Can I keep using the domain of my existing website?
Yes, you can connect the domain you already own as it is. But if your existing site was already appearing in search, every page whose address changes needs a redirect from the old address to the new one (301 redirect) so you do not lose the search reputation built up so far.
Connecting a domain is not transferring ownership
The domain stays with the registrar you bought it from; only the server address it points to is changed. Ownership of the domain remains with you.
It takes time for the setting to spread across the whole internet: as little as a few tens of minutes, or up to about a day, and this time is hard to shorten. It is safer to do it at a time of day with few visitors.
The most important thing when migrating: redirects
If your existing site was showing up in search, its addresses carry the reputation built up over time. If the address structure changes on the new site, that reputation is cut off.
Redirecting each old address to its new address one to one carries much of that reputation over. Avoid redirecting every address to the home page, which has almost no effect.
- First get the list of addresses on the old site
- Decide the matching address on the new site
- Redirect one to one, and send only addresses with no match to a related list page
- After the switch, watch Search Console to make sure errors do not increase
What to check right after migrating
Check that the padlock (HTTPS) in the address bar works, that addresses with and without www are unified to one form, and that the sitemap contains the new addresses.
It is normal for old addresses to stay in the search results for a while. It takes time for crawlers to come back and update them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start without a domain yet?
Yes. You can open the site on a WiSite address first and connect a domain later.
Will my search ranking drop if I migrate?
If redirects are set up properly, rankings usually recover after a temporary fluctuation. If you skip redirects, you are effectively starting over as a new site.
Related reading
WiSite handles this for you automatically
The technical elements described here are applied automatically when your site is created.