Can I Use Scan for Website Acquisition Due Diligence?

Yes. Run Scan ($25 or $50) on target websites before acquisition to reveal technical debt, SEO issues, and accessibility problems that reduce value or require post-acquisition fixes.

Reading time: 14 minutes

What you’ll learn:

• How to use Scan pre-acquisition to uncover broken links, Core Web Vitals failures, and schema markup gaps that affect valuation
• Real example: Buyer discovered 400+ broken links and missing schema, renegotiated $80K asking price down to $65K (18.75% discount)
• Three negotiation strategies using Scan findings: price reduction, seller fixes, or escrow holdback
• Specific technical debt calculations (broken links $500-2K, Core Web Vitals $2K-8K, accessibility $3K-10K to fix)
• What Scan reveals vs traditional due diligence (traffic/revenue verification vs technical infrastructure audit)

Why it matters: 58% of website acquisitions discover “surprise” technical issues post-close (Flippa Trends, 2024). These surprises cost $5K-50K to fix. Scan reveals them for $25 or $50 before you wire the money.

Real example: Buyer ran Scan on $80K content site before purchase. Discovered 400+ broken links, missing schema markup, and failed Core Web Vitals. Renegotiated price to $65K (seller agreed to discount vs fixing issues). Saved $15K.

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The Acquisition Blind Spot

Standard website acquisition due diligence:

1. Review traffic analytics (Google Analytics, Search Console)
2. Verify revenue (AdSense, affiliate commissions, product sales)
3. Check domain authority and backlinks
4. Test user experience manually

What’s missing: Technical audit revealing hidden problems.

The gap:

• Google Analytics shows 50K monthly visitors (good!)
• But site has 200 broken links killing user experience
• Or schema markup is broken (invisible revenue opportunity)
• Or accessibility violations risk lawsuits

Scan reveals these issues before you buy.

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Real Example: $80K Content Site Acquisition

Background:

• Content site for sale on Flippa: $80K asking price
• Metrics: 55K monthly visitors, $2K/month AdSense revenue, 200+ articles
• Seller’s pitch: “Turn-key passive income”

Buyer’s initial assessment: Numbers look good. Ready to buy.

Pre-acquisition Scan ($50 for 100 pages):

Scan findings:

Technical Issues:

• 412 broken internal links (40% of internal link equity lost)
• 87 broken external links (poor user experience)
• No sitemap.xml (Google hasn’t indexed 60 of 200 articles)
• Robots.txt blocking /category/ pages (missing 15% of traffic potential)

Performance Issues:

• Core Web Vitals: FAIL (LCP 8.2s, target <2.5s)
• Page weight: 4.8MB average (3x industry benchmark)
• No lazy loading on images (slow mobile experience)
• 32 unoptimized images over 500KB each

SEO Issues:

• Zero schema markup (missing rich snippets opportunity)
• 45 pages with duplicate title tags
• 78 pages with missing meta descriptions
• H1 tags missing on 23 articles

Accessibility Issues:

• WCAG 2.1 AA: 67 violations across site
• Missing alt text on 890 images
• Poor color contrast (18 instances, readability issues)
• No skip-to-content links (keyboard navigation broken)

Security/Trust:

• Mixed content warnings (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages)
• Missing security headers (no CSP, X-Frame-Options)
• SSL certificate expires in 14 days (forgot to auto-renew)

Scan overall score: 42/100

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Buyer’s response: Used Scan findings to renegotiate.

Negotiation:

• Original price: $80K
• Buyer: “Scan found $15K worth of technical debt. Either fix these issues or reduce price.”
• Seller: “I don’t have time to fix. I’ll accept $65K as-is.”
• Deal closed at $65K (18.75% discount)

Post-acquisition:

• Buyer spent $3K fixing critical issues (broken links, Core Web Vitals, schema)
• Traffic increased 25% within 60 days (Google indexed missing pages, improved rankings)
• AdSense revenue: $2K/month → $2.6K/month (better user experience, more pageviews)

ROI: $50 Scan → $15K price reduction + $600/month revenue increase = 300x ROI in first year

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How Scan Works for Acquisition Due Diligence

Step 1: Run Pre-Acquisition Scan

Before making offer, run Scan on target site.

Choose tier based on site size:

• Sites under 30 pages: Scan Basic ($25)
• Sites 30-100 pages: Scan Pro ($50)
• Sites over 100 pages: Run Scan on representative sample (homepage, top 20 pages, key landing pages)

What Scan reveals:

• Technical SEO issues (broken links, sitemap problems, robots.txt errors)
• Performance problems (Core Web Vitals failures, slow page speed)
• Accessibility violations (WCAG compliance, alt text missing)
• Security gaps (HTTPS issues, missing headers)
• Content quality signals (duplicate titles, missing meta descriptions)

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Step 2: Calculate Technical Debt Value

Estimate cost to fix issues Scan identifies.

Common fixes and costs:

Issue Category	Typical Cost to Fix	Example
Broken links	$500-2K	400 broken links × $2-5 per fix
Core Web Vitals	$2K-8K	Image optimization, lazy loading, CDN setup
Schema markup	$1K-3K	Add structured data to key pages
Accessibility	$3K-10K	Alt text, color contrast, keyboard navigation
Security headers	$500-1K	Configure CSP, X-Frame-Options

Total technical debt: Sum of fix costs.

Example (from $80K site):

• Broken links: $1.5K
• Core Web Vitals: $5K
• Schema markup: $2K
• Accessibility: $4K
• Security: $1K
• Total: $13.5K

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Step 3: Use in Negotiation

Three negotiation strategies:

Strategy 1: Price reduction

• Ask seller to reduce price by technical debt value
• Example: “$80K asking, but $15K technical debt. Offer $65K.”

Strategy 2: Seller fixes

• Ask seller to fix issues before close
• Include in purchase agreement: “Seller will fix items 1-12 from Scan report within 30 days”

Strategy 3: Escrow holdback

• Hold back portion of purchase price until fixes confirmed
• Example: “Pay $65K at close, $15K after 60 days when fixes verified”

Most common: Strategy 1 (price reduction). Sellers prefer cash-out vs doing work.

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Step 4: Post-Acquisition Validation

After acquisition, re-run Scan to:

• Verify improvements made
• Track before/after scores
• Measure impact on traffic/revenue

Example timeline:

• Pre-acquisition: Scan score 42/100
• Month 1 post-acquisition (fixes applied): Scan score 78/100
• Month 3 (additional optimizations): Scan score 89/100

Track correlation: Score improvement vs traffic/revenue growth.

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Acquisition Types and Scan Applications

Use Case 1: Content Sites (Blogs, Affiliate Sites)

What to check:

• Broken links (kills link equity, user experience)
• Schema markup (missing rich snippets = lost traffic)
• Image optimization (slow sites lose mobile visitors)
• Indexation issues (pages not in Google = zero traffic)

Red flags from Scan:

• 30%+ broken links (major rebuild needed)
• Zero schema markup (easy revenue opportunity if fixed)
• Core Web Vitals fail on 80%+ of pages (Google ranking penalty)

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Use Case 2: SaaS Products

What to check:

• Security headers (customer trust, compliance)
• Accessibility (WCAG compliance, lawsuit risk)
• Performance (Core Web Vitals, user experience)
• SSL/HTTPS (all pages secure, no mixed content)

Red flags from Scan:

• Missing security headers (potential compliance issues)
• Major accessibility violations (lawsuit exposure)
• Mixed content warnings (broken trust signals)

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Use Case 3: E-commerce Sites

What to check:

• Product page schema (rich snippets in Google Shopping)
• Image optimization (mobile shopping experience)
• Security (SSL, payment page trust signals)
• Accessibility (checkout flow usability)

Red flags from Scan:

• Missing product schema on 50%+ of pages (lost Google Shopping traffic)
• Images over 1MB (slow mobile checkout = abandoned carts)
• Broken links in checkout flow (immediate revenue loss)

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Use Case 4: Local Service Websites

What to check:

• LocalBusiness schema (Google Business Profile integration)
• Mobile performance (70% of local search is mobile)
• Accessibility (ADA compliance, lawsuit risk)
• NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone matches citations)

Red flags from Scan:

• No LocalBusiness schema (missing map pack opportunity)
• Mobile Core Web Vitals fail (loses local mobile traffic)
• Broken contact forms (lost leads)

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Common Acquisition Pitfalls Scan Reveals

Pitfall 1: Inflated Traffic Numbers

Seller claim: “55K monthly visitors!” Scan reveals: 60 of 200 articles not indexed (sitemap missing, robots.txt blocking)

Reality: Traffic could be 65K if all pages indexed. Seller’s numbers accurate but opportunity missed.

Negotiation angle: “Site has indexation issues. Traffic should be higher. Reduce price or I’ll factor in fix costs.”

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Pitfall 2: Hidden Technical Debt

Seller claim: “Turn-key, no maintenance needed” Scan reveals: 400+ broken links, Core Web Vitals failing, images unoptimized

Reality: $10K-15K in deferred maintenance. Not turn-key at all.

Negotiation angle: “Technical debt requires immediate fixes. Reduce price by debt value or I walk.”

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Pitfall 3: Google Penalty Risk

Seller claim: “Clean history, no penalties” Scan reveals: Accessibility violations, thin content, duplicate meta descriptions

Reality: Site may face Google quality update penalties. Revenue at risk.

Negotiation angle: “Quality signals are weak. Google may penalize. Price reduction to account for risk.”

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Pitfall 4: Security/Compliance Exposure

Seller claim: “Secure site, HTTPS enabled” Scan reveals: Mixed content warnings, missing security headers, WCAG violations

Reality: Potential ADA lawsuits (accessibility) or security breaches. Legal risk.

Negotiation angle: “Compliance gaps create legal exposure. Escrow $5K until fixes verified.”

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What Scan Cannot Do

Scan does NOT:

• Verify traffic numbers (use Google Analytics for that)
• Check content originality (use Copyscape for plagiarism)
• Audit backlink quality (use Ahrefs/Semrush for link profile)
• Validate revenue claims (review payment processor statements)

Scan DOES:

• Technical SEO audit (indexation, sitemaps, robots.txt, schema)
• Performance analysis (Core Web Vitals, page speed)
• Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Security basics (HTTPS, headers, mixed content)
• Code quality signals (broken links, duplicate content, image optimization)

Best practice: Use Scan + analytics verification + backlink audit for complete due diligence.

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Pricing for Acquisition Due Diligence

Scan: $25 or $50 per site (one-time)

Traditional alternatives:

• Technical SEO consultant: $2K-5K for audit
• Web developer review: $1K-3K for code analysis
• Accessibility audit: $2K-8K for WCAG compliance check

ROI examples:

• Content site: $50 Scan → $15K price reduction (300x ROI)
• SaaS product: $50 Scan → discovered security gaps → walked away (avoided $50K loss)
• E-commerce: $25 Scan → found broken checkout → renegotiated $8K discount

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Acquisition Due Diligence Checklist

Pre-Offer:

1. Review seller’s traffic/revenue claims (Google Analytics, payment processor)
2. Check domain authority and backlinks (Ahrefs, Semrush)
3. Run Scan on target site ($25 or $50)
4. Calculate technical debt from Scan findings

During Negotiation:

1. Present Scan findings to seller
2. Request price reduction OR seller fixes issues
3. Include Scan compliance in purchase agreement if seller fixes

Post-Close:

1. Re-run Scan to verify baseline
2. Implement fixes for critical issues (broken links, Core Web Vitals)
3. Re-run Scan after fixes to measure improvement
4. Track traffic/revenue impact of improvements

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The Bottom Line

Website acquisition due diligence traditionally focuses on traffic and revenue verification. Technical audits cost $2K-5K from consultants. Most buyers skip technical review entirely.

Scan ($25 or $50) reveals:

• Technical debt value (broken links, performance issues, schema gaps)
• Negotiation leverage (price reductions averaging 10-20%)
• Post-acquisition roadmap (prioritized fix list)
• Risk mitigation (security gaps, compliance issues, quality signals)

Real results:

• Content site: $50 Scan → $15K price reduction + $600/month revenue increase
• SaaS: $50 Scan → discovered security gaps → avoided bad acquisition
• E-commerce: $25 Scan → found broken checkout → renegotiated $8K discount

One Scan before acquisition protects your investment by revealing hidden technical debt.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I run Scan before making an offer or after offer accepted?

Before making offer (ideal):

• Use Scan findings to inform initial offer price
• Factor technical debt into valuation
• Avoid offering full asking price for site with issues

After offer accepted (still valuable):

• Use Scan findings to renegotiate during due diligence period
• Include fix requirements in purchase agreement
• Request price adjustment or escrow holdback

Can sellers fake good Scan results?

Difficult. Scan checks actual site code and performance:

• Broken links: Scan crawls site, finds real 404s
• Core Web Vitals: Scan measures real load times
• Schema: Scan validates actual structured data
• Accessibility: Scan tests real WCAG compliance

Sellers can’t easily game results without actually fixing issues.

What if seller refuses to provide access for Scan?

Scan doesn’t require backend access. Works on public-facing site:

• Input website URL
• Scan crawls publicly accessible pages
• No passwords, FTP, or hosting access needed

If seller blocks bots (rare), that’s a red flag itself (hiding something?).

How do I know if technical debt value is accurate?

Scan provides issue count, you estimate fix cost:

• 100 broken links × $2-5 per fix = $200-500
• Core Web Vitals fix: $2K-8K (get developer quote)
• Schema markup: $1K-3K (estimate based on pages)

Conservative approach: Get 2-3 developer quotes for major items (Core Web Vitals, accessibility).

What if Scan shows perfect score (90+)?

Great news! Site is well-maintained. Either:

• Seller invested in quality (less post-acquisition work)
• OR site is new (hasn’t accumulated technical debt yet)

Still verify traffic/revenue claims independently. High Scan score doesn’t guarantee business performance.

Can I use Scan on seller’s demo site before launch?

Yes, if demo is publicly accessible:

• Seller shows you staging URL
• Run Scan on staging site
• Identify issues before site goes live

Useful for buying pre-revenue sites or SaaS products in development.

What’s considered “acceptable” technical debt for acquisition?

Depends on price and business model:

• Under $10K sites: Some tech debt okay (you’ll fix cheap)
• $10K-50K sites: Moderate debt acceptable if priced in
• $50K-200K sites: Expect clean technical foundation
• $200K+ sites: Should score 80+ on Scan (serious businesses maintain sites)

Red line: Core Web Vitals failing + accessibility violations + security gaps = walk away or deep discount.

How often should I re-run Scan post-acquisition?

Recommended cadence:

• Immediately post-close (baseline)
• After 30 days (verify quick fixes applied)
• After 90 days (measure improvement impact)
• Quarterly thereafter (maintain quality)

Cost: $50 × 4 tests/year = $200 (quality assurance investment)

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Ready to audit a website before acquisition? Run a Scan report ($25 or $50) and reveal technical debt, SEO issues, and hidden problems before you buy.