Internet Asset Investment Scorecard
An internet asset can look cheap because the asking price is low.
That is the wrong number to start with.
Use this scorecard to decide whether you are buying a property with room to grow or a pile of files wearing a price tag.
The score will not make the decision for you.
It will make the weak spots much harder to ignore.
Score What You Can Actually Buy
Score these six parts from zero to five.
- Ownership
Can the domain, content rights, accounts, and records transfer cleanly? - Demand
Do current data and customer behavior show that people want the answer or offer? - Usefulness
Does the property solve a real problem well enough to earn attention and trust? - Work
What must be repaired, replaced, published, or managed after the sale? - Income
Is there working revenue now or a believable offer the property can support? - Transfer
Can a new owner take control without losing the parts that make the asset valuable?
Use the Same Scoring Scale Every Time
Unknown information earns zero.
A buyer cannot value what a seller cannot show.
| Points | What the score means |
|---|---|
| 0 | Missing, unknown, or impossible to check. |
| 1 | A weak claim with little useful support. |
| 2 | Something exists, but the record is incomplete. |
| 3 | Usable and clear enough to price into the deal. |
| 4 | Strong, current, and easy to check. |
| 5 | Documented, transferable, and ready for a buyer. |
What the Total Score Tells You
Add the six scores for a total out of 30.
| Total | Decision | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 24 to 30 | Buyer-ready | The asset is clear enough to price, transfer, and improve with confidence. |
| 16 to 23 | Opportunity | There may be value here. Price the missing work instead of pretending it is free. |
| 8 to 15 | Speculation | You are buying more hope than operating strength. |
| 0 to 7 | Pass | Walk away unless the domain alone is worth the price to you. |
A high score does not make a bad price good.
A low score does not make an asset useless.
The score tells you what is real, what is missing, and what the deal will demand from you after closing.
Turn the Score Into a Buying Decision
Use the score in four moves.
- Collect the ownership records and current performance data.
- Give every unknown a zero until the seller can document it.
- Price the repair work and the time it will take.
- Compare the real opportunity with the asking price.
This is where a cheap property can become expensive.
It is also where a neglected property can become interesting.
The difference is not optimism.
The difference is whether the asset gives you something real to improve.
A Domain Transfer Is Not a Business Transfer
Moving the domain is only one part of the deal.
ICANN's Transfer Policy controls how a domain moves between registrars.
The U.S. Copyright Office explains that copyright ownership can be transferred in writing.
The buyer still needs the accounts and operating records that make the property work.
If the whole asset cannot move, the whole value cannot move.
See the Scorecard on a Live Property
Read the SmartInternetInvesting.com Asset Passport for a current property profile.
Then read the search visibility case study to see how an early signal changed after the rebuild.
If the score still holds up, the Buy Internet Assets framework will help you decide whether buying gives you a better start than building from zero.
Do Not Let the Asking Price Do the Thinking
A seller gives you a price.
Your job is to decide what that price is buying.
Score the asset.
Price the work.
Then make the deal earn your yes.