You’ve just had a million-dollar idea for a website. It’s just what the world needs. It’s all you can think about. There’s only one problem: you don’t “do” websites. Maybe you’re not skilled with computers, or maybe you just don’t have the time or inclination to take a risk as big as your idea. A few ways exist to sell your web idea.
Web ideas can command interest.
Step 1
Before you can sell an idea you have to have one that’s marketable. Unfortunately, ideas can be slippery. If your idea is something nebulous, like a process of doing e-commerce more efficiently or a plan for Quality Assurance software, try to tie down its specific qualities. Define who would use it, how much it would cost, and how it would make or save money.
Step 2
Research. Make sure your idea is really “yours.” Do a little research to see if somebody else has already put your idea to work. If you find that the idea has already been sold or utilized by others, go back to the drawing board and think of way to improve it.
Step 3
Develop your idea. Some ideas are clearly brilliant and will net a huge profit for anyone who buys them. Some are not so obvious, and if you want to market them effectively, you may have to do a proof of concept experiment. This means you should try to create an example of how it would work and how much interest it could generate. If its an idea for a web service, try to find a parallel that already exists. If your idea is a website, try making a small but functional version of it.
Step 4
Appraise your idea. Knowing how valuable your idea is will be key to getting full value. Visit web site brokerages to find out what prices websites with similar ideas are selling around. Remember, it is not just how valuable the idea is to you; make an estimate of how much money the idea saves or produces for the prospective buyer.
Step 5
Shop your idea around. Websites like ideabuyer.com and newideatrade.com will, like ebay, list your idea for venture capitalists and corporations to see. If they consider your idea marketable, they will make an offer and the website will take a small commission.
- Once you sell an idea, it’s sold. Do not market your brilliant notion if you cannot stand to see someone else make money off of it.
