New Idea for Site... Create a New Site or Use Existing Site

Changing horses in midstream

[fearlessrick]

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but I'm in the process of giving up on my site because it isn't producing adequate income (low average per click) and shifting to a more profitable niche.

My question is whether I should start from scratch with a new site or develop the new info on the same site, scrapping the existing navigation structure and building anew. My site is PR5 and pages get indexed right away, so I'm leaning in that direction.

The old pages will remain, they just won't be prominently featured. They will be there, just not bothered with any more or added to significantly.

It's kind of like having a candy store in a good location, but retooling it into a coffee shop which has better income potential. The candy will still have a presence, but resources wouldn't be devoted to it.

This happens in the real world. Is it the same on the internet?

Your suggestions and comments are appreciated. I've been researching the new concept for about 3 weeks and finally am ready to make the jump.

[dataguy]

I've done this with several of my sites and the switch has gone well every time. I have also tried new domains or buying old domains to avoid the sandbox, but I've found that it's better to develop a site on a domain where you know the history of the domain than to buy a domain which you don't know what it's been used for in the past.

[leadegroot]

Yes, I am in the process of doing the same thing with a site.
The new content is sort of a related opposite (no, honestly that does make sense ;))
It seems preferable to risking an unknown quantity of a domain or spending time in the sandbox.

One thing I have decided to do is retain the old homepage as is, with some trivial links to the new stuff down the bottom of the page until the new content pages are established in the engines.
This is on top of retaining but ignoring the old content.

[Marcia]

I'm in the middle of pondering a very similar kind of decision, only the current site is making decent money and can have many pages added for the current main topic (which I consider "vertical expansion").

The issue is whether to take a narrower topic that fits right into that one and build it out as a section on the existing site (which I consider to be "horizontal expansion"), or create a whole new site for what I consider a sub-niche of the one now, but is actually a very lucrative niche on its own - and more competitive, too.

Aside from any Google (time delay & linking)issues, a site can make money the very first month it's up through MSN traffic alone, which is what the income is from on the existing site, which is fairly new-ish as far as sites go, and hasn't had any link development done at all.

The financial part isn't the same as Rick's but it's a similar decision about whether to add on to an existing site or put up another. It's vertical site expansion one way (which will be done anyway)and the choice between a new site or horizontal expansion the other way.

There are a few factors pro and con either way it goes.

Added:

These are/would be an affiliate site also running Adsense, which I consider a good way to go. Some merchants overlap for both, while other merchants are/would be different for the two.

[caveman]

As long at the new content is related in ways a user would find natural, it seems to me that there are more good reasons these days to keep the new content on an existing site, than to open a new site. Reasons include: more efficient marketing (including link building), more efficient site operation/infrastructure costs, less ramp up time in some of the major SE's.

[steve40]

I think this is a new issue for many webmasters due to G and to some extent Y in obtaining good Serps placement with a new site / domain , I to am going through the same problem and thinking , but have decided to go the opposite route , part of the reason is as any marketing would not fit in with old domain name and also in truth if I said it was related would be stretching the line somewhat.
Also and possibly the most important reasoning is I am currently happy with earnings from my old domains which provide me with the ability to work for myself but like many it's such a lottery with G through influences beyond my control re: traffic that in order to diversify my income / traffic stream and therefore my long term success and survival as well as doing a site that has very little to do with my old target market, design, or even how it is moniterised I have decided to start from scratch with new domain ( all eggs in one domain basket worries me ).

I did start 3 new sites just over 18 months ago and although I do recieve traffic I am finding it harder and harder for any area that could be considered competitive or even semi competitive to feature in the first page of results ( these sites are all PR5 or better with good content )and do recieve traffic in the following order MSN, Yahoo, ASK, and then Google so I do realise the gamble with a new domain .

Possibly the other major difference with the maturing of the internet as a business medium is the way, style, cost and means of starting a new site even if not in competitive area due to theft of content by older established sites when a new idea / concept is seen ( That is my own personal worry with launching from scratch )

fearlessrick I think having read a few of your posts re: moniterising your current traffic I would do the same as you in your situation.

just my own view of the world

steve

[fearlessrick]

Many thanks for the interesting opinions. I'm going with the horizontal expansion using my existing site. Fortunately, my site name is so generic, I can put anything up there and it fits.

The prospect of being sandboxed for 6-18 months in G is not something I want to experience.

Good luck to all.