Your domain name is a hugely important aspect of your organisation. A clear, evocative or unique domain name can help your enterprise stand out and convey what it does. Who could doubt that www.gov.uk is the UK government’s website?
On the other hand, a domain name that’s unclear or too long could pose a problem. An organisation might also decide to change its domain to indicate its purpose better – such as switching to a .org domain extension for a non-profit. Whatever the reason, it’s not uncommon for organisations to decide they need to switch to a new domain name.
How to change domain names can vary a lot depending on how your website is built and managed. However, here are the general steps you’ll need to take to make it happen.
1. Purchase your new domain
Unfortunately, you can’t just retype your website’s domain name in the same way you can edit the title of a blog post. You’ll need to buy your new domain before you can start the switch.
But don’t cancel the old domain yet…
2. Back up your website
Since you’re changing one of the most foundational aspects of your site, you’ll want to create a backup in case anything goes wrong.
- Change your site’s domain name
Now you’re ready to change your site’s domain by updating its info in the DNS, sometimes called “the phone book of the internet.”
Exactly how to change domain name varies widely depending on your web hosting provider and how you’ve been managing your site. You may find the option to update the domain name in the “settings” of your web content management system or on your web hosting dashboard. Either way, what you’re really doing is simply switching out your old domain for your new one.
4. Move your content to the new domain
Now, your content, such as your web pages and any uploaded files, will need to migrate to the new domain. Again, the approach for this will depend on whether your web content management system has plugins or functions to help you.
5. Create a redirect
You’ll want to create something called a 301 redirect to send traffic from your old domain to your new one. This is why you’ll need to keep the old domain for a while – so that your traffic gets sent to the right place. Otherwise, someone else could buy your old domain and get your old customers!
How to change domain names with a trusted web hosting provider
Get your perfect domain name and ensure your site is in good hands afterwards with managed web hosting from VS Group. To learn more about our web hosting options, just email customerservice@vsgcomms.com or give us a call on 0330 094 0170.
