How to Change Domain Name (In 3 Steps)

The domain name you use is an intrinsic part of your site. However, you might need to change it. The process is simple from a technical standpoint, but if you’re not careful, it can negatively affect your website in several ways. Therefore, you might be wondering how to change domain name safely.

Fortunately, there are ways to change a domain without impacting web traffic or your brand’s reputation. Essentially, as long as you properly modify your DNS records and set up redirects, your website won’t suffer.

In this article, we’ll talk about why you might want to replace a domain name. Then we’ll show you how to change your domain the right way. Let’s get to it!

Why Change a Website Domain Name

Ideally, you’ll pick a domain name for your website and stick with it for as long as the site exists. Since users will come to associate the domain name with the overall brand, this should be your goal.

Basically, changing domain names can be confusing for users and it can lead to a loss in traffic if you don’t do it properly. That’s because, when users try to access the previous web address, the domain name system (DNS) will throw an error when that domain no longer exists:

Putting those concerns aside, there are several legitimate reasons for registering a new domain name and switching to it. Let’s talk about what those are:

• Rebranding. This is perhaps the best reason for ditching an old domain name. A new domain can breathe fresh life into a website and give you an opportunity to get rid of a domain that’s no longer relevant. This can lead to an influx in traffic and the return of old visitors.
• Legal issues. If you’re unlucky, you might find out your domain name infringes on someone else’s copyright. In that scenario, your only option might be to change it.
• A better domain becomes available. Domain registration can feel like a bit of a lottery. It’s common to have to settle for your second or third choice, losing out on your desired domain. That’s because a lot of the best options tend to be taken (particularly with .com domains). Sometimes a better domain name becomes available and you have the opportunity to switch to it.

Changing your domain name doesn’t necessarily spell trouble for the connecting website. However, before you do it, it’s important to take some basic considerations into mind to avoid problems.

What to Consider Before Changing Your Domain Name

It’s important to note that a domain change can affect other parts of your website in addition to its branding. Users might be confused about the change and perhaps wonder if they’re visiting the wrong site, but that’s not the only concern.

Handling Search Engine Optimization (SEO) when switching to a new domain name can also be tricky. That’s because search engines assign value to domain names and a sudden change means that your pages can drop in the rankings.

This change also affects backlinks. Basically, with a new domain name, existing backlinks (which play a huge role in SEO) won’t point to your site anymore.

There are ways to circumvent these issues, such as by setting up redirects. Depending on the type of redirect, you can tell search engines to ignore the old domain name and pass on its “juice” to the new domain.

This is essential so all your past SEO efforts don’t go to waste if you need to switch domains. It ensures your old site signals don’t disappear and you don’t need to wait for other search engines to rank your content again, as if dealing with a completely new site.

There are also other technical issues to consider. For example, if you have email through the old domain name, you’ll need to set it up through the new one. That also means updating contact information on your site.

Depending on the magnitude of the change, you may also need to register social media accounts that reflect the new domain name. Keep in mind that some social media platforms enable you to change names, which makes things easy.

How to Change Your Domain Name Properly (3 Steps)

In this section, we’ll show you how to change your domain name. This is fairly straightforward but there are a lot of details you need to keep in mind to ensure your website isn’t affected.

Step 1: Choose a New Domain Name

Choosing a new domain name is perhaps the most important part of the process. However, it all depends on your unique needs. As a rule of thumb, we often recommend that new domain names meet some basic criteria, which include:

• Being relatively short. Short domain names tend to be easier to remember and to type. This can play a significant role in how easy it is to market a website.
• Reflecting your site’s content. Unless you’re opting for a brand name, the domain you choose should reflect what users will find on the website.
• Being unique. You don’t want to use a domain name that’s too similar to another brand or a competitor. This can be confusing to users and it can make it harder to position your site.

Since you’re changing your domain name, we recommend the new URL bears at least some similarity to the previous one. This gives you the opportunity to rebrand without the risk of alienating your target audience.

It’s also important to inform visitors about the rebranding. You can do this with a notice in the home address or by updating the site’s content to let users know about the change.

Ultimately, a lot of visitors won’t blink twice at a new domain name ifit doesn’t negatively impact their experience on the website or with your brand. Furthermore, if their experience improves with the change to a new site address, they’re likely to embrace it.

Step 2: Modify Your DNS Records

The next step is to point the new domain toward your existing website. In practice, this means there’ll be two domains users can use to visit the site (at least temporarily).

It makes sense to do this before ditching the old domain. This way, you can avoid a scenario where users try to access the website using the old URL and it doesn’t work. How you manage your domains will depend on your registrar.

Regardless of the exact steps though, to point a domain toward a new website, you’ll need to modify its DNS records. When you’re using SirsteveHQ, you can do this from cPanel:

If you use a different registrar, the process will likely work much the same. You’ll want to set up an A record that points the domain name toward the site’s IP address. Once that’s done, it’s time to think about redirects.

Step 3: Set Up a Redirect from the Old Website to the New Domain

A redirect points browsers to a desired domain name when they visit a specific URL. In our case, we can use a redirect to send visitors that go to your previous domain name to the new one.

There are several types of redirects you can implement, but the one we’re interested in is a 301 redirect. Basically, this type of redirect tells search engines: “This domain is moving to this new address and this change is permanent. Please pass on all of its SEO signals to the new domain name”.

The easiest way to implement a 301 redirect for a WordPress domain name is using a plugin. The 301 Redirects plugin enables you to set up domain-wide 301 redirects without having to modify the WordPress .htaccess file:

Once you set up the plugin, go to Settings > 301 Redirects and jump to the Redirect Rules tab. Select the 301 option under ID. Now, enter your new domain name and set the type to Custom under Redirect To:

Save the redirect and you’re all set. Now, when someone tries to visit the previous website domain, they’ll be redirected to the new WordPress address.

Conclusion

Changing your domain name is not a simple decision. Most people will tell you to stick with a domain name indefinitely. But sometimes, change is the best option. This can be the case if you need to rebrand your site or the perfect domain becomes available out of the blue.

If you’re set on changing your site’s domain name, here’s how to do it without it impacting your SEO rankings:

1. Choose a new domain name.
2. Modify your DNS records.
3. Set up a redirect from the old website to the new domain.

Do you have any questions about how to change your domain name? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!