If you've read much advice about selling websites online, you've probably heard that your best bet is to stick to the mainstream sites like Flippa and Warriors Forum. While this still holds true, there are other viable marketplaces to consider and one such place is Craigslist. It can especially be a great marketplace if you are selling websites targeted to local businesses. Here are the four main advantages to selling websites online through Craigslist:

Local Contact

A good way of establishing yourself as a reliable seller and closing in on the deal is to actually talk to the potential buyer. Emails can lead to miscommunication sometimes, causing the sale to fall through. When doing business through Craiglist, it is a normal practice for buyers and sellers to speak over the phone. Use this opportunity to address all the concerns the buyer has and to give him assurance that you are really the site owner and are serious about selling. This arrangement best works if you are targeting a local buyer for your site.

Cost

While the well-known marketplaces like Flippa offer a lot of assurances to a seller, they also take plenty in return. These sites can charge expensive listing fees or even take a percentage of your sales. Craigslist is completely free to everyone. They don't charge you to list anything and they don't take a portion of your sales. Craigslist allows you to keep more of your money and since it's free, you don't lose anything other than your time if your site doesn't sell.

Simplicity

For someone who knows his way around the site, selling websites through Craiglist could give an edge because this marketplace allows the seller to design and create their own ad as they see fit. Other sites don't give as much creative freedom to those who have their sites listed. It's more difficult to stand out when you would have to make do with a generic template that all other sellers use.

Better Visibility

If you are able to implement SEO techniques the right way, Craiglist can give your ads a good boost in the search engines. In many instances, you can even get better visibility from a listing in Craiglist than in other marketplaces solely for site flipping.

For these few reasons alone, and they are not the only reasons, listing on Craigslist can be a great alternative to paying fees to list elsewhere. And the truth is that you don't have anything to lose. Since it is entirely free, you never have to pay a cent even if you don't make the sale right away. Selling websites online doesn't have to mean membership fees and seller's fees if you step outside the box and list your website on Craigslist.