How to Create an Engaging Business For Sale Ad

Creating a business for sale ad online

So you're thinking about selling your business and want to create the best ad possible? With 24 years of experience as a business for sale website, we've seen countless ads and can share with you the best-performing tactics to get the most clicks on your ad.

Whether you're creating your own ad or reviewing a listing created by a business broker, these are the secrets to a 'click-worthy' and high-enquiry ad. We've even created a printable PDF checklist so you can tick off each item as you go when reviewing or creating your business sale ad. 
 

 

10 Tips for an Epic Business for Sale Ad

 

1. Include numbers in the title

This can take some skill. If you take a look at the current businesses for sale, you might notice some rather redundant information in the title such as 'Cafe for Sale in Sydney' and then below will see that it has a 'cafe' category and the location is 'Sydney' so it's pretty obvious.

So what is a better title?

Example: Cafe for Sale - 30kg Coffee pw -$650k Turnover

Depending on the business you are selling and how much information you want to include, you can get creative with the title. The aim of the game is to 'make people click'.

 

2. Eye-Catching Lead Image

 

Don't be lazy. Yes, you can take a photo with your iPhone, but take some time to make sure it is clear, bright, and horizontal. Yes - horizontal. There is no point loading a vertical image as every online marketplace will crop it or not display it correctly.

Tip: The best-performing images are of the outside of the business. People want to click and 'see what is inside'. So if you have a nice shopfront, make sure you make it your lead image.

 

 

3. Make the Intro Easy to Read

 

The intro should basically summarise the title. You want to make it easy for the person to follow what you're trying to tell them. The intro is the best place to be like "hey! I know what I'm talking about and I'm confident". Don't waste those precious initial energies on talking about something irrelevant. Build on the title.

Example: Established 10 years, this excellent cafe is located in a busy industrial area with constant customer flow. Enjoy your weekends off as trade is Monday to Friday from 6 am - 3 pm.

 

4. Make the Price Clear

 

Listings with a price will always outperform a POA or Expressions of Interest. Buyers like to know what they are enquiring about. A clear price with +SAV or WIWO is a good place to start. If you want to hide the price, that is ok, just realise you will have fewer enquiries.

 

5. Speak to the Buyer

 

Imagine it is marketing 101. You need to identify your buyer, think of it as your 'Avatar'. When writing the business for sale ad you need to talk to the buyer directly. Especially if you are selling a niche or industry business such as a beauty salon. Talk about who the current owners are and who the business will suit.

 

6. Include Subheadings

 

Now this can depend on the website you are placing the business on, but always utilise sub-headings and space between paragraphs. It's 2024 and people don't like long-winded sentences. Save that for your business memorandum. Be concise and engaging.

 

7. Discuss Potential

 

Don't be scared to show where the business is headed. This is what a buyer wants to hear. Talk about where you can see the business headed under new ownership. Perhaps a delivery service or expanding online products. You need to show the business is growing and where it is headed next. Let the buyer read this section and think "That's a great idea, I could implement that!"

 

8. State What Training Will Be Provided

 

A business needs a handover period. Depending on the complexity of the business, it could be 2 weeks or 12 months. You can simply state "training will be provided" or you could take it a step further and invite the buyer into the conversation. "The seller is prepared to provide 4 weeks of training to the buyer so they can introduce them to clients and ensure a smooth transition of services."

 

 

9. Explain Why You Are Selling

 

Once again, don't be scared. People sell businesses for a number of reasons. It's important to be upfront and explain why you are selling. The most common reasons we see are retirement, relocation, or having multiple businesses and being time-poor. 

 

10. Call to Action

 

Don't leave the buyer hanging. You need to hold their hand and tell them what to do now if they want to know more. A statement like "Please call Joanne or complete the contact form and we will be in touch with an NDA so we can discuss the business further."

In the graphic below, we have outlined the 10 key factors to creating an epic ad. If you follow these 10 steps you could create your own buyer-enticing ad in no time. If you would like the team at Bsale to look over your ad and offer some marketing suggestions - please just let us know.

 

What Now

 

Its now time to review your ad and put some of these suggestions into action! We have checklist you can print and review your listing against. 

Also remember, the more exposure your business for sale the more chances you find the right buyer. Advertisements that appear at the top of search results will always get more eyes on them, so consider upgrades as part of your marketing strategy. 

 

Tags: selling a business creating an ad marketing

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