My business sells Premium WordPress Themes, however, we have now created a subscription based service that allows users to create free websites in a very similar way than Squarespace.com. The question I am hoping to get advice for is: should I separate my new SaaS service from the eCommerce platform in order to avoid brand confusion? Or shall I put it all under the same website / brand?
Two brands, I'd say. Already your 2 services are aiming in very different directions; and they may diverge further over time. Really, each ought to be allowed to progress in its own way.
Different messaging for different audiences. Different landing pages and sales funnels. Different software underneath.
You can keep the 2 closely allied if that helps ... while it helps. You can cross-promote. But set yourself up for every eventuality. What if you later wish to sell or discontinue 1 half of this business while keeping the other? If they're entangled as a single brand, then you cannot. Even if the businesses are separate, they're conjoined due to branding alone.
There are various ways to split the 2 brands. They could be wholly disjunct. Or they can cross-reference one another: X + Y (siblings) or X by Y (child < parent).
If you'd like some more individualized advice about the naming, domain issues, customer communication, etc., we can arrange a chat.
