Virtual Assistant Forums | Work from Home

kimbeckers · #11 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

Good afternoon fellow VA's

Okay, so I am in the process of rebuilding my clients current website on WordPress. She has decided to build the site on the .com domain that she owns instead of the .net domain and I had a few questions for those who are a bit more savvy than I am when it comes to this type of thing.

The original site was built using a very strange naming convention such as domain.com/index.php?page_id=269 instead of domain.com/aboutus

Since the current site has incoming links as well as page rank I would like to make the transition as painless as possible. I am going to set up redirects for the .net to the .com but how do I go about setting up redirects for the inner pages? For instance old domain/index.php?page_id=269 to newdomain?aboutus

Also, if we build the site and keep it on the .com domain instead of the .net domain will this negatively affect traffic and page rank?

Should we build the site on the .net and forward the .com domain?

What is the best way to handle this?

Thank you for all of your input and insight into this manner.

Kim

virtual writing · #12 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

Wow, Kim, that's a lot of questions. Can't help you with them all, but ...

Looks like the original site was a php (database connected) site - a shopping cart, or the like. Not an html site.

Far as I know, if you set up a redirect for the .net to the .com, a search for the .net index page will land you on the .com index page. If the visitor lands on an interior .net page, I think there's a way to set a re-direct as well, but someone else can speak more expertly about that perhaps.

Your traffic and page rank, I would think, will deteriorate for your .net site if it's all redirected to the new site; unless you market the .net site right along with the other so its links are kept active.

Or, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying the .net site has the traffic, so why not build there and redirect from the new address? Yes, that sounds like a good solution.

Sorry if I got it all wrong about what you're looking to do ...

kimbeckers · #13 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

Thanks for your response. Yes, I am trying to build her a new site using WordPress instead of the php site like she has now. She wanted to use the .com instead of the .net because it is more the norm but if it is going to make her loose her traffic even if we redirect from the .net to the .com

How would I go about setting up the redirects for the .net to the .com? I think I need to set up some sort of file but I am not sure exactly.

Thanks,
Kim

virtual writing · #14 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

Kim - Google 301 redirect and you'll find several tutorials.

kimbeckers · #15 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

okay, yes, thank you, could not remember what it was called, thanks.

kimbeckers · #16 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

In regards to the dot com or dot net, what do you recommend? There are many sites that have a link to the .net website which I know has been helping with traffic and rankings. Will the links still work if we redirect from the .net to the .com address and eventually help with the rankings if they are forwarded or will we lose all that benefit by switching?

Overall, in the short and long run, what do you recommend as the best course of action? Should I make the switch to the dot com or keep the dot net?

Please let me know your honest opinion.

virtual writing · #17 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

It's a hard question. Somehow .com seems so necessary. It's really not, but perception is everything.

It's a pain to switch. You'll lose the strength of your links, far as I know. If you can change as many of those incoming links as possible to the new address, maybe that could help. I dunno.

Maybe you should evaluate the competition. How fierce is it? If only moderate, I'd say stick with the .net. If you're worried about getting drowned by competitors, maybe you should do the hard work of switching over to .com.

Good luck!