Are you a multi-passionate entrepreneur feeling a little cramped on your services page? You’ve grown and expanded, added new services/products, and now you can’t figure out where to put it all? Do you have multiple signature services and want to promote them both equally? Well, if you’re nodding your head right about now, I have good news – you are not alone. As a web designer, the question, “Should I split my offerings into two websites?” is probably one of the most frequently asked questions I receive. (“Second, which website platform should I use?” but you can read that answer right here.)

Okay, so let’s dive into the answer. Honestly, there is no one size fits all solution. Still, there are factors that you should consider before choosing to have multiple websites for your business. 

Separate Pages, Same Website

There must be common ground between the two customer types. For instance, if you’re a newborn and a family photographer, the packages for each service may be different, but the ideal customer is the same – a mom. Or if you are a bakery and you sell cookbooks, the common thread is people are coming to find a dessert or find out how to make it. Housing two different services under one roof is an excellent option if the target audience overlaps or at the very least has a potential interest in both services. Tip: On your home page, start with an introduction of what your company is and what you do (include all services); then, as they scroll down, give them multiple paths to take by introducing your services one by one and linking to separate pages on the site. This way, you can still share direct links on social media.

Keep in mind: You want to avoid customer confusion. Suppose your services/products are talking to people with vastly different mindsets. In that case, you could be distracting them from what service they need from you. It will also make it harder for you to optimize SEO if your target is split in opposite directions.

Separate Website 

If your services/ products do not relate, it’s time to separate. To support your audience’s needs, you have to have clear, concise messaging that directs them to their solution. For example, if you sell heirloom wedding albums and offer fitness classes. Those two audiences are distinctly different, and to serve them well, they both need their own website.

Keep in mind: Double websites mean double the work. With any form of marketing, consistency is vital. So make sure you have the bandwidth (both literally and figuratively) to handle maintaining two websites. Also, don’t forget to cross-promote. Just because they are separate sites doesn’t mean your clients don’t deserve to know there are other ways to work with you. Tip: you could put a link to your other website in the navigation bar and prompt it to open in a new tab. Now they have both of your sites open in their browser 😉

One of my amazing clients, Liv Stouffer, owner of Liv In the Moment Photography, recently chose to separate her services from one site to two, and it’s working great for her business. Want to hear why and how she did it? Of course, you do!

So Liv, what are your two primary services in your business?

My two primary services are wedding photography and brand photography.

At what point did you decide it would be better if they both had their own website?

Honestly I kept them together on a single website for a year or two, before deciding to really commit to both lines of service. I realized that my audiences were so completely different, and it was too hard to try to speak to them both at the same time. Now that I have a website for my wedding brand and a website for my brand photography brand, it is SO much better! I feel like I can really speak to the individual needs of my brides and my business owners, as well as showcase my images without it being confusing. I am so happy that I have two separate websites now!

How do you balance marketing both? Do you run multiple social media accounts?

It is challenging at times, but in some ways it’s much easier. It is a little bit more of a time commitment to plan out the content for each brand, but it is so streamlined now that they are totally separate. Having two websites actually helps a lot. I have more organized leads coming in thanks to the two websites, as well as a more clear online client experience since they can find my separate instagram accounts and then go to that specific website. 

So remember, whichever route you choose, whether you split your services into different sites or just different pages on the same site, define the problem and select a strategy that you can handle AND makes it easier for your client.