Virtual Swanage's Domain Transition
Welcome to a fresh chapter in the online presence of Virtual Swanage! Our beloved coastal town's virtual hub has shifted from the domain www.virtual-swanage.co.uk to a sleeker, more accessible www.virtualswanage.co.uk.
Why Change the Domain Name?
Streamlining Access
The primary reason for dropping the hyphen from our domain is to streamline the user experience. Hyphens can often be forgotten or misplaced, leading to frustrating errors when trying to access the site. By simplifying the domain name, Virtual Swanage aims to make it easier for everyone to find and share our content.
Enhancing Brand Identity
Virtual Swanage is not just a portal; it's a brand that represents the beauty and vibrancy of Swanage to the world. The new domain, www.virtualswanage.co.uk, is easier to remember and strengthens our brand identity by presenting a cleaner, more professional image.
SEO Benefits
Changing a domain can be risky, especially in terms of search engine optimization (SEO). However, removing the hyphen can potentially improve our SEO performance. Search engines tend to favour simpler, more straightforward domain names as they are easier for users to recall and type. This change aims to boost our visibility on search platforms, making it easier for new visitors to discover all that Swanage has to offer.
How We Managed the Domain Change
Planning and Strategy
The transition to a new domain was meticulously planned to ensure a smooth changeover without impacting the user experience.
Technical Execution
The technical side involved setting up redirects from the old domain to the new one, ensuring that no links were broken, and no page rankings were lost. We also updated our website's internal links, metadata, and sitemap to reflect the new domain, thereby maintaining SEO integrity.
What This Means for Users
For users, the change is seamless. If you type in the old domain, you'll be automatically redirected to the new one. This ensures that despite the change, access to information remains uninterrupted. We encourage everyone to update their bookmarks and any links they might have that lead to the old domain.
Thank you for being a part of our community. Here’s to new beginnings at www.virtualswanage.co.uk!