Can I have two web addresses pointing to the same site?

[daz103]

I just got notification that my preferred domain has become available, so I rushed in and bought www.freedomlight.co.uk Now I was just about to change it so that i used this domain for my site. However I just realised that I've ordered 500 business cards with the old domain on it.

Will I be able to use both domains to point to the same site, so that the cards are not completely wasted?

 

[Dman]

Yep, just point one domain to redirect to the other, simple stuff.

 

[lareneg]

Yes, you can park your old domain on top of your new one, or indeed, the new one on top of the old one. That way, both domains will do exactly the same thing. You should ask for webhost about this. Alternatively, your webhost control panel might have an option to do this.

If you bought the domain from somebody other than your webhost, you will need to change the DNS servers. Just post back if you need help with that.

 

[neil_g]

yup, in your web control panel you should have the option to do a 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirect

 

[lareneg]

Just to clarify for OP:

If you use a redirect, when your customer goes to abc.net they will be sent to abc.com instead.

If you park a domain, when your customer goes to abc.net they will stay at abc.net, but it will have the same content as abc.com.

It just depends which outcome is preferable to you - but redirects are the easier solution if you're feeling lazy.

 

[mattyh]

The best solution for SEO purposes is to direct one to the other using web forwarding, if you park the domain, you get duplicate content on two domains, which is bad for the big G.

IMO, of course

 

[lareneg]

The best solution for SEO purposes is to direct one to the other using web forwarding, if you park the domain, you get duplicate content on two domains, which is bad for the big G.

IMO, of course

You make a good point.

*gives Matt a cookie*

 

[mattyh]

nom nom nom

 

[Richard King]

Yes

1. use web forwarding
2. validate both domins in google webmaster tools
3. tell google not to index one of them

In this way you wont get hit onthe duplicate content thing

 

[daz103]

Excellent info, cheers. Will use the forwarding feature as I need the SEO to be right. seems simple enough, but then it is fasthost so who knows.

 

[neil_g]

the 301 redirect is the google friendly way

 

[mattyh]

Only if there's content on the site, in which case I'd agree.. If there's no content to redirect, you don't need to redirect it

 

[daz103]

My photium site will have the www.freedomlight.co.uk, but as the business cards will have www.freedomlightphotography.co.uk I will just set it to forward so when they go to the latter they will get redirected to my photium site.

 

[andiphoto]

i forward 3 sites to my site now lol