Choose your domain carefully! Jumping to a new one can be risky
Although registering a new domain is quick and simple, it can be challenging to change from one to another, so treat the selection process with the same level of consideration as something that will remain with you for many years.
Things to keep in mind while searching for a domain
Given the difficulty of changing domains, it is crucial to select an appropriate one from the outset. To help you get things right, some things to keep in mind are:
- Price. Cost can vary depending on the provider, so it’s worth comparing options.
- The impression you want to convey also matters. A .com.au gives a professional image, while a .id.au is more to showcase your personal profile. Choose a domain that reflects your brand and will last for years to come.
If you make the best possible decision from the outset, you're unlikely to need the guidance provided in the remainder of this article. However, since no strategy is flawless, let's explore what's involved in changing your domain.
Changing domains mean double-paying
If you change your domain name - say, from oldexample.co.au to newexample.au - you will need to keep your old domain active while transitioning to the new one. During this period, you will incur costs for both the old and new domains. This can be frustrating, especially if the reason for the change was to reduce your costs.
If you want to maintain redirects, email forwarding, and prevent others from using your old domain to build a website, you'll need to continue paying for it.
Redirects send visitors and messages from your old URL to your new one, and email forwarding bounces messages from your old address to your new one. Both are dependent on you owning and controlling your old domain.
You will likely want to keep your old domain secure for some time, as it will become available to others once you relinquish control. Your domain is an important part of your brand identity, similar to your name, and could be claimed by a competitor if you release it.
The technical shift is the easy part, believe it or not
Changing your website’s domain requires some effort, but the technical aspects aren't going to be the biggest hurdle you face.
If your domain and hosting are managed within the same account, publishing your website under a new domain can be relatively easy. Remember that any subdomains will need to be managed separately from your main site.
Permanent 301 redirects should be left from old URLs to new ones as you move from your old web address. These redirects inform browsers, search engines, and other systems that an address has been permanently replaced. Depending on your technical expertise, you may want to leave the creation of redirects to a web developer or system admin.
Search engines will recognise that your old site is gone and has been replaced with a new one when they see 301 redirects. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that all the SEO authority from your old site will carry over to the new one. While there are ways to mitigate this, you may want to engage an SEO expert to avoid damaging your search reputation, as this is not an area where you want to start fresh!
Similarly, remember to replicate all your existing web analytics and tracking. This is essential for comparable data between web addresses from day one.
The pattern across all of these different jobs is that while technical issues are solvable, you will need to invest in those solutions. This will take time and, unless you do it all yourself, money.
Adopting new email addresses
When changing your business email address, there are multiple options. However, if you plan on getting rid of your old domain, the best solution is to create new mailboxes. This is a cleaner and more efficient approach than using forwarding rules and aliases to manage your emails.
For each old email account, set new rules that do three things with every incoming message:
- Forward it to the equivalent new address
- Auto-reply to the sender letting them know about the change of address, and then
- Delete the message from your old account.
While it's impossible to know exactly how many people have your email address stored in their contacts, it's crucial to update as many of them as possible before your old domain name expires. Setting up auto-responses is a key step in this process.
After setting up new mailboxes, migrate existing messages from the old accounts to ensure that ongoing conversations aren't interrupted and records are retained. As with other technical tasks, you may need to pay for expert assistance with email migration.
What do you log into with your old email address?
Remember to update your email address on all the services you use. This may be a quick change to your user profile on some sites, and more complex on others. You don't want to get locked out of an account in the future because a "forgotten password" email was sent to an address you no longer have access to!
Also, make sure to resubscribe to any email lists you want to continue receiving.
Prepare to lose backlinks
When we covered SEO, we briefly covered the biggest factor that’s mostly out of your control - backlinks to your website. The internet is an unimaginably big place. How many reviews, articles, and posts mention your web address? How business directories are you listed in? How many endorsements, case studies, or media pieces?
Google gives a domain authority based on several factors, including backlinks which you will lose when old URLs are decommissioned. 301 redirects are only a temporary solution; once the old domain is completely offline, the links are dead, and the authority is lost.
The really big to-do list: Your branding and marketing
Next, look away from your phone or computer screen and think about everywhere else that people see your domain. All the places you’ve publicised your website or email in any of your existing branding and marketing. Changing all of this can be a very, very big job.
Have you used your domain on any physical items like stationery, signage, business cards, product packaging, staff uniforms, or promotional materials? Have you included it in brochures, fliers, ads, or on your storefront or office? The scope of this undertaking can be extensive, and you need to be prepared to update all of these materials.
As with other things we’ve covered in these articles, these are things that can be solved with enough time and money.
Planning your operation
Changing your business's domain is a slow, difficult, and painful process. Therefore, if you're establishing an online presence for the first time, choose your domain name carefully. If you need to change your domain name, create a comprehensive plan.
- Get a plan together for your website’s technical switch. Make sure it includes subdomains, analytics and tracking, and 301 redirects.
- Map old email addresses to new ones. When new mailboxes are created, implement the three rules to forward, auto-respond, and then delete each message.
- Track down all the incoming website links that you can change (or get changed).
- List all the collateral, signage and branding that will need to be updated. Get quotes so you know what bills to expect.
- Communicate with your customers. Change is hard for them, too, and the more people who know what’s happening the better.
Images by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay, StockSnap from Pixabay