Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Essential Steps to Changing Your Shopify URL
- Critical Post-Switch Steps
- FAQs on Changing Your Shopify URL
- Conclusion
Introduction
Have you ever thought about changing the URL of your Shopify store? Whether for rebranding, tidying up a lengthy domain, or simply to reflect a change in your business focus, altering your Shopify URL can significantly impact your online presence. In this comprehensive guide, we're going to uncover why and how you can alter your Shopify URL with minimal fuss, maintaining brand consistency and ensuring that your customers can continue to find you easily online.
The importance of a URL with respect to branding cannot be overstated. A URL is often the first piece of branding a customer encounters; it should ideally be short, memorable, and intimately connected to your brand name. As you consider revamping your Shopify store URL, this blog post will serve as your roadmap, demonstrating the steps to a successful domain change while maintaining your search ranking and visitor traffic.
The Essential Steps to Changing Your Shopify URL
Changing your primary domain on Shopify is more than just a switch in the address bar. It's a seamless redirection of your store's entire digital footprint, ensuring that all roads lead to your newly branded domain, without leaving your customers behind.
Understanding Your Shopify URL Structure
Before diving into the process, let's decipher the default URL you receive upon signing up with Shopify. By default, it looks something like your-store-name.myshopify.com. However, it's a common practice to buy a custom domain for better brand representation, such as www.yourbrandname.com. If you have a custom domain, changing your store’s URL entails setting it as the new primary domain in your Shopify admin.
Setting the Stage: Before You Swap URLs
Before proceeding to the domain switch, there's a list of essentials to tick off:
- If you haven’t already, purchase or transfer your new custom domain.
- Double-check to ensure that your new domain's DNS settings are correctly configured to point to Shopify's servers.
- Notify your customer base about the upcoming changes to avoid any confusion.
- Consider timings—it’s best to implement such changes during low-traffic periods.
Making the Transition: Adjusting Your Shopify Primary Domain
To make the swap, go to the Shopify admin and navigate to ‘Domains.’ There, you can set your new custom domain as the primary domain. The other domains associated with your store, including the default myshopify one, will redirect to the new primary domain.
Keeping Your SEO Intact
SEO is a crucial consideration when altering your domain. Here’s how to safeguard your rankings during the transition:
- Implement 301 redirects for all your old pages to the new ones. Shopify does this automatically for primary domains, but check for other links that need manual adjusting.
- Update all external links, such as those from social media and other websites, to direct to the new domain.
- Inform Google about your domain change using the Change of Address tool on the Search Console.
- Preserve your sitemap and ensure it reflects the new domain for seamless search engine crawling.
Critical Post-Switch Steps
Post-domain change, some parts of your branding might need updating across various platforms:
- Update your domain in email marketing campaigns, digital ads, and social media profiles.
- Replace any old branding that features the previous URL in both digital and physical marketing materials.
- Continuously track your website's performance to detect any unexpected dips in traffic or search rankings.
FAQs on Changing Your Shopify URL
Q: Can I change my Shopify store name along with the URL? A: Yes, the store name is independent of your store’s URL and can be adjusted in the ‘Settings’ area of the Shopify admin.
Q: What happens to my old domain after I switch to the new one? A: Your old domain will automatically redirect to the new primary domain if you’ve completed the process via Shopify admin. Ensure you maintain ownership of the old domain to keep the redirects in place.
Q: Is there a limit to how often I can change my Shopify URL? A: While there’s no specific limit to how many times you can change the primary domain in Shopify, frequent changes may confuse customers and harm your SEO. It’s best to plan carefully and make changes sparingly.
Q: Should I notify my customers about the domain change? A: Absolutely. Keep your customers informed to build trust and ensure they know where to find you post-change.
Conclusion
Changing your Shopify URL can elevate your brand and refine your online identity. Though the process might seem daunting, a strategic approach can ensure a smooth transition. Keep your SEO rankings intact, prepare your customer base, and proceed with deliberation. More than a mere change of address, a new URL can herald a new era for your Shopify store.
Remember, while the virtual landscape of your store might flex and change, your loyalty to your customers, exceptional products, and consistent service quality should remain as unshakeable as ever. Embrace the change as an opportunity to strengthen and streamline your brand's digital domain.
