Subdomains can be very useful in terms of search engine optimization and centralized content management because they inform users on what to expect when visiting the website. However, there are some important tips you should keep in mind when creating them. From online shops to company blogs and even the actual company website – there are many ways to create a presence on the world wide web. In order to establish a uniform appearance and cleanly separate web offers, subdomains are the ideal aid. In this article I’m going to show you what’s important when creating and setting up different subdomains.
What is a subdomain?
As the name would suggest, subdomains are a subordinate domain that makes up the first part when you enter a full website address. In the case of many company homepages, such as “www.google.com”, “www” is the subdomain. In fact, www is probably the most well-known subdomain among internet users worldwide. But, many companies expand well beyond just the “www” subdomain. Terms such as “blog” or “shop” also make popular subdomains at this day in age.
Benefits of a non-standardized subdomains
With a web address that does not contain “www” as the subdomain, you attract attention and differentiate yourself from traditional website addresses. In the case of an online shop or blog, you also make it clear to the visitor on what to expect when they visit the respective page. Another argument for subdomains is the centralized content management via a fixed hosting provider. This way, you can manage all of your content centrally – from the online shop to the companies blog – on a single server provided from your desired hosting company. Still, on the outside you can clearly distinguish your various web offers. To get the most out of this effect and to avoid creating subdomain errors, follow some of the tips below.
Make the subdomain obvious – Even if you have the option to name your subdomains anything, the selected name should fit to the respective service. Terms such as “blog” and “shop” create a clear expectation and will do a much better job of convincing visitors compared to unusual terms with vague content.
Pay attention to hosting providers – How many subdomains you can setup on your website depends on the chosen web hosting provider. Some hosting packages may only allow you to create 1 subdomain while others give you unlimited. Consider in advance how many subdomains will be needed for your future presence before you buy web hosting.
Include individual locations in the subdomain – Even if your company is only active in a single country and doesn’t offer services in other languages, it can make sense to use subdomains for individual locations. Since you can freely choose your subdomains, there are no limits. If you want to use subdomains in this type of scenario, make sure to think of the sufficient number of valid subdomains needed with your hosting package. These should also account for your company’s future growth.
Stay true to logic – Some inexperienced users can be overly inspired by the unlimited possibilities when creating subdomains. This makes them accumulate ideas that don’t really make sense over the course of months or even years. Avoid this mistake, which in the worst case might deter customers and leads from visiting a seeming-less senseless web address. From the first subdomain on, a clear approach should be visible.
Use subdomains for search engine optimization – The type and number of your subdomains do not directly influence your search engine rankings. However, the individual subdomains act as sub-directories. With a sufficient number of relevant areas, they may be displayed more noticeably in search results. Creating subdomains is always worth considering for the sake of online marketing alone.
