Need help with domain name change and plan
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Hi, I hope you don’t mind me jumping in to help, too.
Is #1 the correct way of adding my new domain name or does it need to be done differently to accomplish what I want/need?
Honestly, if your intent is to keep all of the old content, traffic, SEO, etc, and you just want to rename the site and maybe update the design, I would do things a little bit differently.
I would actually use both domains on the site at the same time for a while, and I would switch to the new name as soon as possible. The idea is you’ll want an overlap where both domains work. That way, if someone has a link to yourolddomain.whatever, it will still work, and it will just redirect them to yournewdomain.whatever. And that should help you keep your traffic. The longer the overlap with the old name redirecting to the new one, the better. And there’s no way to redirect after the old name expires.
When you do it that way (with both domains running at once, and the new one being primary) we actually send search engines a signal to let them know you’ve changed the site name so they can update their links.
So if I were doing this personally, this is what I would do:
– Add the new name as soon as possible there will be overlap time
– If I need to make design changes too, I’d use the test blog to play around until I get something I like, then I’d set up those options on the real site when I set up the domain.
If you want to do that, we could just add a personal plan to your site now (or when you’re ready) at normal price so you would get the domain credit for the new name. Then you would just cancel the old domain before it expires.
Let us know what you think.
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Hi Supernova,
Oh no, this is a bit too confusing for me! I thought I had it worked out.
I’m getting really tired of this back and forth and all the twists. I have been working on this for a month with nothing to show for it because I can’t do anything until I know what is going to happen.All I want to do is make a new blog with an appropriate domain name for it and use the upgrade price for a plan to register the new domain while keeping the old one active while I work on the new one at least.
The old domain does not have to be the custom I have now, it can go back to the unregistered version of itsaboutthemusicblog.wordpress.com. Just as long as I do not lose the original site and that folks can still access it while I work on the new one.I was told that I could have two domains, but that one would not be custom (the old one in this case) and I could go in and choose which one was active.
I was told nothing would happen to my old site except it would automatically direct folks to it if they tried to use the custom domain and would show the non-custom domain in google or whatever. I need to have that so I can give fair warning about the change and I need access to copy stuff.
I do not want to suddenly take down my original site for months and i don’t want to go in and make changes live, creating a mess for readers.Why is this so hard and messy?
I’m getting to the point of just giving up on all of it and that would be really bad, but I am losing choices it sounds like. I’m getting so damn confused!
I feel like I never should have even started my current blog 3 years ago now.Your scenario sounds too expensive to me. I don’t want to waste $50 to $70 + on a casual blog.
I have no clue what an SEO is and I’m sure I don’t have that.I do need to use both domains at least until I can copy some stuff from the old over to the new one, but “redirects” are super expensive!
I’m not monetized and never want to be.
My current blog, soon to be old is semi-pro. My new blog I want to be a little more casual, which it will be at least in content, but also personally because I won’t have to worry about business cards and promo talk and deadlines, etc.I do want/need to keep the old site up and going for a while at least while I work on the new one, which will take some time before it is ready to launch. I’m ok with the old domain reverting to the free account while the new domain gets the custom name and such.
I can’t build a new blog in 15 minutes. It took me almost 3 months to build the one I have and it was brutal! I need time to work. I used WordPress.com because I don’t know what i am doing and still don’t.
I’m now panicking. I’m now afraid I will lose everything and am being forced to stay with my current site and domain and not move in a new direction like I am supposed to.
This simple thing has turned into a nightmare.
Sorry if my response seems discombobulated because I am so confused now.I’m guessing I can not do what I am wanting to do, so is my other alternative to just let my current domain expire and then do my new blog under the free plan? What will happen to my current blog? I was told the only thing that would happen would be that the domain name would go back to being non-custom. Is this not correct?
I’d rather have a new blog with an appropriate domain name under the Personal plan if i can do it for $28.I’m at a loss.
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Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it more complicated. Some of what you had said made me wonder if you meant to transition the old site to the new one and keep your traffic and SEO. If that doesn’t matter to you, that’s okay.
Your content will all still be there either way, so you won’t lose that. It’s just that any links (from Google, Pinterest, etc.) to the old name will no longer work when the old domain expires. So I’m saying if you want those links to keep working, it’s best to add the new domain before the old name expires. Does that make sense?
We’ll help you sort through this either way, so just let us know what you prefer.
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Also if you’ll be keeping the old site as a separate blog on the free name, the easiest fix for this is to just switch to the free name well before the domain expires, so that Google, Pinterest, etc. will know you’re changing names and can update their links accordingly.
Again, sorry to throw a complication into this. We just want things to work out as well as possible for you. :)
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Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it more complicated. Some of what you had said made me wonder if you meant to transition the old site to the new one and keep your traffic and SEO. If that doesn’t matter to you, that’s okay.
Your content will all still be there either way, so you won’t lose that. It’s just that any links (from Google, Pinterest, etc.) to the old name will no longer work when the old domain expires. So I’m saying if you want those links to keep working, it’s best to add the new domain before the old name expires. Does that make sense?
We’ll help you sort through this either way, so just let us know what you prefer.
I want to give my current readers and subscribers the option invite to go to my new blog as i know that perhaps not all will want to. It depends on how much they resonate with the new content and design. I’m not expecting much traffic to the new blog at first. Even my current blog took 3 years just to get to the level it is, which is not much (although it seems to be consistently gaining of late). I never advertise because I feel it is a waste of time and energy and I’m not looking for fame. The only advertising I do / did for my current site is at audio events with my business cards. (I’m moving away from that).
Like I said, I have no idea what an SEO is.
So what your saying is really just confirming what I am asking to do and the first move is to add the new domain name? If so, that does make sense.
Yes, one step at a time. The last post you did was a laundry list of unfamiliar terms and so I got confused.Here is what I am trying to do in a nutshell: I don’t know how many times I have typed this out:
I want to build a new blog with a different domain name because the current one doesn’t match all the content planned for the new blog, which will be a bit different. (Some stuff I am keeping from the current/old blog and some not and some content will be new).Seeing that my domain is up for renewal and that Plans are now offered for the upgrade price of $28. I would like to use the custom domain credit for the new domain name and let the current one revert back to the non-custom domain name, so I can have the Personal Plan with better what appears to be better or additional support. (Adds chat 24/5).
I do need the current domain/blog to be accessible by both myself and my readers so I can:
1) Have time to build the new blog (its going to take me at least a month until it is ready for launch).
2) Transfer some stuff from the current /old blog to my new one
3) Announce the changes/new blog on my current/old blog so my readers and subscribers can know and decide if they would like to follow when it is ready.Doing it this way I won’t have to shut down my current blog for several months abandoning readers or make a mess out of it trying to do changes to content and design live.
So yes, I think I would want to add the new domain to my account first.
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Also if you’ll be keeping the old site as a separate blog on the free name, the easiest fix for this is to just switch to the free name well before the domain expires, so that Google, Pinterest, etc. will know you’re changing names and can update their links accordingly.
Again, sorry to throw a complication into this. We just want things to work out as well as possible for you. :)
Yes, this is what I want to do at least for the time being for the reasons stated above.
So I need to add the new domain name to the account and then I guess you go and add the plan and then you show me how to use the domain credit for the new domain name (or you do that part to if that is how it works).
Then I go in and make sure the old name is active and the new one inactive while I build. Are you also saying to “cancel” the old name and do some kind of switch? -
Ok, let’s see if we can do this:
I have my new domain/blog name selected, finally. Here is what I want to do:
1) Delete the “test” domain I already have in my account without harming anything else
2) Add my new domain name
3) Add the Personal Plan so I can renew at the upgrade price of $28 and use the domain credit for the new domain name
4) Switch and keep my old site as a separate blog on the Free name and keep it active while I build my new blog behind the scenes. (I want to leave it up a bit after I launch my new blog, which won’t be for a good month or two).
5) Make sure readers have access to my old blog as well as in search engines.
Please let me know if this can be done. Once I know I will give the green light.
If so, please let me know (step by step) what I need to do to accomplish these administrative things so I can get to building my new blog.Thank you
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Thanks, this clear list is helpful. I’m going to go out of order a bit. And since all three of these sites are intentionally separate, I think we could reduce confusion if we’ll deal with them separately. Given that,
1) You can delete the test site here right now:
https://wordpress.com/settings/general/test659183784.wordpress.com4) and 5) I recommend switching to the free domain now. You can do that here:
https://wordpress.com/domains/manage/itsaboutthemusicblog.com The more time Google, etc. have to update their links before your domain expires, the better.I’m going to re-read once more to work on 2 and 3 for the new site.
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Okay. So for 2) and 3) you have two main options:
– Buy a plan for the other site. To be clear, you will not get a domain credit and the discount you see at the same time, because that discount is based on you not needing a domain credit. Make sense?
– The other option, as Herman mentioned, you could technically go ahead and buy the domain for your existing site, then move it over to the new site. That way you’d just be paying for the domain. For future reference to anyone reading this thread: that option may not be available down the road.
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Thanks, this clear list is helpful. I’m going to go out of order a bit. And since all three of these sites are intentionally separate, I think we could reduce confusion if we’ll deal with them separately. Given that,
1) You can delete the test site here right now:
https://wordpress.com/settings/general/test659183784.wordpress.com4) and 5) I recommend switching to the free domain now. You can do that here:
https://wordpress.com/domains/manage/itsaboutthemusicblog.com The more time Google, etc. have to update their links before your domain expires, the better.I’m going to re-read once more to work on 2 and 3 for the new site.
Yes, I like this, easy to follow!
Ok, I am at work right now. I can quickly go in and delete the test site at lunch today.The rest will have to wait until I get home this evening because I need to be really careful, but I will switch my current site to the free domain first when I get home. However, before I do that I need to know: Will I be able to use the domain credit for my new domain? I don’t want to get stuck with a surprise bill for $50, $70 ot $180 when we got to do the plan and such.
Thank you
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Okay. So for 2) and 3) you have two main options:
– Buy a plan for the other site. To be clear, you will not get a domain credit and the discount you see at the same time, because that discount is based on you not needing a domain credit. Make sense?
– The other option, as Herman mentioned, you could technically go ahead and buy the domain for your existing site, then move it over to the new site. That way you’d just be paying for the domain. For future reference to anyone reading this thread: that option may not be available down the road.
I don’t understand option one at all.
Are you saying buy the plan at $50 and not getting the new domain registered or buy the plan at the upgrade rate for the current site I will be switching to free first? I don’t understand how that will work.Option #2 sounds like I am just re-buying the domain without the plan for my current site and then just switching the new blog to active when ready. Also, how would I buy the domain and then move it? This sounds like it would result in zero support without the plan.
Now I don’t want to do step number two in your first message because this is clear as mud.
Somehow, no matter what I am going to end up screwing myself it seems. -
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This has gotten ludacris. Is there a phone support number or something? I will pay $1000 just for that one call to try to get this straightened out. I keep repeating what I want to do the same way and the responses keep twisting everyplace. I have been detailed and clear, but I get answers that are muddy and confusing.
I don’t know the time frame needed to successfully switch my current blog domain to the free plan non-custom name for search engines to make the switch. It may already be too late if it is more than 30 days.
I’m near the point of just giving up everything and shutting down and disappearing abruptly.
Clearly, after 3 years of my semi-pro blog and positive comments from wordpress engineers for content, that is not enough to do the simplest thing. I’m not trying to get a Personal plan for free, I just want to have the advantage of the upgrade rate and change my domain for a new more casual blog so it matches. I will want to leave my old blog up or active for a little while on the free plan without the custom domain name, but eventually I will shut it down once the new blog has been going for a few months.This has been the most discouraging thing in the world. It’s like the carrot and stick. Everytime I think we are getting someplace, the rug gets pulled out. Example: I get told that I can get my new domain on the Personal plan for the upgrade price if I take off the current domain (which I want to do). I get instruction to delete the “test” domain on my account and to switch my current domain to the free plan supposedly in preparation to get my new domain onto the Personal plan for the upgrade price that I can follow. Then when I clarify what I want to do, I get told that I can not do it.
I almost don’t have the energy to have a blog at all anymore because of this month long mess.
I’m starting to have a hard time telling the difference between “happiness engineers” and energy vampires. I don’t mean to sound harsh like that, but I am beyond frustrated. -
Is there a phone support number or something?
There is no phone support and you have been receiving support from Staff. I read the responses and understood them. I’m sorry that you did not understand them.
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Hi again,
Given that you didn’t understand your options as explained by two Staff members above, and that there is no phone support, I informed you of that and immediately tagged this thread for Staff to return to it for you. https://en.support.wordpress.com/getting-help-in-the-forums/#how-do-i-get-a-moderatorstaff-reply-for-my-question Please be patient while waiting.
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Hi again,
Given that you didn’t understand your options as explained by two Staff members above, and that there is no phone support, I informed you of that and immediately tagged this thread for Staff to return to it for you. https://en.support.wordpress.com/getting-help-in-the-forums/#how-do-i-get-a-moderatorstaff-reply-for-my-question Please be patient while waiting.
ok. I thought you were just having attitude at me.
The options “explained” keep leaving out one important piece of info. Part of the problem is that I am not expert at building websites. I’m a journalist (voluntary) not a professional web designer. It took me almost 3 months just to build and launch my current site 3 years ago. Since then I have just been writing.
I am going a new and different direction now and want my blog to reflect that, but as I explained I can’t just go in and change things on the fly and I do not want to shut down for months to do it and I need my domain name to match my new blog, otherwise it will make no sense.
Instead of getting a yes or no answer, I get acronyms like SEO that I don’t even know what they are and then I get told that there is a way to do what I want to do for a plan at the upgrade rate and then the next answer I get is veiled and I can’t help but think it means I can not do what I was told I could. So yes, I am very confused and frustrated.I know the intention is to help as much as possible, but I think it would be better having a yes or no answer at this point.
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ok. I thought you were just having attitude at me.
I am just a Volunteer who has been here for 12 years answering questions. My attitude is tuned to being helpful. :D
SEO means search engine optimization and in part refers to refers to where you posts are found in (for example) Google search results. The search results and traffic belong to the URL so if you change it there will be a a negative impact on traffic flow from search engines.
Please be patient while waiting for Staff to chime in here again and best wishes to you. :)
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Aw, so that is what SEO is. I think that is what supernovia was talking about. I can see that would be important, especially for doing what I want to do. (Advertising is not important to me though. I prefer the organic approach to that).
I’m just hoping to get this straightened out by tomorrow because this has been going on for some time and after Sunday, it will be too late because 30 days may not be enough time left for transition if it is doable.
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Hi again, looks like you were able to delete the test site. Good!
Here are the next two steps we recommend and the simplest path forward.
1) Change the primary domain of itsaboutthemusicblog.com to itsaboutthemusicblog.wordpress.com
2) When you are ready, you can buy a plan for the other site. It will not be discounted because it will include a domain credit, but you will be able to use that domain credit as you like.
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