I took the plunge and filed my paperwork to form an LLC yesterday. It appears that my business name is available, but I’m waiting on the official word from the Secretary of State of New York.
The domain name has been purchased, but I’m not making an official announcement until all of the paperwork is finalized. That gives me time to ask a question.
Should I redirect this Web site (christinagleason.com) to the new business Web site or should I maintain separate Web sites? I’d be very grateful if you could leave me a comment explaining your vote.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I was very upset to learn I am allowed only 1 vote. I do however think that keeping them separate will allow more scope for each blog and allow you to focus much more effectively.
*Added this in comments section of poll – adding again here…
Hey Christina – I guess there’s a few things to think about:
Some things to think about – hope you’re doing well!
Take care!
I think keeping them separate gives both sites a chance to grow. And it is easier to have a different site for the actual company now than it would be to try breaking this site into two later on. If the company itself grows and expands, and I am assuming that it will, it will need its own place.
I know some people who are able to combine a business and personal site together really well, but I am not one of them.
I really like having a business site and a separate, personal blog. Having the personal blog gives me a lot of freedom in terms of sharing stories, etc. that are not specifically business. Although I do put up personal posts every once in awhile at my business blog, just to bond a little with my blog readers
Thank you all for weighing in. The scales have tipped to keeping the two site separate, but I still have time to think about it while the votes keep coming in.
I’d keep them separate. I’ll use twitter as an example of why. I only have one twitter account and it’s linked to my Facebook account. When I twit SEM related stuff, my friends and family on Twitter are totally lost. The personal messages have a tendency of getting lost in the business ones.
I’ve learned that it’s important to keep everything separate because that way it causes less noise for each side. You keep people coming back and seeing things that interest them instead of things they can’t relate to to.
Now I need to find a way to separate my Twitter account into two..
Separate.
The only temptation in doing a 301 now is some nice links; apart from that there’s nothing to gain.
Having your own, name-branded place on the web to play with, talk on etc. — now that’s something different
Congrats on the whole business thing too!
You have Twitter accounts that allow you to be two “fields of interest” of the same lively personality. We’d consider a business and personal site to be a similar relationship. You’re in a category that would allow you to be a personal brand, but you’ve grown so quickly from where you once were, to where you are now… can you see a future where your business is larger than yourself? We can. In which case, adding your personal brand to the business, as opposed to saddling your personal brand (ego) with a company name, might be an option that scales well, and can let go of you long enough to enjoy family and the other wonderful things in life. Like apples!
Hi Christina,
I would opt for keeping them separate for pretty much the same reasons as the above comments. Keeping them separate gives you one site you can be more open and personal on, which can provide a great outlet for you.
It looks like the people have spoken! And I think I see your point about keeping them separate. I do have two separate Twitter accounts, though not originally by my design, and it works out quite nicely for me. Separate it is!
I would say keep them separate as well. People know you now by your name. It may confuse them more to redirect everything over to your new site.
Congrats on the new business ( almost) by the way!
Sounds like you’ve made the decision to go with separate sites, which was my vote as well. I’m so happy to see you branching out and growing your business. Good luck to you!
I’m glad you are keeping them seperate. I can’t wait to see the new site!