A turnkey website is a completely functional site that's set up with near-on everything you need to hit the ground running. I.e., logging into a turnkey website is much like turning the key on an already furnished apartment; you go about your business as soon as you're in.
So, as you may have already gathered, with a turnkey website, you don’t have to worry about the site's programming, design, or assets yourself.
Unsurprisingly, turnkey websites have gained popularity as quick and effective solutions for entrepreneurs launching online businesses, start-ups, and reliable side hustles.
What’s Included in a Turnkey Website?
The functionality of a turnkey website differs greatly depending on what you buy.
For example, turnkey websites might be built by a web developer using templates and existing scripts to sell to beginners. That way, they don’t have to worry about setting up their site. A website like this might come with the following:
- Shopping cart systems and eCommerce functionality
- Blogging functionality
- Product review functionality
- Product pages
- A pre-purchased domain name
- Web hosting
…and more.
if you're looking for such a solution you can check out our turnkey store setup service that helps you get your store up and running quickly and easily.
Another option is to purchase a turnkey website from another business owner who's ready to move on to a new opportunity. In this instance, you won’t only buy a ready-to-go website, but you'll also likely inherit all its existing content, traffic, and sales history. So, if the website you're purchasing is popular, you won't have to build an audience from scratch. Instead, you might be able to start making profits from the moment you turn the theoretical key.
Types of Turnkey Websites
There are many different types of turnkey websites. However, the following are the most common:
- Content-based affiliate websites
- Websites with a focus on lead generation
- eCommerce store (for example, utilizing dropshipping models and FBA)
- Online portals
What Are the Benefits of Buying a Turnkey Website?
A turnkey website is one of the quickest ways to access the benefits of launching your own online business without the hassle of laying the foundations.
As a solution, turnkey websites are well-suited to beginners interested in a small business opportunity that doesn't want to play a massive part in the design process.
That said, below, we've listed some of the other benefits of buying a turnkey website:
- Depending on the website you're buying, it might have an existing SEO ranking, customer base, traffic, etc. So, you'll likely enjoy the same success as the current website owner (providing that you maintain your digital marketing campaigns).
- The website design and set-up are handled for you, so you don’t have to spend time on this process.
- Many turnkey website sellers offer continued support. So if you run into issues, you might have a dedicated support manager to turn to for technical assistance and advice. However, this isn't always the case. So be sure to clearly understand what's included for your money.
- You can sometimes receive a turnkey website in as quick as 24 hours.
- There are tons of turnkey websites out there, so you're bound to find one to suit your niche and business model.
What Are the Downsides of Buying a Turnkey Website?
While turnkey websites can be an excellent solution for many business-savvy beginners, there are some customers for whom they won’t work.
Here are some of the biggest challenges associated with purchasing a ready-made site:
- A turnkey website might not scale with your vision. After all, it wasn't necessarily built with your intricate business needs in mind.
- Much of your website’s quality is down to a third party, so you must carefully vet turnkey websites and ensure support is available should you run into issues.
- If you want more control over your website's design, customer journey, etc., a turnkey website might not be for you.
- It's not a given that turnkey websites automatically generate money. So, it’s important not to think that a turnkey website instantly equates to an easy income. You still need to put in continuous effort. Plus, you might need to invest additional money into integrations/plugins, ads, social media, and other services to build your business.
Turnkey Sites for Affiliate Marketing
One of the most profitable ways to make money online is affiliate marketing. For the uninitiated, affiliate marketing is a way to earn a commission each time you promote a business’s products or services, and the result is a sale. At the time of writing, eight out of ten brands run affiliate programs, with affiliate marketing driving 16% of eCommerce sales in the US and Canada.
As we’ve already hinted, you can successfully generate affiliate commissions by writing reviews and recommendations for affiliate products. However, to make decent money and fast, time is of the essence. This is especially true if you’re promoting fad products that are only wildly popular for a while before another must-have becomes more profitable. Fidget spinners are a great example of this!
The bottom line is that if you want to make money quickly, you need to move as soon as possible. This is where purchasing a turnkey content-based affiliate site website comes in helpful.
For instance, you might be interested in purchasing a micro-niche website that’s already populated with content associated with a specific product type. This comes in handy for quickly reaping the benefits of affiliate selling.
So, with that said, it’s no wonder that ready-made niche sites are some of the most popular turnkey websites on the market.
Where Can You Find Turnkey Websites For Sale?
Plenty of online platforms list turnkey websites for sale across a wide range of niches and business models. Many come with added services such as training and support once you’ve purchased your website.
One of the best platforms for picking up a ready-made dropshipping site is Custom Store by Ecommerce Platforms. You'll get a high-converting custom Shopify store, including:
- Brand design
- Products boasting 2-5 day delivery times
- A personal manager who can assist you with all aspects of eCommerce dropshipping
- A selection of hand-picked winning products.
- A comprehensive starter guide and style guide
- A store logo
Prices start from $299 with a 30-day 100% refund guarantee. You’ll receive a refund if you contact the site within the first 30 days of placing your order and they cannot resolve your issue. You also receive free lifetime support.
Costs After Purchasing a Turnkey Website
To run a successful business using a turnkey website, anticipate the need for additional time and money investments. While a turnkey website is a quick and easy starting point, more work will likely be necessary to expand your store.
So, bear in mind the additional costs you might face later down the line. For instance, you might need to purchase help with (or handle the following yourself):
- Link-building and regular, SEO-optimized content creation
- Social media to promote your business
- Online ads to drive more traffic
- Email marketing solutions to promote your products and connect with your audience
- Integrations to expand the functionality of your website
There’s also a good chance you’ll need to shell out for either annual or monthly hosting and domain costs.
What To Consider When Buying a Turnkey Website
It would be best if you did some research to give yourself the best chance of building a successful website using a turnkey solution. To help steer you in the right direction, here are some considerations to note before purchasing a turnkey website:
- Is the niche relevant and profitable, and will it remain so for the foreseeable future? You can use Google Trends to get a feel for this.
- How well is the site positioned compared to your competitors?
- Do you have the time and knowledge to continue to write content for your turnkey website?
- Is the website scalable? Will it support features you might need later down the line?
- How much will web hosting cost you every month?
- Will the seller provide continued support? Who can you rely on for website maintenance or technical questions?
What is a Turnkey Website: Our Final Thoughts
To summarize, a turnkey website is a quick and easy solution for anyone ready to jump into business ownership and start growing their site.
Suppose your talents lie in market research and scaling businesses. In that case, a turnkey website could be the perfect investment. However, turnkey websites aren’t miracle solutions and still require continuous effort in investment to ensure continued success. That’s why you should carefully research your chosen niche and pick a highly reputable turnkey website seller that can offer future support.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to launch a highly personal brand around your passion. In that case, you might be better off starting from scratch and going DIY with an eCommerce platform/website builder of your choosing.
