Valid reasons for changing your domain name
Hey—change happens! Whether it’s your evolving tastes in ska music or deciding to finally ditch the corduroy shorts. But sometimes, your domain name needs to change. And there are some very valid reasons for it, too.
1. Your current domain name might not represent your brand or business any longer: you might’ve gone through a big rebrand—changed the scope of what your business offers, or maybe you’re just trying to set yourself apart from your competition.
2. You want to go with a branded domain name: let’s say you’ve come up with a snappy, catchy name for your business or brand. Then obviously, it makes sense to use it as your domain name, no? Especially if you were—say—using your own name—i.e., “joeshabadoo.ca” before.
3. You’re changing your domain extension: let’s say the TLD (top-level domain) you had chosen isn’t quite working anymore. For example, you might have come to the (totally awesome) conclusion that .CA is far better for showing that you’re proudly Canadian to your primarily Canuck customer base.
What should you do before changing your domain name?
1. Create a complete backup of all your current website files and database: think of this as insurance in case anything goes sideways during the domain transfer process! One of the easiest ways to create a backup is by using a file transfer protocol (FTP) to move everything from your website to your computer.
2. Get a new domain name: now, it’s time to re-christen your digital presence—fun stuff, for sure! Think up a catchy, memorable domain name that speaks to your business, then use our handy .CA search tool below to see if it’s available to be registered.
Need a little help thinking of a name? Check out our comprehensive domain naming guide!
Need to find a new domain name for your website?
3. Get access to your hosting dashboard: back when you set up your original domain, your hosting provider would have provided you with credentials to get into your hosting dashboard. Get those credentials and access the dashboard so that you can easily make changes like modifying DNS records and setting up redirects.
How to change your domain name in three steps:
1. Upload your backed up website data to a new domain name: once you have your awesome new .CA domain in hand, go to your domain registrar account, create a new database and then transfer your backed up website data.
2. Modify DNS records: this is where you get your new domain to point to your website. Head over to the web hosting account settings for your current domain and then change the name servers to point to your new domains’ name servers. Your new domain registrar should provide you with all the name server info you need!
3. Set up redirects from your old domain name: slow down there, skippy! You don’t want to ditch that old domain name quite yet. You’ll want to set up a 301 redirect to your new domain name. Your old domain will still get some visitors, so why not shepherd them to your new digital digs so they can continue doing business with you?
As a neat bonus, a 301 redirect can help preserve some of your old website’s SEO!
Points to note when changing your domain name
Swapping domain names isn’t going to be all Canadian craft beer and Smarties. There are a few items you should be aware of before diving in!
First – changing domain names can cost you: and we’re not talking strictly about shelling out for a new domain.
No, we’re talking more about the cost of building (or, re-building) your brand awareness, creating new ads, or really, any other activities you’re doing to generate visitor traffic. It can feel like starting back at square one Nevertheless, short-term pain tends to be worthwhile for your long-term gain!
Second – you’ll experience a loss of traffic and search rankings: search engines, like Google, take time to update their indexes and display your new domain, which can put a temporary dent in your traffic and search rankings.
Finally – a new domain name can lower customer trust in your brand: your existing customers might be initially confused or suspicious of your new domain name. They might even be left wondering if they’re dealing with the same people.
Point being, your most loyal customers might not be as keen on change as you. So, make sure you communicate the shift to a new domain name early, often and across as many of your platforms as possible.
How to prevent a domain name change
If you’re as prepared as possible from the outset, you might be able to avoid some of the expense and hassles that come with changing domain names down the digital road.
First – you’ll want to do some SEO homework: think about how users will be searching for and finding you in the first place. Look specifically at the types of search inquiries and keywords customers are typing into their search bars when searching for products and services like yours.
Having this information under your belt can heavily influence what you choose for your next domain name!
Next – choose the right domain extension: if you’re a Canadian company doing business exclusively within Canada to other Canadian customers, then a .CA is hands-down your best bet. That said—if you also have customers outside of Canada, then having a .CA and .com domain might be a more practical option to capture traffic from both audiences.
Here’s the thing to remember: domain names generally aren’t all that expensive, so it makes sense from a brand protection AND future planning perspective to register both the .com and .CA versions of your domain name.
this doesn’t need to be some sort of transcendental vision quest. Just put a bit of thought into how you want your brand to grow and evolve in the months (and years) ahead.
Unless you really need to make some kind of dramatic course correction, you should try to avoid regularly renaming your domain (and brand)!
Lastly – make sure you consider existing brands to avoid legal issues: yes, it totally happens more often than you think. It’s always worth doing a little extra legwork to ensure your chosen domain name doesn’t (unknowingly) infringe on an existing brand’s name or trademarks.
Best of luck with the domain name changeover, and may it bring you all the high-quality customer traffic, recognition and success you’ve been searching for!
Erin brings to CIRA a background of marketing experience in higher education and the not-for-profit sector. In 2015, she participated in ISOC’s Youth@IGF Programme and traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to attend the IGF. She has a Bachelor of International Business from Carleton University.
