Create new brand or rebrand existing brand?

[CLKeenan]

Ok, right now I'm stuck with a dilemma. I have my old domain that is horrible by all accounts... a hypen in the middle, a .org, etc. and then I have my new domain name that is great, very brandable, easily remembered, perfect for my content, etc.

The only reason why my old domain name is good is because it has been around for over 4 years and has built a name for itself. I want to create a similar site, same resources as the existing site, but with a ton of new features and functionality as well.

Do you think it would be best to rebrand the existing site under the new domain name or to just create the new brand and keep it separate from the old brand.

Pros and cons?

Thanks guys
-Chris

 

[Stanley]

it depends - how good is your new domain comparing to the old one?

 

[CLKeenan]

It would be course-notes.org vs. HighSchoolHQ.com/HighSchoolHeadquarters.com (I have both)

 

[avantrosa]

What percent of type-in traffic are you receiving?

 

[CLKeenan]

In March, 49% of my traffic was from type ins

 

[Firelead]

I would go with the rebrand and your new features with the new site. I think it should do well with HighSchoolHQ.com as the main domain.

 

[suicidemachine]

rebrand, 301 all relevant pages to their corresponding counterparts, and 301 the rest to the domain itself. in the long run it will pay off if you plan to keep the site going imo. and go with the shorter highschoolhq

 

[CLKeenan]

What if I think that both sites could be successful independent of each other? That could give me a larger market share of the competitive landscape and more visibility.

 

[CLKeenan]

More advice is always appreciated