Building new site on new web host with concerns

[mmcgibbony]

Hello,

I have a domain with GoDaddy and current site is hosted there as well.  I want to leave my domain with GoDaddy and build a brand new site on HostGator.

The current website was designed to get us started.  Not any significant traffic, backlinks, or SEO.  The domain is not really what I want.  There are 80 pages including those that are no longer in service.  The keywords are not as relevant today.   Current site domain is whiterocktech.net

The new site will be very much different with SEO leading the way.  We have designed it yet have not opened an account yet with HostGator.  In addition, we have found a shorter more appropriate domain name.  Not ideal but easy to type in yet it has a dash.  This site is wr-crm.com.

Questions:

Does it make sense to "cut bait" from the current site given the lack use?

Does it make sense to build the site and still set redirects from the old domain pages to a new one?

Given so little traffic, is there really an effect on SEO if we sunset the old domain?

Could I strip out the old domain website and just post a message on one page to come to our new site until old domain expires?

I appreciate any insights on helping me with this decision.

Mike

[Xiano]

In the age of people rarely actually typing domains directly, rather opting to type a brand name or part of the domain and letting Google et al. do the work, I'm not sure there is much issue having a dash. I'd certainly rather have the shorter domain with a dash than a longer one without.

[mmcgibbony]

Thanks, Alex.  I appreciate you validating my hunches so that helps me with my decision.  I can redirect quickly and keep the continuity.

To your point about the blog, the new site is blog and testimonial centric; big part of the new front.  I think the plan we have will truly lift us up quickly.

Last thought/question - I've researched a lot on a domain with a dash.  Varying thoughts both ways - do it and don't do it.  I like the shortness and the domain.com rather the net.  Any opinions on this?

Thanks again.  Helps to have some chops to lean on here.

MM

[Xiano]

Short answer, given the small amount of work to 301 everything, I'd go for it.

Slightly longer answers:

Does it make sense to "cut bait" from the current site given the lack use?

I wouldn't, I don't see any benefit to doing that. Your site does rank for some keywords and phrases (Not spectacularly, but it does rank none the less), so why chuck that way? 301 the pages to the new domain and host the content there. As a side note, maybe look at url structure for the blog posts at the same time, you might see an uplift in ranking.

Does it make sense to build the site and still set redirects from the old domain pages to a new one?

Yes, as above.

Given so little traffic, is there really an effect on SEO if we sunset the old domain?

Google, in my experience, seems to take a while to "forget" about old sites, even if they are 404ing. Your old content will, for a while, compete with your new site.

Could I strip out the old domain website and just post a message on one page to come to our new site until old domain expires?

Yes, but Google wouldn't understand that.