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How Do You Know If You Need Sub-Domains?

Some individuals and several business owners find that they need more than one website. This creates a dilemma because the cost of maintaining more than one website comes with the added cost of multiple hosting accounts. Paying these costs can add up, but to remain profitable, these website owners have to look at other options. There is an answer, though, and it comes in the form of sub-domains.

What Is A Sub-Domain?

In the simplest terms, a sub-domain can be defined as a website within a website. Sub-domains are not just supplementary pages of an existing website, however. A website’s sub-domain is considered to have a website all of its own, and it is completely separate from the site of the primary domain name.

The use of a sub-domain allows you to brand your different areas of business with your primary domain name. It is advantageous because you can keep your primary domain name, while clearly showing that each sub-domain is a stand-alone resource.

Arguably, it can be said that a sub-domain is simply an offshoot of the primary website’s domain. As it appears on the server, however, a sub-domain is a just folder in the root directory. For the majority of website owners, it is necessary to develop a new sub-directory to be paired with a sub-domain. Some web hosting companies do not allow sub-domains or even restrict the number of sub-domains allowed within a web hosting account. If you feel that you may need to use this feature at some point in the future, choose a company that offers ‘unlimited sub-domains,’ such as BlueHost.com or LunarPages.

Why Use Sub-Domains

One major benefit to using sub-domains is getting a higher search engine ranking. Sub-domains give you more opportunities to use your keyword phrases throughout your website without giving the impression of keyword spamming.

Using sub-domains will not only allow you to save on hosting fees, but also will help you organize your website and even promote it. As a website owner, you definitely want domain maintenance to be as easy as possible. If you only have one domain name, then you only have to keep track of one. Managing more than one domain name, annual payments, and login information can get confusing.

Are Sub-Domains The Right Choice For Your Website?

If you intend to use your sub-domains solely for SEO purposes, then you may want to explore other strategies. Website owners can achieve the same results and benefits through more traditional website promotion methods and strategies, without risking the danger of being penalized for spamming.

You have to consider how sub-domains will affect functionality for internet searchers and visitors, as well. Visitors to your website will not necessarily be familiar with the sub-domain structure you have chosen, so if you want them to remember your domain name, keep in mind that it is more difficult to remember a URL that uses a sub-domain.

However, if you want to brand a product or service offering differently, attract a different target audience, or enact a varied marketing strategy, then sub-domains are an excellent way to cost-effectively enhance your online revenues.

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1st June 2008
Posted by Web Hosting Consultant in Best Web Hosting Tips
Tags: , free sub-domains, sub-domains, subdomain,

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