How do I check an online business I cannot visit in person?

A shop can be walked through, counted and watched on a busy Saturday. An online business has no such place, and the seller may live far away. That puts more weight on evidence you can verify yourself. The aim is to see the same live systems the seller sees, not a copy prepared for you.

Ask for live, read-only access

Screenshots and exported reports are easy to edit. Ask instead for read-only access to the analytics, the payment processor and the platform the business runs on. Ask whether the seller can arrange this after a confidentiality agreement. Compare what you see with the financial statements, and ask your accountant to do the same.

A recorded walk-through

Where live access is limited, ask the seller to share their screen and open each dashboard while you watch, and record the session with their permission. Ask them to filter by dates you choose. A seller who cannot explain their own figures, or who avoids a date range, has told you something.

Who owns the accounts and the domain

Confirm whose name is on the domain, the platform account, the payment processor, the social media pages and any supplier accounts. If a contractor holds any of them, ask how ownership would move. Your lawyer should make sure each transfers in the agreement, not by promise. The online presence check covers reviews and reputation.

People and warning signs

Speak to suppliers, contractors and any staff, since they see the business from the inside. Be careful if the listing cannot support its numbers, if the seller rushes you, or if records are missing. For store-specific steps, see buying an existing ecommerce business.