Steps To Take When Change Your Domain Name

Changing your domain name might seem like a difficult task, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the process. Whether you’re rebranding your business or seeking a more memorable domain, it’s crucial to approach the transition with caution. 

This guide outlines the important steps to take when changing your NZ domains, ensuring a smooth migration without compromising your search engine rankings or online presence. 

From domain hosting considerations to setting up 301 redirects for your domain, this guide covers it all.

Steps to Change Domain Name 

Here are some steps that you should be aware of before changing your domain name:

• Back-Up Your Website Content

Changing your domain can be a risky process if not done correctly. Before you begin, make sure to back up your entire website content, including files, databases, and any other important data. 

This way, if something goes wrong during the transition, you can easily restore your website from the back-up.

• Research Your Domain Host’s Features

Check with your current domain host or website builder to see if they offer any tools or feature like change my domain name. Some hosts may have built-in migration tools or provide step-by-step guides to make the process easier. 

If your current host doesn’t offer such features, you may need to consider switching to a new host that does.

• Download Your Back-up Files

In addition to backing up your website content, you should download all the backup files to your local computer or cloud storage. 

This way, you’ll have a redundant copy of your website data, which can come in handy if anything goes wrong during the migration process.

• Set Up 301 Redirects

One of the most crucial steps in changing your domain name is setting up 301 redirects. 

These permanent redirects ensure that any visitors or search engines trying to access your old domain are automatically redirected to your new domain. Without proper redirects, you risk losing your search engine rankings and valuable backlinks.

• Update Your Domain with Search Engines

After you’ve set up the 301 redirects, it’s important to notify search engines like Google about your domain name change. This is easy using Google Search Console’s Change of Address function. 

Your search rankings will be transferred to the new domain when search engines understand that your website has migrated.

• Update Your Internal Links

After your new domain is live, change any internal links pointing to your old domain on your website. 

This will ensure that your visitors don’t encounter any broken links and that search engines can easily crawl and index your new pages.

• Notify External Sites

If you have other websites or directories linking to your old domain, it’s a good idea to reach out to them and request that they modify their links to point to your new domain. 

This will help maintain the value of those backlinks and ensure that visitors from those sites are directed to your new website.

• Monitor Your Website’s Performance

After completing the domain name change, closely monitor your website’s performance in terms of search engine rankings, traffic, and any potential issues. 

It’s normal to experience a temporary dip in traffic or rankings, but if the issues persist for an extended period, you may need to troubleshoot and address any underlying problems.

Conclusion

If you follow these steps, you can decrese the risks and problems that might come up when you change your domain name in NZ. 

Don’t forget that good planning and execution are essential for an easy transfer and to keep your website’s online presence and search engine exposure.