These are the questions to ask before buying an online store, grouped by topic so you can copy them into an email to any seller. The most important ones are about evidence: how you can check the figures yourself, who supplies the products, and which accounts actually transfer to you. Ask in writing, keep the answers, and pay attention to how readily they come.

Some questions only apply to established stores with a sales history. Others apply to every store, new or old. We've marked which is which.

About the seller and the sale

  1. Why are you selling?
  2. How long have you owned the store, and did you build it or buy it?
  3. Have you tried to sell it before? What happened?
  4. Is the store, its design and its content sold to one buyer only?
  5. How would payment and handover work? Will you use escrow?

The reason for selling matters most when it doesn't fit the rest of the picture. Someone short of time selling a steady store makes sense. Someone selling a store they describe as fast-growing, with no clear reason, is worth questioning further.

About the money (established stores)

  1. Can I see revenue and orders directly in the store platform and payment processor, through read-only access or a live screen share?
  2. Can you show month-by-month revenue and profit since the store started?
  3. What are all the monthly costs: products, shipping, platform, apps, payment fees, advertising, staff or contractors?
  4. What is the refund and chargeback rate?
  5. Have there been any unusual months, and what caused them?
  6. Are any costs paid personally that wouldn't show in the store's figures?

Established stores are usually priced on profit, so every cost you don't know about makes the price look better than it is. Our guide to valuing a website explains how the figures turn into a price.

About the traffic and marketing (established stores)

  1. Where do visitors and sales come from, broken down by channel?
  2. Can I have read access to the analytics and Google Search Console?
  3. How much do you spend on ads each month, and what does it return?
  4. Have you ever bought links, traffic, followers or reviews?
  5. Has the site ever had a search penalty or a big drop in rankings?
  6. How large is the email list, and how did people join it?

Ask question 15 directly, even though a dishonest seller can just say no. The answer goes on the record, and you can check it against a backlink tool and the Search Console manual actions report. We cover the warning signs in red flags when buying an online store.

About the supplier and shipping (every store)

  1. Who supplies the products, and are they a distributor or a dropship marketplace?
  2. Where is the stock held, and where does it ship from?
  3. What is the daily order cutoff, and how long does delivery really take?
  4. Will the supplier account transfer to me, on the same terms? Will the supplier confirm that in writing?
  5. How often are products out of stock, and how do you handle it?
  6. How are returns and damaged items handled?

For a dropshipped store, the supplier decides delivery times, availability and a good share of the reviews. Our dropshipping vs inventory guide explains why we use a distributor and what to check.

About the assets and accounts (every store)

  1. Who owns the domain, and where is it registered?
  2. What exactly is included? Can I have a written list?
  3. Which accounts transfer: store platform, domain, email, social media, ad accounts, payment processor, supplier, apps?
  4. Which accounts are tied to you personally and can't transfer?
  5. Are there paid apps or subscriptions I'll need to take over? What do they cost?
  6. Do you own the product photos and written content, or are they the supplier's or licensed?

If an asset isn't on the written list, assume it isn't part of the sale.

About the customers and reputation (established stores)

  1. Where are the store's reviews, and can I read all of them?
  2. What are the most common customer complaints?
  3. Are there any open disputes, chargebacks or unresolved refunds?
  4. Has any ad platform, payment processor or marketplace ever restricted or warned the store?

Search the store name and domain yourself as well, with words like reviews and complaints. Reputation stays with the name after the owner changes.

About the work (every store)

  1. How many hours a week do you spend on the store, and on what?
  2. Does anyone else work on it: staff, contractors, agencies? Will they stay?
  3. Is anything about the store dependent on you personally: your contacts, your audience, your skills?
  4. What help will you give after the sale, and for how long?

A store that relies on the owner's personal following or relationships may lose much of its value when the owner leaves. Find out what is really being sold.

Extra questions for a new store

A new, ready-to-launch store has no sales, traffic or customers yet, so most of the money and traffic questions don't apply. These do:

  1. Who built the store, and have they built others?
  2. Is the store sold once, or is the same design and catalogue sold to other buyers?
  3. Does the price reflect a build, or are you claiming it will earn a certain amount?
  4. Can I choose the domain, and will it be registered in my name?
  5. What is set up already: products, supplier account, policies, payment, shipping rules?
  6. What will I need to do before the first order can be taken?

Question 40 is the one to listen to carefully. Nobody knows what a new store will earn, and an honest seller will say so. We explain why in new online store vs established.

How to use these questions

  • Send them in writing and keep the replies. After a call, email a short summary of what was said and ask the seller to confirm it.
  • Ask for evidence, not reassurance. "Yes, it's all fine" is not an answer to "can I see it".
  • Notice how the answers come. Quick, specific replies are a good sign. Delays, vagueness or pressure to skip ahead are not.
  • Check what you can yourself. Reviews, domain history and backlinks don't need the seller's help.

The due diligence checklist turns these questions into steps, in the order to do them.

Ask us too

We sell new, ready-to-launch stores in pet supply, hunting, fishing and camping and health and wellness. Send us any of these questions and we'll answer them in writing.

Common questions

What should I ask a seller before buying an online store?

Ask how the figures can be verified, where the traffic comes from, who supplies and ships the products, which accounts transfer, what customers say, how many hours the seller works on the store, and exactly what is handed over.

Should I ask questions in writing?

Yes. Written questions and answers give you a record of what the seller told you, which matters if something turns out to be different after the sale. Follow up a call with an email summarising what was said.

Why does the seller want to sell?

Always ask, and listen for whether the reason fits the evidence. Common honest reasons are time, other projects or a change in circumstances. A reason that doesn't match the numbers, or no clear reason at all, deserves more digging.

What questions apply to a new store with no sales?

Ask who built it, whether it is sold to only one buyer, who the supplier is and whether the account transfers, who owns the domain, what exactly is handed over and what help is available after the sale.

What if the seller won't answer a question?

Treat it as an answer. A seller with a sound store can usually explain or evidence anything about it. Refusals, vague replies or pressure to skip questions are reasons to slow down or walk away.