You can find established websites for sale that already support inclusion if you look for three basic things: who they serve, how they treat users, and how they make money. Some people focus only on traffic or profit, but if you care about anti discrimination, you can screen websites for bias, accessibility, and who gets a voice. That is not a perfect system, and sometimes it will feel messy or slow, but it is a real way to match online business with values like fairness, respect, and equal access.
Why inclusion matters when you buy an existing website
Buying an existing website is tempting. It already has content, traffic, maybe income. It is like moving into a furnished apartment. You do not start from zero.
But there is a catch. When you buy a site, you also buy its history. You inherit its tone, its old content, its comment sections, and sometimes its silent biases. If that site has been pushing harmful stereotypes or making some groups invisible, you are not starting from a neutral place. You are starting from a negative one.
If you care about anti discrimination, you cannot treat a website as only a “money machine.” The people it impacts matter as much as the numbers.
That might sound strict, but once you think about who reads the site, and who is quietly pushed away, it becomes hard to ignore.
When you buy, you are doing at least three things at the same time:
- Taking over a small public space on the internet
- Shaping what stories and products people see
- Sending a signal about whose experiences count
So if your readers care about anti discrimination, or if you care about it personally, you probably want a site that does one of these:
- Gives fair coverage to different groups
- Offers products or information that supports access and equity
- At least does not harm people who already face bias
That is not easy. Many sites are messy mixes of helpful, neutral, and harmful content. Some are quietly exclusionary without any clear hate speech. You might wonder if you are being too picky. I do not think you are. But I think you need a clear way to look at a site and decide if it can be nudged toward inclusion, or if it fights you at every step.
What “championing inclusion” can actually mean for a website
The phrase “champion inclusion” sounds big and abstract. On a real site, it usually shows up in smaller, practical choices. Things like:
- Who appears in images and examples
- What kind of language the site uses for groups of people
- Whether the site is readable for people with disabilities
- How the site handles harassment or hateful comments
- Which products or partners it promotes
Some people think “inclusive” means the site has to be about social justice 24/7. I do not agree. A site about gardening, coding, travel, or fitness can champion inclusion by what it chooses to show and who it assumes is “the normal user.”
Here are some simple, concrete signs that a site leans toward inclusion, even if it does not talk about it loudly.
1. Representation that does not feel forced
Look at the photos, illustrations, and examples. Do you see people of different ages, races, body sizes, genders, abilities? Or does everything look like one narrow, safe default?
You do not need perfect balance. That is impossible and would feel fake. But if a site claims to serve “everyone” and yet every image shows the same kind of person, that tells you something.
Inclusive sites treat diversity as normal, not as a special theme week or a token gesture.
When you are browsing sites to buy, pretend you are a visitor from a group that often gets left out. Ask yourself, “Do I see myself here at all?” If the answer is “barely” or “no”, the site might need serious changes.
2. Language that respects people
Language is tricky. Culture changes fast. A phrase that was fine ten years ago may be painful now. No site will be perfect on this, but you can still scan for patterns.
Watch for:
- Slurs or mocking terms, even in older posts
- Assumptions about gender roles, family types, or religion
- Jokes that punch down at groups that already face bias
- Advice that treats one group as the unmarked “normal” and everyone else as odd
Some older content can be fixed with edits or notes. Some is so baked into the brand that it will keep leaking out. You need to judge which one you are dealing with. If almost every article is framed around stereotypes, that is a deep issue.
3. Accessibility as a real concern, not an afterthought
Inclusion includes people with disabilities. A site that ignores accessibility is quietly saying that some users can be left behind if they are “too hard” to serve.
You can do a quick check without being an expert. For example:
- Does text have clear contrast with the background?
- Are font sizes readable on mobile?
- Do images have alt text, at least on recent posts?
- Can you tab through links without getting stuck?
- Is content locked into images of text rather than real text?
There are tools and guidelines, of course, but even a simple user check can show you whether the previous owner cared even a little.
If a site owner never thought about accessibility, you can still fix it, but accept that you are buying extra work, not a finished product.
4. A clear stance against hate and harassment
Comments, forums, and user reviews can reveal a lot about a site’s values. Scroll through them. Are slurs, dog whistles, or harassment left in place? Is there any sign of moderation?
Sometimes the content of the site is fairly neutral, but the comments are full of hostility toward women, queer people, migrants, or other groups. The owner may claim they are “just letting people speak” but that choice shapes who feels safe enough to join the conversation.
If you plan to clean that up, be honest with yourself. Are you prepared to moderate firmly? To ban repeat offenders? To add clear rules? That takes time and patience. Many buyers underestimate that work.
Types of established websites that can support inclusion
You might think only activism or education sites can really support anti discrimination. I think that is too narrow. Many kinds of commercial sites can contribute, or at least avoid harm, if you shape them with care.
Here are a few broad types of sites people often buy, and how they can support inclusion in practice.
Content blogs and niche sites
These are blogs or resource sites that cover a topic: parenting, tech, food, finance, crafts, and so on. Many are monetized with ads or affiliate links.
How can such a site champion inclusion?
- Feature stories and guides from people with different backgrounds
- Avoid “one size fits all” advice that only fits a dominant group
- Include content about barriers certain groups face in that niche
- Recommend products from brands with clear anti discrimination policies
Think about a travel blog. It can add guides for disabled travelers, queer travelers, or travelers from racial groups that often face profiling. It can warn people when a destination has a pattern of discrimination. That is not extreme. It is honest.
Ecommerce and product review sites
Shop sites and review sites have quiet power. They choose which products get visibility and which do not. If you buy a store that sells clothing, for example, you can widen size ranges, feature models with different bodies, and avoid brands that use abusive labor.
A product review site can decide to score brands not only on quality and price but also on:
- Accessibility of products
- Representation in marketing
- Company policies on discrimination
Some buyers ignore this because it feels “too political”. But people who face discrimination do not get to step out of it. Helping them choose brands that do not treat them as an afterthought is not a side issue.
Community or forum based sites
Community sites are tricky. They can be spaces of support or places where bias spreads. When you buy a forum, group, or membership site, you are taking responsibility for its culture, even if you did not create it.
If you are looking at a community site and care about inclusion, ask:
- Are community rules clear about respect and anti discrimination?
- Do moderators have backing to enforce those rules?
- Are minority voices present and participating, or mostly silent?
- Does the site platform people who share harmful ideology?
Sometimes it is easier to start a new community than to repair a deeply toxic one. Other times the foundation is good, but moderation has been lazy. Both exist. The second case can be worth saving.
How to check an existing website for bias before you buy
If you are serious about inclusion, you need some method to check each potential site, not just a gut feeling. Gut feelings help, but they can miss quiet bias or overreact to minor things.
Here is a simple review process you can use. It is not fancy. It just forces you to look beyond the surface.
Step 1: Sample the content over time
Do not only read the latest three posts. Take a date range. For example, pick content from:
- Last month
- One year ago
- Three years ago, if the site is that old
In each period, read several posts. Look for:
- Groups who are stereotyped, mocked or erased
- One story being treated as “normal” and everything else as odd
- Language that was once common but now feels clearly harmful
Then decide whether the trend is improving, stuck, or getting worse. Some old posts may be bad while new ones are careful. That can be a sign that the seller has already started to shift. Or they may not see the issue at all.
Step 2: Check the money trail
See how the site makes money. The way it earns often shapes its blind spots.
| Monetization method | Common risks for inclusion | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Display ads | Ads for products with sexist, racist, or ableist messaging | Types of ads shown, any blocked categories, ad partner policies |
| Affiliate links | Promoting brands with bad records on discrimination or labor | Which brands appear most often, company codes of conduct |
| Sponsored posts | Biased content that looks like neutral advice | Disclosure practices, who gets sponsored exposure |
| Digital products / courses | Teaching narrow, privileged viewpoints as universal | Who the “ideal” customer is, diversity in examples |
| Membership / community | Allowing harassment if paying members bring revenue | Moderation rules, history of bans or warnings |
Money does not define ethics all by itself, but it nudges behavior. If a site depends on sponsors who push exclusionary messages, you will face pressure to look away when harm happens.
Step 3: Read what users are saying
Check comments, reviews, and social media mentions of the site. Do any users mention discrimination, erasure, or feeling unsafe? One angry person may not reveal a pattern. Several different people over time probably do.
You will not always find this. Many people just leave silently. Still, when criticism does appear, see how the owner responded. Did they listen? Deflect? Attack? Ignore?
An inclusive site is not one that never makes mistakes. It is one where feedback about harm leads to change instead of denial.
Step 4: Ask the seller direct questions
This part makes some buyers nervous, but it is fair. You can ask things like:
- “Have any users ever raised concerns about discrimination or bias on the site?”
- “Do you have any content policy around hate speech or harassment?”
- “What is your approach to accessibility?”
The answers may be vague, or the seller may say, “We never had a problem.” That can mean the site is fine. It can also mean nobody felt safe enough to complain. Pay attention to tone. If they seem annoyed at the idea of anti discrimination at all, that is a sign.
Shaping a newly bought site into an inclusive one
Sometimes you will find a site that is halfway there. It is not hostile or openly biased, but it has gaps. Maybe the images are narrow, the language is dated, the accessibility is poor. That kind of site can be worth buying if you are ready to do real work.
You do not need to fix every problem in week one. In fact, if you try, you may burn out and give up. A better approach is to plan steady, clear changes.
1. Set your own inclusion guidelines
Before you edit a single post, write down a short set of values. Plain language is fine. For example:
- “We will avoid stereotypes about any group.”
- “We will include images and examples of different kinds of people.”
- “We will improve accessibility for users with disabilities.”
- “We will remove hate speech and harassment from comments.”
This is more for you and any future writers than for marketing. It keeps you from drifting. When you face a hard decision, you can ask, “Does this follow our own rules?”
2. Fix the worst harm first
Not all issues are equal. A lack of alt text is serious, but open hate speech in top ranking posts is worse.
Start with:
- Posts that rank high or get a lot of traffic
- Pages that are clearly offensive or unsafe
- Any “about” or “welcome” content that sets a bad tone
In those places, remove slurs, add clarifying notes, or even unpublish content while you rewrite. You can leave a short message saying that the content is being updated for accuracy and respect, if you like. You do not have to write an essay about it unless you want to.
3. Improve accessibility step by step
Accessibility work often feels huge. Break it into tasks.
- Weeks 1 to 2: Fix color contrast and font sizes on the main design
- Weeks 3 to 4: Add alt text to the top 50 traffic pages
- Weeks 5 to 6: Make forms and navigation usable by keyboard
You can move faster or slower than this. The point is to have a path. You can also choose one area to get fully right, like very clear headings and good contrast, while you plan deeper changes later.
4. Set clear comment and community rules
If your site has a comment section, put simple rules in place:
- No slurs targeting any group
- No harassment of individuals or groups
- No posting of hate content or links to it
Tell users what will happen if they break these rules. Then follow through. Delete comments that break the rules. Ban repeat offenders. This might upset a few loud people, but it protects quieter readers who otherwise stay silent or leave.
5. Add missing voices in content
Look at the topics your site covers. Ask yourself, “Who is missing from these stories?” For a finance site, maybe it is people with disabilities. For a parenting site, it could be queer parents or single parents. For a tech site, it might be older learners.
You can bring those voices in by:
- Inviting guest writers from those groups
- Doing interviews and Q&A pieces
- Sharing curated resources from people with lived experience
Do not treat them as decoration. Let them shape how the topic is framed, not just give a one time “diversity story.”
Ethical questions that come up when buying “inclusive” sites
Some people feel uneasy about mixing online business with social justice, and they are not entirely wrong. Money can twist motives. You need to keep asking yourself honest questions.
Are you using inclusion as a marketing badge?
A site that “champions inclusion” can attract a loyal audience that cares about fairness. That has value. But if the main goal is to wear the label while doing the least work, readers will notice.
Ask yourself:
- Would I still make these changes if nobody praised me for them?
- Am I willing to lose some income from brands or users who oppose inclusion?
- Do I listen when people point out harm, or do I get defensive?
You will not always like the honest answers. That is part of the process. Inclusion is not a static checklist. It is a set of ongoing choices.
Should you ever buy a site with a harmful past?
This is hard. Some sites have a history of clear racism, sexism, or other forms of discrimination. Part of you might want to buy them to “turn them around.” Another part might worry that you are still rewarding the old owner for harm.
I do not think there is one right rule here. Some possible questions:
- Is the old brand name tied closely to harmful ideology?
- Would keeping the name feel like recycling a toxic label?
- Could you be transparent about the change and show that the content has truly shifted?
In some cases, a clean break may be better. New name, new brand, clear statement. In others, keeping the name and changing its meaning can send a strong message. Both paths have tradeoffs.
Is profit always in tension with inclusion?
People sometimes claim that inclusive choices hurt profits. That can be true in the short term. Saying goodbye to some advertisers or users who demand a hostile environment will cut revenue.
On the other hand, people who feel seen and safe often stay longer, subscribe, and recommend the site. They are not an afterthought. They are a real audience.
I think the honest answer is that profit and inclusion sometimes pull in different directions, sometimes not. If you pretend there is never any conflict, you may be hiding hard choices from yourself.
Practical filters when browsing sites for sale
When you are on marketplaces or broker listings, you only see a short description at first. You cannot run a full audit on every listing. So you need a quick filter.
Here are some simple screening questions you can ask before you spend time on deeper checks.
1. Topic fit
Some topics are easier to align with inclusion than others. For example:
- Health, education, community support, or accessibility topics usually have a natural link to fairness
- Extreme political commentary or sites built around outrage tend to resist inclusive shifts
- “Edgy humor” brands often rely on punching down at vulnerable groups
This does not mean you must avoid all hard topics. It just means you should be realistic about which ones can change.
2. Tone in the listing itself
Read how the seller describes the audience. Do they use phrases that hint at exclusionary thinking? Do they brag about provoking certain groups? Or do they speak in a way that suggests care for users?
The listing is not perfect evidence, but it gives you a first sense of values. If the copy treats all concern about discrimination as “wokeness” that ruins fun, that is a clear sign of conflict ahead.
3. Visual cues
Even small screenshots in listings can reveal something. You might notice headlines or images that feel off. If the only examples shown are borderline offensive, you can probably skip that site and save time.
Why this matters for people who care about anti discrimination
If you read a site about anti discrimination, you might be more used to policy debates, stories of bias, or legal updates than discussions of buying websites. The link may feel a bit stretched at first.
Still, think about how much of daily bias now happens through screens. Which stories are promoted. Which faces are absent. Which comments get space. Websites are part of that structure. They teach silently as much as they teach with words.
When those sites change hands, there is a small chance to tilt the balance. A buyer who cares about inclusion can shift a site from neutral or harmful to helpful. Or, if they ignore it, they can keep the quiet harm going for years.
That is why people interested in anti discrimination may want to pay some attention to how online properties are bought and sold. It is not the most glamorous part of the work, but it is one of the many small levers that shape culture.
Common questions about buying inclusive established sites
Q: Is it realistic to find a site that is already strongly inclusive?
Sometimes, but not very often. Many owners never thought deeply about inclusion. They were focused on traffic and income. Finding a site that is both ethically careful and financially solid is possible, but rare.
In many cases, you will find sites that are at least not openly harmful, and that can be nudged in a better direction without starting from scratch. You will need patience for that kind of gradual shift.
Q: Am I overthinking this? Should I just buy whatever makes money?
If your only goal is short term income, you probably are overthinking it by your own standard. But if you care about anti discrimination, then no, you are not overthinking it. You are trying to avoid adding more weight to systems that already push some people down.
The harder question is how much compromise you are willing to live with. Every existing site carries some bias. You will have to accept that you cannot fix everything at once. That is uncomfortable but also honest.
Q: What if I buy a site and later find deeper problems I missed?
That happens. Culture is complex, and bias often shows up in subtle ways. When you find those problems, you can still decide what to do:
- Quietly fix content and structure over time
- Write a public note about changes you are making
- Sell or close the site if the core brand is too toxic
None of these options feels perfect. But doing nothing and pretending you did not see the issue is the only choice that clearly supports ongoing harm.
Q: Can a small change on a single site really make a difference for discrimination?
Not by itself. No single blog or shop will erase systemic bias. But each site is one more public space where people either feel erased, attacked, or actually seen.
If many owners start asking the kinds of questions in this article, the overall online environment shifts bit by bit. That is slow. It is also real. The question, really, is whether you want the sites you control to add to the problem or quietly help ease it.