What is a Domain Name?
Your registered domain name is the unique name that your website is called by and used in the address bar of your browser. Ideally, your website name (as shown at the top of your website or in the header image) should be the same as your registered domain name.
Your domain name must be registered at an officially recognized domain name registrar.
Domain name registrars include:
Wealthy Affiliate
1and1
DreamHost
GoDaddy
HostGator
Namecheap
and many more. Some of these registrars, including WA, are resellers for bigger registrars like Enom.
Most domain name registrars also offer hosting for your website.
You can have your domain name registered with one organization and have it hosted at another. They don't have to be with the same company.
Coming Up
Join the Discussion
TMcCaskie2
Premium
Hi Marion, thank you for your most welcome response, to this and my other questions.
I am not a computer technocrat (age 74, and relatively new to all of this, 6 years),
I am in a position whereby I will need some help in moving my primary site from the other host to WA.
I think my biggest fear is that I do some thing wrong, and I mess-up the whole thing. I have in the past tried to follow, what appeared to be simple instruction, and still managed to make a 'pig's ear' of it.
Oh, how I wish that I had had the opportunity to learn earlier, but my work intensity prevented this.
I want to move this site, a rather primitive attempt, but of a subject that is close to my heart.
In moving this site, I will be able to correct the working failures made on my part, and completely overhaul the site using the excellent WA. systems and support.
In doing this I will not have to go back and forth, trying to do it that way, and I can have the site here to work on.
I have a further three WP. sites with this host, they, I would consider moving at a later date, unless, me being speculative, one can bulk move all my WP. sites.
That would leave my other, a Joomla site, which in itself poses extra problems, that could stay.
If you can offer me some practical support, I tried the as you suggested, Wealthy Affiliate Technical Site Support, but it took me back to member support, and you were on top of the moving sites from, to WA. support
Thanks again for all of your support,
Tom.
I am not a computer technocrat (age 74, and relatively new to all of this, 6 years),
I am in a position whereby I will need some help in moving my primary site from the other host to WA.
I think my biggest fear is that I do some thing wrong, and I mess-up the whole thing. I have in the past tried to follow, what appeared to be simple instruction, and still managed to make a 'pig's ear' of it.
Oh, how I wish that I had had the opportunity to learn earlier, but my work intensity prevented this.
I want to move this site, a rather primitive attempt, but of a subject that is close to my heart.
In moving this site, I will be able to correct the working failures made on my part, and completely overhaul the site using the excellent WA. systems and support.
In doing this I will not have to go back and forth, trying to do it that way, and I can have the site here to work on.
I have a further three WP. sites with this host, they, I would consider moving at a later date, unless, me being speculative, one can bulk move all my WP. sites.
That would leave my other, a Joomla site, which in itself poses extra problems, that could stay.
If you can offer me some practical support, I tried the as you suggested, Wealthy Affiliate Technical Site Support, but it took me back to member support, and you were on top of the moving sites from, to WA. support
Thanks again for all of your support,
Tom.
Reply
MarionBlack
Premium
I would suggest you move the least important website first then you'll know how it's done. The first step is to use WP Clone to back up the site Full Backup With a Plugin Then contact Site Support and ask them to help with the move. They respond pretty quick.
Then you need to change the nameservers (DNS) to point to WA. But Site Support will explain how to do that.
Then you need to change the nameservers (DNS) to point to WA. But Site Support will explain how to do that.
Avecita
Premium
Is it possible to create a sub domain without transferring your domain name to WA first? I have tried to do this in Site Builder - Site Domains and discovered that that section for me is different to everyone else's, - it seems I need to transfer my domain in order to create a sub domain as they show in the trainings?
MarionBlack
Premium
You can create a subdomain at the hosting company that hosts your website. If that's WA then this video will help Subdomain on Your Own Dot Com Website
amgillogly
Premium
Hi Marion,
I have a WP website hosted on godaddy. On godaddy, I installed a WP theme and put up a couple of pictures. There are not any files I really need to keep from the website as I have not developed the site yet. Can I just transfer the domain and just leave the files and start over here? Will that cause any issues? If I choose to move the developed website from WA back to godaddy will there be an issue on transferring the domain back and moving the website files? I have already transferred the domain to WA hosting. Thanks
I have a WP website hosted on godaddy. On godaddy, I installed a WP theme and put up a couple of pictures. There are not any files I really need to keep from the website as I have not developed the site yet. Can I just transfer the domain and just leave the files and start over here? Will that cause any issues? If I choose to move the developed website from WA back to godaddy will there be an issue on transferring the domain back and moving the website files? I have already transferred the domain to WA hosting. Thanks
ThomasPaul
Premium Plus
Domain transfers can only happen after 60 days have passed from the last one. I would recommend just changing the nameservers to your Godaddy hosting account if you wanted to switch back over to Godaddy at some point.
Backing up and restoring/moving your WordPress website is pretty easy once you know how. Marion has some great training on how to do it.
Backing up and restoring/moving your WordPress website is pretty easy once you know how. Marion has some great training on how to do it.
MarionBlack
Premium
If you have already changed the nameservers to WA then it should be easy to start over from scratch and build out your website.
Make sure to cancel your hosting account at GoDaddy. You can leave the domain name registered there and transfer it to WA when it's almost due for renewal.
Moving a website from one hosting company to another can be easy or very difficult. The bigger the website the more complex and time consuming it becomes. Websites under 2GB in size can usually be moved using WP Clone. Bigger sites need FTP and database access.
I offer a professional website moving service for those who don't want to tackle it themselves.
Make sure to cancel your hosting account at GoDaddy. You can leave the domain name registered there and transfer it to WA when it's almost due for renewal.
Moving a website from one hosting company to another can be easy or very difficult. The bigger the website the more complex and time consuming it becomes. Websites under 2GB in size can usually be moved using WP Clone. Bigger sites need FTP and database access.
I offer a professional website moving service for those who don't want to tackle it themselves.
FranKleiner
Premium
Hello Marion. I just joined WA and was referred to you by Suzzette H. I have a website about pets www.petcousin.com, which is hosted by a company called Vibrant Web. Long story short, they charged me $4500 to build a website and promised lots of support which never happened, so I'd like to get out from under them but don't really know how. I was almost ready to quit and cut my losses, but I am not a quitter and want to give this a fair shot.
I am a 68-year old still working full time as an executive assistant and wanted to try to start something online which I could do to supplement my income when I finally retire. Vibrant Web asked me what I was interested in for a website. I love animals, so I chose a website trying to sell pet supplies.
I see there is a lot of training available here so I'd like to get started with that because I sort of jumped in with both feet without doing the research so I have a lot to learn. I'm a bit overwhelmed, so could use a suggestion on where to start first.
I'd like to see if I can transfer my website and let WA host it but don't feel knowlegeable enough to do on my own. Don't know anything about plugins.
I'd like to learn what kinds of websites other people here have and how they make money online.
My site is monetized by an Ebay store, Amazon Google AdSense, and some affiliate programs I signed up with through Shareasale. My site has been active since February, but to date have only made one sale, which is very discouraging.
I also really need to learn how to drive traffic to my site.
Sorry to bore you with all of this, but would appreciate any advice you could give me.
I am a 68-year old still working full time as an executive assistant and wanted to try to start something online which I could do to supplement my income when I finally retire. Vibrant Web asked me what I was interested in for a website. I love animals, so I chose a website trying to sell pet supplies.
I see there is a lot of training available here so I'd like to get started with that because I sort of jumped in with both feet without doing the research so I have a lot to learn. I'm a bit overwhelmed, so could use a suggestion on where to start first.
I'd like to see if I can transfer my website and let WA host it but don't feel knowlegeable enough to do on my own. Don't know anything about plugins.
I'd like to learn what kinds of websites other people here have and how they make money online.
My site is monetized by an Ebay store, Amazon Google AdSense, and some affiliate programs I signed up with through Shareasale. My site has been active since February, but to date have only made one sale, which is very discouraging.
I also really need to learn how to drive traffic to my site.
Sorry to bore you with all of this, but would appreciate any advice you could give me.
MarionBlack
Premium
Your first step is to back up your entire website and save it on your computer Full Backup With a Plugin Next step is to contact Site Support and ask them to help with moving the website's contents to Wealthy Affiliate.
And you'll need to point the DNS (Domain Name Servers) to WA's servers WA Hosting - Setting Up Your Domain DNS . This is done wherever you bought the domain name.
And then you'll need to follow the training using the green button on the left hand side, "Get Started Here". To learn how to manage your own website.
The rest will come as you progress through the lessons.
And you'll need to point the DNS (Domain Name Servers) to WA's servers WA Hosting - Setting Up Your Domain DNS . This is done wherever you bought the domain name.
And then you'll need to follow the training using the green button on the left hand side, "Get Started Here". To learn how to manage your own website.
The rest will come as you progress through the lessons.
GlenPalo
Premium Plus
Think of your domain name in terms of a telephone book. Your domain name is tied to your Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP address is expressed as a numerical label like 107.23.16.6.
It is easy to remember the domain name wealthyaffiliate.com. It is much harder to remember the WA IP address of 107.23.16.6.
It is easy to remember the domain name wealthyaffiliate.com. It is much harder to remember the WA IP address of 107.23.16.6.
