You might have heard of domain forwarding, but are still unsure of what it is. This is when a web page redirects a visitor to another website. It does not use HTML or a script, as the domain does the redirecting. In addition, the domain’s name does not stay in the web browser’s URL. Instead, the new URL is shown. Domain forwarding is also called URL forwarding. It is often utilized by advanced webmasters but can be done by anyone. You can easily buy a domain name for $10, then have it redirect to your desired page. It is also a great way to capture leads from ads, PPC and SEO. So, why would you use it? Read on to learn more.
Misspelled domain names
Many Internet users often misspell domain names. Here is where a redirect can help you take advantage of common mistakes. To illustrate, someone search for a web address such as jillscupcakes.com might accidentally look for jilscupcakes.com or jillcupcakes.com. If you can think of several misspelling mistakes, then you can register their domain names accordingly. After that, you can begin forwarding domain names to help you cast a wider net.
Changing names
There are many examples of businesses changing their first domain name. When you initially get your web address, you are naturally excited to begin your journey within the worldwide web. But, after a while, some may tire of the name and find it is not fulfilling its purpose. You don’t have to stick with a domain name forever.
You might even look into a list of new top-level domain names such as .eu domain names. In this case, there will still be visitors with your old domain name. As a result, it would be important to utilize domain forwarding from your old URL to your new URL. Then, you can move your website without losing traffic. Plus, if someone else’s website contains a link to your old website, it would still populate your new website.
Long domain names
Visitors may not remember a lengthy domain name. They will probably look elsewhere if they can’t recall all the words in your URL. In this case, it would be good to have a catchy domain name which is relevant to your business. You can then use this shorter and simpler domain name to redirect it to your website.
Alternate domain names
You should also consider registering your domain name with alternate extensions such as jillscupcakes.eu and jillscupcakes.ng before your competitor gets a hold of them. People do type in alternate domain names. If they are all registered to you, then you can ensure those URLs will still lead to your website.
Additional domains
Some people may purchase a bunch of domain names related to a particular niche, but don’t use them for years. One day, you decide to use them but don’t want to go through the work it takes to build multiple sites. This doesn’t mean your bulk purchase needs to collect virtual dust. You can still set them up to redirect to the URL of your choice. But, you can still advertise those extra domains across the Internet. Furthermore, this is beneficial with regard to your extra domains containing keywords. You can then get these domains to rank highly in search engines before forwarding them. You can also add a bit of content and wait a few weeks. Set up each domain with a few backlinks and PR. Then, you can forward them to your main site to increase search engine traffic. And, you make use of all of your domains. This really is about marketing in its truest sense.
Subdomain names
When you use a free web hosting site, it is likely your site has a subdomain. These can appear less professional than a top-level domain. In order to maintain and elevate your brand, it is important to purchase the corresponding top-level domain. Then, you can use web forwarding to redirect to the subdomain given to you by your free Web hosting company.
Put yourself in the shoes of your visitors. When you see a subdomain, your initial thought might be that this is probably some teen blog. No offense to teens whatsoever, but subdomains usually have high bounce rates. While you’re still building up your content and following, a subdomain should be fine. Yet, this is when domain forwarding can be especially useful.
As you can see, domain forwarding can be utilized for a wide variety of reasons. It isn’t just about redirecting from old URLs. But, domain forwarding can also help you feel less locked into your current domain name. If it isn’t as popular as you thought it would be, and want something more contemporary and catchy, you can redirect it to your new URL. Plus, you can register a mass of domain names and use each of them for advertising, PPC and SEO.
Katrina Manning is a published author, editor and content marketing writer for Build Niche Links. In addition, she has written thousands of business articles under her name and as a ghostwriter. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with causes close to her heart—helping animals and the homeless.
