Our client is preparing for their second domain name change in a year (third site migration in two years!) This time it's a simpler, more straightforward domain change that should be relatively easy to do. But, the last one was a bit of a train wreck. It involved many types of changes: platform change, site structure change, redesign, and domain change. For a variety of reasons which I won't go into, they also had to execute on it fast. There was only a few days of preparation, followed by a few days of "fixes". The site never fully recovered from the migration. This time around, they are being extra cautious and rightfully so.
While the multiple domain changes might seem a bit unusual, it's actually not uncommon for startups. There are a multitude of reasons a company, particularly a startup, would change their domain name.
Whether you're rebranding, expanding, or simply updating your web presence, a smooth transition is crucial. This guide will walk you through the steps to change your domain without losing traffic. Since we’re using Webflow, we’ll include examples specific to the Webflow platform.
You may want to choose a day and time when you site traffic is lowest or when your customers are least likely to visit. Changing your domain name can take a few hours or even up to 48 hours to fully take affect.
Make sure all stakeholders are aware of the upcoming change, the timing, and updated statuses in real-time. They can help lookout for site issues or address customer questions that may come up during the migration.
In Webflow:
You will now have both the old domain and the new domain pointing to your website.
Having two domains with identical content puts you at risk for being penalized be search engines. You’ll want to set up a permanent 301 redirect from your old domain to your new domain. A 301 redirect tells search engines that the move is permanent (vs a 302 redirect which is temporary) and helps preserve your SEO rankings.
In Webflow, this is easy. In Site Settings > Publishing > Production, just set the new domain as the default
This will ensure that the entire old domain, including folders and pages, are redirected to the new domain (assuming no folder paths have changed).
If someone happens to find and click on the old link, https://domain-old.com/articles/how-to-change-domain, they will be redirected to the corresponding page on the new domain, https://domain-new.com/articles/how-to-change-domain
Redirect chains happen when there is more than one redirect to get from the entered URL to the final destination. Redirect chains are bad, because:
While a redirect chain with two hops may not be the must a huge cause for concern, it’s worthwhile to address this now. In the future, there may be reasons for adding other redirects (replacement pages, navigation changes, etc) which will just add to the redirect chain.
This particular client had gone through another domain change a year ago, so we know that there was a redirect in place back then.
Original redirect: domain-0.com —> domain-old.com
Resulting redirect chain after migration: domain-0.com —> domain-old.com —> domain-new.com
They could now have two redirect hops. We would want to change that original redirect to:
Updated redirect: domain-0.com —> domain-new.com
If necessary, you’ll also want to map old URLs to new URLs to maintain specific page-level redirects so you can preserve the intended user experience. However, if it's purely just a domain name change, you shouldn't have to do this.
You may need to update all internal links within your website to point to the new domain. This includes navigation menus, footer links, and embedded links within content.
This is especially true if you use absolute URLs
Example of absolute URL: "https://www.domain-new.com/articles/how-to-change-your-domain"
This is less of a concern for relative URLs which would not be affected by the domain change.
Example of relative URL: “/articles/how-to-change-your-domain”
If you have control over external links pointing to your site (such as in guest posts or partnerships), update those links to point to the new domain.
If you have access to Google Search Console, add the new domain as a new property and verify the new domain.
Use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console to notify Google about your domain change. This helps Google update their index with the new domain information. More on that here.
Update your Data Stream with your new URL. Go to Admin > Property Settings > Data Streams (under Data collection and modification)
In Webflow, once you set your new domain as the default site (see Step 3), your XML Sitemap will auto-update with the new URLs.
Update your social media profiles and any other marketing materials with the new domain
Most ad platforms don’t allow advertisers to send traffic to a link with a redirect. Your ads will stop running pretty immediately.
To avoid interruption of ads, you’ll want to update your ad URLs pretty quickly.
Test all pages and functionality on the new domain to ensure everything is working correctly.
Monitor your website closely after the domain change to identify and address any issues promptly.
Keep the old domain active and continue hosting redirects for an extended period (at least 6-12 months) to capture any residual traffic and ensure a smooth transition.
Changing your domain name on Webflow may seem challenging, but with careful planning and execution, you can minimize disruptions and maintain your SEO rankings. By following these steps systematically and ensuring thorough testing, you can minimize the risk of losing traffic and maintain your website's SEO authority during the domain transition process. Remember to communicate transparently with stakeholders, update all relevant platforms, and monitor your website's performance closely.
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