Subdomains are actually losing you money!
Let’s face it. I’ll call a spade a spade. I’m blunt and honest. What you see is certainly what you get.
Sometimes I’m vulnerable, sometimes I’m demanding. Sometimes I’m high maintenance and sometimes I have tantrums. I’m always transparent though and because business is my first language I always communicate factual evidence that is intended to help grow your business and your blog. Instead of these ‘click baity’ titles with airy fairy made up statements which are a load of rubbish and no value at all. Truly a case of fake news.
So today’s little bit of knowledge. Why you really need to get your own domain name.
Saving you money
You know it’s not as expensive and as difficult as you think and there are so many benefits to having your own domain name that by the end of this article you’re going to thank me for it.
Right the real reason you’re here. If you’ve been put off purchasing a domain name for many reasons it could be halting your growth!
It’s daunting, I get it if you don’t know much about the whole hosting or domain lark. Web development companies look to make money so offer these ‘hosting packages‘ which honestly you DO NOT need! It’s just their way to make a retainer or residual income from past clients.
Buying a domain is simple and easy to attach to your site. Personal experience rates both GoDaddy and Bluehost. GoDaddy offer domains from as little as 99p!
Easy set up
Once you’ve purchased your domain connecting it is as simple as 123! Seriously there’s a walkthrough guide for each of the blog and site providers from Blogger to Wix, Squarespace to WordPress.
- The great DA-bate: What is DA and how do I increase it?
- What You Need to Take Into Account When Choosing a Domain Name
If you’re after my preference from my extensive knowledge of coding, SEO and for business purposes, I’d recommend these sites to build in this order:
1. WordPress.org
2. Blogger
3. Squarespace
4. Wix
Anyways back to business. Once you’ve purchased your domain and connected it to your site (you can get online chat assistance for free from both GoDaddy and Bluehost) you’re good to go.
Why is a domain better than a subdomain?
You see, when you have your own name instead of a subdomain it’s kind of like moving out. Think of your .blogspot or .wordpress domain as your parents home. They’re looking after you. Then when you own your own domain, it’s technically like you’ve left the nest.
Search engines think you ‘go gurrrrrl (or guys)’ and they want to index you more. You know like, your friends want to come around more when you have your own place, apart from friends are traffic in this instance.
So search engines see you’ve made a commitment to investing in a domain name, they then reward you with better rankings in searches to say thank you. They also rank you higher the longer you commit to purchasing your domain for. They see it like a shop premise or a home rental. The longer you commit to the more secure and committed they think putting their efforts into promoting your site through organic searches are.
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Your subdomain is losing you opportunities and money
Running an outreach company I have to admit I always prefer to work with owned domains and not subdomains when putting forward opportunities and campaigns with brands.
Many PR companies won’t work with subdomains and this is becoming more and more common as the focus is more on which influencers and bloggers can generate the higher ROI for brands, these are the committed bloggers who have invested and see themselves as a marketing business and authority.
Alongside this, affiliate programmes such as Awin and Skimlinks will not work with subdomains. If you’re recommending products, you should be getting paid a commission for them so you really should implement a strong affiliate strategy to maximise and monetise. Which you can’t do if you don’t have a domain. As a result, you’ll be able to further monetise and grow your site.
- Read: Startup guide to affiliate marketing
Work with PR & Outreach
Another really important factor when you purchase your own domain name is that you can now also rank when it comes to DA and PA, as well as Alexa ranking. This again helps brand’s and PR companies to assess how great a fit you will be for opportunities.
In addition, a lot of companies won’t work with bloggers if they don’t have a DA, so for example. You’re offered a £50 post every week for a year. Yet you don’t have a DA as you have a subdomain that’s;
£50 x 52 = £2,600 worth of lost revenue annually.
That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine how many times with a subdomain brand’s have turned you down for paid and gifted work? Is 99p not worth it to receive more opportunities? Don’t leave money on the table.
- Read: DA and the great DA-bate, how to increase your Domain Authority
Finally, this is what many people get confused with, the difference between domain and hosting.
A domain is a one-time payment (paid once for however long you buy the domain name for). This is the only cost. Prices start at as little as 99p.
Hosting is paying for space you rent to keep all your site files. This is usually billed on a monthly basis which starts from as little as $2.95. For sites such as wordpress.org, you’ll need your one-time domain PLUS hosting. For accounts on Squarespace, Blogger and Wix you only require the purchase of a domain.
What are your thoughts on the subdomain vs domain debate? Do you have your own domain? If not I’d be super interested to know why not. Leave your comments below.
