URL that is already listed in the major search engines. This means that the site is already fairly easy to find and that the Webmaster will already have an existing web presence. If the existing web presence is positive, meaning it has a number of secured inbound links, it’s page ranking is excellent in search engines, and the URL stands solid among all of the other competing URLs, the Webmaster can enjoy the immediate web traffic gained from the established web presence. If, however, the website URL does not have a positive and strong web presence, the Webmaster may have a difficult road ahead of them – the site may require search engine optimization, web usability repairs, and improved advertising implementations before the Webmaster can truly benefit from buying an older site.

When starting with a fresh site, a Webmaster will need to take advantage of every website promotional opportunity, including the use of SEO content, directory submission, advertising, and link building. With a fresh start, the Webmaster will not need to worry about a pre-established reputation on the Internet because they are starting with a brand new site. While starting from scratch may seem like more work, for some Webmasters the process is ideal: the newly established website will not face any inappropriate association issues, the webmaster can secure inbound links of his or her choosing, and the Webmaster can establish a solid web presence and reputation without the nagging issues that may accompany an old website presence.

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