Change your domain the right way
Some people, for whatever reason, decide to change their domain name. Most often this occurs when a blogger who uses some blogging system that offers a subdomain decides to get their own domain name. Other times it happens when a better domain name becomes available and the owner decides to move.
Changing domain names can be very easy:
- Quick domain change
- Buy the new domain name
- Get hosting for the new domain name
- Back-up all files and databases on the current server
- Put all the files on the new server
- Set some sort of forwarding on the old domain via DNS
The above system works for any domain that is only used as a web server. If you use the domain for other services, say email, then you need to be sure to also fix your MX records to point to your new mail server. Yes, it is up to you to go into your DNS records and fix them. If you do not then all email going to your old address will not know where to go and will bounce.
One thing people often do is to leave both domains up but have a redirect system in place on the old server. This can be either a custom PHP file with a timed redirect or a redirect using an .htaccess file. The .htaccess file works best but sometimes you have to go the PHP route if you have a strange page naming system. I had to go the PHP route when I converted from Serendipity to WordPress.
I bring this up because today, one blog that I read every few days; Jane May Blogs has just been given a new domain name. Jane May is the same person who sold Career Ramblings last month for $20K. You would think such a person knows at least a token amount of how a web server works. You would think...
I went to her new site today and all of the links are broken. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that she did not copy over her .htaccess file. It's a "hidden" file so she must have missed it somehow. I then tried to contact her via email but, you guessed it, the email bounced!
If you do not understand how the web, DNS and web servers work PLEASE hire a professional to help you. It makes things better for everyone.
Image used under Creative Commons License from flickr user ehecatzin
- How much is your domain worth?
- Moving a Blog
- A new blog is born: ScamStocks
- Just picked up another domain name
- How many paths lead to Google?
$20k!? Did she give out any details on her monthly revenue?
You didn’t read my earlier post about this? She *claimed* to be earning between $2K and $3K per month.
$2K-$3k is a combined income from all sites…$1800 was specifically from CR.
I think the renaming of JMB is probably so that it can be flipped too, I fail to see why else you would want to change the name.
She says that the new name is more appropriate for her “make money” kinda theme… but using his own name doesn’t seem to have hurt John Chow much…
Watch out for the for sale sign after the next PR update ;-)
I think she was bitten by the “cash out your website” bug. It’s a bad bug to be bitten buy and it is similiar to the bug people get bitten with when they content on the Digg home page.
haha…sorry guys, no bugs here, as only time will tell, the site is a part of a master plan. Flipping is not part of it.
Great post, Steve. As far as the redirect…my suggestion would be to use it only as long as it takes to move over all files and make sure that they work correctly…along with a buffer to allow readers to get used to the new domain. I did this with another blog of mine, but left it up too long. The redirect was still a higher PR than the new and improved blog/domain.
And, yeah…it looks like Jane is on a roll. She started talking about SEO and such on JaneMayBlogs and “boom”…time to change names. Smart girl. And I like her NetBusinessBlogs layout much better. Very Web 2.0…and ready to sell.
I just got a hold of her and told her how to fix the problem. We’ll see how long it takes to get it fixed.
Maybe we should start a betting pool on when people think she will flip this site and how much she will get?
Nice of you to help her out! If I ever get around to moving my site from (argh!) from the subdirectory /blog up to the domain, I will probably ask you how to do the .htaccess! I had set up my blog using the Wordpress recommendation and now wish I hadn’t. Someday…
JM is getting really good at cashing in on blogs. Inspiring to see how quickly people can pick up on things and make some money.
Yes, I did appreciate Steves help with directing me to the .htaccess files. Thanks! Now I have a lot more to fix :-(
I’m game. I say 4 months. $30G’s. (Does anyone say “G’s” anymore?)
I wonder if she could sell a niche-less blog. :P
30G’s, I’m insulted :-P
Oh, oh! Now I’m excited. 50? 100?
Can I play, can I play???? Pretty pwease!! hehe
Ah I hadn’t seen her new blog :D Haven’t been to it since she guest posted on JC’s blog. Looks good! However, I didn’t notice anything when I went to it…I’m guessing it was all fixed by then.
-Gregg
Last time I checked all of her old posts were image-less. If you look at the html code you will see that her images were hardcoded to go to janemayblogs.com/images/imagename.jpg. Not exactly a good design method.