How To Change The Domain Name Of An Active Site In April 2024?
Changing domains on an existing site is possible. However, it comes with risks like temporary search visibility losses, technical issues, broken links, and traffic drops if not handled properly.
In this comprehensive guide, we will outline what is involved in migrating domain names, best practices for smooth execution, whether it’s advisable for your situation, and the short and long-term benefits of aligning your web address with revitalized branding.
Buy premium domain names to ensure that with adequate planning and mitigation strategies, the ideal domain can become a reality on an already-built site. Let’s see how to successfully change the domain name to enhance trust and engagement.
What Is A Domain Name?
A domain name is a human-friendly web address that is used to access a website, such as example.com or mysite.org. It points to the server where the website files and data are stored. Some key things to know:
- Domain names must be registered and renewed annually, usually for less than $20 per year. Popular extensions include .com, .net, .org, and country-specific domains.
- Proper spelling, short length, and relevant keywords help a domain name appeal to visitors and aid search engine optimization.
- Domain registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Bluehost sell domain name registration and management services.
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What Are The Benefits of the Right Domain Name?
- Enhances branding and memorability. A short and catchy domain is easy for visitors to remember.
- Supports SEO goals when keywords are organically included.
- Adds legitimacy, especially with popular extensions like .com.
- Conveys what the brand or site is about from the name itself.
- Increases potential traffic when the name resonates with users.
In essence, the right domain lays the foundation for building a successful online presence.
What Role Do Domains Play in Website Success?
Beyond just branding, domains play other vital roles:
Trust and Credibility
An authoritative domain that matches the brand name establishes legitimacy and trust. Visitors need to feel confident in who they share information with online.
SEO Value
Keywords in the domain may be given extra weight by search engines when assessing relevance. Also, an old or established domain has built up backlink equity.
Usability
A short and simple spelling supports memorability and makes it easy to convey orally. Associated domains, like m.yoursite and login.yoursite are then easy additions.
Consistency
Using your brand name in the domain and on associated social media profiles establishes consistency that visitors latch onto. So, your domain name isn’t just a label. It can make or break how quickly people find you, engage with your brand, and convert from prospects into satisfied customers.
How Do You Change the Domain Name Of an Active Website?
Is it possible to change the domain name once you have an existing site up and running? The short answer is yes; it can absolutely be done with careful planning and effort. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Research Best Practices
Talk to your registrar and web host’s support to understand the proper steps for your platforms, especially if you need to change the domain name. Familiarize yourself with the domain management tools available within your CMS. Enable maintenance mode if changing a live site to avoid indexed errors.
Register New Domain
Buy and configure the new domain through your preferred registrar. Make sure WHOIS information meets legal requirements. For a smooth transition period, register the domain for 2+ years out initially.
Point DNS Records To Servers
Within 24 hours, after updating the name servers to change the domain name, your new domain should point visitors correctly. For CMS sites like WordPress, adjust the Site Address URL and WordPress Address URL in the dashboard settings.
Set Up 301 Redirects
Permanent 301 redirects are important for passing SEO value from old URLs to new corresponding pages. Use .htaccess rules, redirection plugins, or mapping tools your host provides.
Add Subfolders Or Subdomain
If you want, you can keep the old domain on your hosting account. Use it as a subfolder or subdomain, serving important archival pages temporarily through 301 redirects until the new redirects are fully in place.
Replace Backlinks
Switching out the old domain links with new ones to guard against losses requires careful attention over time, especially as you change the domain name. Start by prioritizing the most valuable backlinks through outreach efforts. Make use of server logs to pinpoint where referrals are coming from.
Update XML sitemap & Robots.txt
Reconfigure your sitemap for search engines to index new structures. Check robots.txt for changes needed so that no pages get blocked.
Modify Internal Links
When you turn on redirects, it is not super urgent to quickly update all the links on the site. Still, it is something you should deal with in the weeks that follow. If your site is really big then think about hiring someone to handle this for you.
Manage additional domains
Update social media profiles, email accounts, paid advertising links, relevant legal ownership registrations, and anywhere else branding is displayed publicly.
By methodically following these steps during and right after the transition, you give your rebranded domain the best chance of migrating safely while maintaining traffic and search visibility.
Is it Worth Changing the Domain Name?
After seeing the lengthy to-do list involved with migrating domains, you may wonder whether it is ultimately worth the effort. There are good reasons you may want to undertake a domain change.
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Why Change Domains?
Here are the most common beneficial reasons to change the domain name:
Rebranding
A name change, revised branding, or new strategic direction calls for a domain name that aligns with the new positioning.
Expired premium domain available
There is an opportunity to purchase an aged domain or one that wholly matches revitalized branding efforts.
Optimization needed
The old domain might have spelling mistakes. They might have hyphens you don’t want. They might be too hard to remember or not include the keywords you are aiming for.
Improve trust and authority
A more premium domain extension, like .com over .biz, can better convey professionalism and legitimacy.
Sell the business
During acquisition talks or due diligence, buyers may request or assume domain ownership will transfer. In the correct situation, switching to a new and better domain makes sense, even though it requires some effort. Ultimately, the main aim is to bring in more involved traffic that actually turns into positive outcomes.
Why Not to Change?
What factors may make it wiser to not bother with a domain change? Here are key reasons to consider:
High traffic & strong metrics
The risks to an already well-performing site in terms of lost visibility may outweigh the benefits.
Significant backlink profile
Reproducing lots of high-quality backlinks is enormously difficult, making migrations risky.
Not fully funding the project
Changing domains well requires enough time and money. Without proper resources, execution risks increase substantially.
What Are The Risks and Challenges When Changing Domains?
Now that we have covered the basics of changing the domain name of an active site and the reasons you might want to migrate, let us discuss the biggest risks and challenges:
Technical Issues
On the technical side, domain changes introduce the possibility of:
- Broken images, links, and scripts from hardcoded old domain references.
- CMS platform conflicts if migration tools are not used properly.
- Email delivery errors until DNS, SPF, and DKIM are updated.
- Indexing problems due to directives in robots.txt or META tags.
- SSL certificate warnings if the new domain is not configured.
Traffic Loss
The level of traffic drop comes down to how well you redirect and maintain visibility:
- Your rankings can decrease because search engines see the content as duplicated when it’s republished.
- Referral traffic stops until backlink profiles match up.
- People who already like your website might not find you or subscribe again.
- Your email list gets cut off if they don’t sign up again on the new domain.
Frustration Factor
Resource demands lead to frustration like:
- It takes a lot of time to gather old links and ask for updates.Â
- There’s no guarantee that influential sites will actually update their links.
- The costs go up when you hire help, and there are IT challenges in managing the complexities of the project.
- If not done carefully, changes to the domain often don’t work out well, leading to significant drops in traffic and conversions, making the site less relevant.
What Are The Mitigating Risks When Changing Domains?
The good news is that missteps can be minimized if the right strategies are implemented:
- To help search engines smoothly transition indexing, keep the old domain temporarily and launch a subfolder or subdomain. This way, you retain some link authority while giving the new domains a chance to gain traction.
- Create strong 301 redirects from old to new pages to transfer search strength. Keep access to the old domain for testing before releasing registration.
- Replace old links faster by reaching out to webmasters of valuable referral sites. Most will add a new branded link if old content is taken down.
- In Google Search Console, ask for indexing of new URLs and submit XML sitemaps with new and redirected pages. Regularly check for crawl errors.
- Before launching the new domain, build fresh, quality links naturally through content marketing outreach. Consider paid sponsorship opportunities for brand visibility.
- Keep your email subscribers and existing community members well-informed leading up to the switchover. Give them plenty of warning to update bookmarks and re-subscribe.
- Develop a detailed project plan and timeline, mapping dependencies from registrars to hosting setup steps. Plan for 20% or more extra time and costs than expected.
Stay vigilant with these damage control recommendations, and your domain migration has a strong chance of success!
What Are the Benefits After Changing the Domain Name?
Once the heavy lifting of executing a domain migration is over, what benefits can you expect to realize from the investment?
Immediate Perks
A few rewards manifest quickly from a domain switch:
- The website now aligns with a rebranded image or desired new positioning.
- Domain name instills confidence by sounding more professional.
- Keyword optimization in the domain reflects SEO goals.
- Streamlined web address improves memorability.
- Gradual Improvements.
Certain benefits accrue over time after changing domains:
- New branded links build domain authority, passing equity to pages.
- Rankings can surge on key terms as the new domain earns trust signals.
- Visual link display of updated domain boosts credibility in SERPs.
- Repeat engaged visitors return through a memorable domain instead of an old one.
Ultimate Business Value
Most importantly, the value of a domain change surfaces through crucial business metrics over the long term:
- Site traffic can exceed previous baselines by 50-100% or more.
- Lead quality and conversion rates benefit from more targeted visitors.
- Revenue directly tied to website performance sees noticeable gains.
- Brand name interest and site engagement keeps growing exponentially.
While achieving these results depends on execution more than just swapping domains, a key component is choosing the best web address to reinforce your online goals in the first place.
FAQs
What are some common reasons for changing the domain name of an active site?
Some top reasons are rebranding to a new company name, optimizing the domain to improve search rankings, switching to a more authoritative domain extension like .com, expiry of a premium domain allowing you to acquire it, or selling a business and needing to transfer the domain.
What are the risks of changing domains on a live site?
Major risks are temporary loss of search engine visibility and traffic, technical issues like broken links and images, reduced backlink power if replacing old links takes significant time, email delivery failures, and users not finding your site or re-subscribing to lists under the new domain.
How can I reduce risks when migrating domain names?
Strategies to minimize risk include temporarily keeping the old domain as a subsection to retain equity, using 301 redirects to pass link juice from old to new URLs, replacing key backlinks more urgently via outreach, submitting XML sitemaps of new pages to search engines, budgeting ample time and resources, and over-communicating changes to visitors.
What are the most important technical steps?Â
The key technical steps are registering the new domain and adjusting DNS records, updating site/WordPress URL settings in your CMS platform, setting up 301 redirects either globally or for individual URLs, installing an SSL certificate on the new domain, ensuring robots.txt allows all pages to be crawled, and fixing any broken internal links on the site.
Is there a best time when changing domains makes the most sense?
Ideally, sites should change domains shortly after initially launching before accumulating too many backlinks or during major redesigns or migrations that already require site-wide URL changes. This minimizes duplicate content risks. Also, allow extra time before major seasonal traffic periods.
How long does it take to change the domain name over safely?Â
Many experts suggest giving it a good 2-3 months for changing domains on smaller websites and up to 9-12 months for bigger ones with lots of connections from other sites. This gives enough time to keep the old domain around for a bit, like a temporary archive, while the new domain starts to get noticed.
What are signs I successfully changed domains?
Important indications include making sure search engines correctly list all the redirected and new pages without any mistakes. Keep an eye on site performance numbers, like more people coming in from search and more successful actions, getting back to how they were before the change.
Also, it is important that the new domain name and brand show up a lot on search engines and social media. And, of course, listen to what people are saying – if they find it easy to locate the updated domains, then that is a good sign.
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The Bottom Line
Changing the domain name on an already-active website is indeed possible but also potentially risky if not approached carefully. Thorough planning is required related to redirects, technical considerations, link replacements, domain registrations, CMS platform settings, and more.
If you are thinking about leaving a website that is already getting noticed, then there should be good reasons. Some usual explanations include changing the brand, improving names a lot, or getting a fancy expired web address. Another critical move could involve the decision to change the domain name to better align with the updated brand identity or to secure a more relevant web address.
Yet, for websites in need of a makeover, securing a fresh domain that gives a new look and sticks in people’s minds can be really beneficial. After making the switch to change the domain name, it is important to keep getting noticed and building connections with other sites.
With a smart plan and smooth execution, changing domains not only improves the brand experience but also, over time, brings in more interested visitors, boosts conversions, and increases earnings. This process underscores the importance of carefully planning the transition to ensure continuity and retain the site’s existing audience while attracting new visitors.
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