Changing Domain Names: How to Successfully Make the Domain Switch

There are many reasons that may speak for changing your domain address. For example, if you want to rename your website or move your company to another country. And even if it's not possible to change your once registered domain name, you can make a domain change via detours. You can find the procedure, as well as everything else you need to consider, in this article.

What is a domain name?

The Internet is a vast network that connects computers worldwide. To identify each computer, it is assigned a unique IP address, such as 66.249.66.1. However, such an IP address is hard to remember. For this reason, domain names were developed. They are used to identify web servers on the Internet, instead of relying on IP addresses. So if you want to visit a website, you don't have to enter a long sequence of numbers. Instead, you simply type an easily memorable domain name into the address bar of your browser. For example: omr.com.

Long story short: A domain name (also simply referred to as Domain) is the address through which Internet users can access your website. It can contain a combination of letters and numbers and can have various endings, such as .com, .net, and .de.

Tips for creating your domain name

To create your own website, you need a domain. You can get this from a domain registrar or provider. To find the right domain address for your business, you should take a look at the following tips:

• Keep your domain name short. As a rule of thumb, your domain should be between three and twelve characters long and should not contain more than two words.
• Avoid numbers and hyphens, as they can lead to spelling errors and confusion.
• Create a unique domain name that reflects the character of your brand.
• Insert keywords into your domain to allow both website visitors and search engine bots to find your website.
• Use appropriate country-specific domain extensions to increase trust. In Germany, this would be the .de extension.

Can domain names be changed – even afterwards?

Once you've found a suitable domain, you need to register it with a provider like STRATO. Depending on the provider, the registration will cost between €0 and €100 per year. Your domain is also registered on the server for at least one year. Once it expires, you can either extend the contract or cancel the domain name.

However, it may be that you want to change your domain address before the contract expires. This is often the case if you want to rename your business, have moved to another country, or have simply found a better domain name. Unfortunately, it is not possible to change the address of your website once it has been registered. Instead, you can cancel your existing domain, register a new one and move your website to the new domain.

Follow these steps:

1. Search for a new domain as described above.
2. Register the domain to which you want to move your website.
3. Create a backup copy of your website for the Domain move.
4. Check your website and remove old articles or content that you do not want to keep.
5. Change the name of your homepage, add new logos and choose a new color scheme if you are rebranding your website.
6. Check your contact information and make sure it is up-to-date if your company has moved.
7. Create a sitemap and set up 301-redirects to redirect visitors to your new domain. This ensures that your website does not lose traffic, even if you have a new internet address.
8. Use the Tool for address change to inform Google about your new domain.
9. Tell your contacts and customers that you have a new domain address. Also, use your social media accounts to draw attention to the domain change.

You are satisfied with your domain but want to change your Hosting provider? In the next section, we will introduce you to some of the best web hosting providers on the market.

These are the best web hosting providers

Web hosting providers make the content of your website accessible on the Internet. They store all files and data of your website on a physical or a virtual (cloud) server. Moreover, they provide the hosting technology and resources necessary for a secure operation of your website. Most providers even offer free domains and a mailbox for companies. Here is an overview of the currently leading web hosting providers:

dogado

All-inkl

Checkdomain Webhosting

STRATO Webhosting

IONOS Hosting & Cloud

Hetzner

GoDaddy Webhosting

If you are creating a website for the first time and are looking for free web hosting , you should consider Wix, Freehosting, and GoogieHost.

Conclusion: Is a domain change worth it?

The domain is part of a company's digital identity. Therefore, the domain name should fit your brand and also be short and memorable. If possible, your domain should also contain useful keywords. Given its significance, many companies change their domain name several times before they settle on an address. And although this is a common practice among online businesses, a domain change carries a lot of risks, especially for older websites. On the one hand, there is a risk that you will lose traffic when moving to a new address. On the other hand, you have to make sure that all content is properly transferred, otherwise your SEO will suffer.

However, the risks are lower for new websites. If your website doesn't rank yet and only has a few visitors, users don't associate your domain with your brand yet. Therefore, changing the domain name is associated with fewer complications. Even better, however, is to choose a domain name from the beginning that suits your company. This way, you can build up the authority of your brand online from the beginning and save yourself the stress associated with a domain change.