How to redirect a domain name is something many people new to the internet have a challenge with. The biggest reason is that on some webhosting dashboards, redirecting a domain name is not intuitive.
Before we go get into how to redirect a domain name, let’s clarify a few terms. When we say redirect a domain name or redirect a parked domain name, it is the same process as domain forwarding, website redirect, URL redirection, and forwarding setup. Each of these descriptors mean redirecting a domain name. The terms are interchangeable.
When it comes to forwarding a domain name, the good news is the URL redirection feature found in the member dashboard at Website Web Hosting Services is by far the easiest, the fastest, and the most efficient way to setup forwarding for a floating or parked domain name.
Before getting too far into how to redirect a domain name, this article assumes you already know what a domain name is.
There are many reasons why domain names are parked. They include:
Future use is just as the name implies.
For example, let’s say you are in the planning stages for a business you will eventually be launching.
In addition to brand recognition for the business name, it is best if you could also have a matching domain.
Hence, you register the domain name before the business is even ready to go public. Since you are not ready to develop it into a website, you park it.
Why do people register a domain name months, possibly even years, before launching the business? To prevent someone else from registering it before them.
Quality domain names are getting harder to find.
Like real estate, many online entrepreneurs make a living buying domain names and reselling them. This is the same as flipping properties.
Some people refer to these businesspeople as Cyber Squatters.
The reason it is referred to as cyber squatting is because the domain name owner’s primary interest is profiting off of the domain name. Again, this is very similar to people who speculate on real estate.
Being aware that cyber squatting exists, is another reason to register and park a domain name you are interested in as soon as it is available. This ensures no one else secures it and it is available to you when you are ready.
It is a common practice for businesses to register multiple domain names and then redirect them to their main website or a specific page on their website.
For example, let’s say you market financial services. You could register BusinessTermLoans.com and redirect it to your main branded web page.
Or, in my case, I own WebsiteWebHostingServices.com. I also own WWHS.ca and more than 20 other versions of WWHS.
Why do this?
Because people search many different ways for services and businesses. Hence, the more ways services or products appear in the search engines, the more traffic to the business. Traffic equals potential sales, customers, or clients.
Here’s a question? Have you registered your personal name as a domain name? If you are a professional, graduate student, or own a business, having your name as a domain name is a key step toward reputation management.
Another option in redirecting a domain name is that you can redirect it to your preferred social media account.
This is especially common for people who register their personal name and have no immediate intention of developing a website.
In these instances, they can redirect their parked domain name to their LinkedIn account or a business profile they have elsewhere.
When you register a domain name through Website Web Hosting Services, you get a bonus of three email inboxes. This is a bonus because you generally have to invest in web hosting to have a functional email address. The exception, of course, is if you are using one of the free ISPs (internet service providers) like Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo, and others.
For clarification, to have an email address matching a domain name you register, you have to also purchase web hosting.
At WWHS.ca we recognize many professionals and businesses register domain names with no intention of developing the domain name into a website. For those members, we allow them to setup three email accounts. This is unique, a real bonus. It is a service few other domain service providers offer at no additional charge!
What this means is that you could register and park a domain name at Website Web Hosting Services and then create three email addresses matching the domain name.
Having an email address that matches your name, or business, is much more professional looking than a Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo email address. It does provide credibility when doing business.
For example, let’s say you register NutsNBoltsCoaching.com. You could create …
… ‘yourname@nutsnboltscoaching.com’,
… ‘support@nutsnboltscoaching’, and
… ‘sales@nutsnboltscoaching’.
A professional email address is also great branding.
It is not uncommon for people to redirect a parked domain name to an affiliate product or service.
When web surfers enter the domain name, they are redirected to the affiliate offer. If they make a purchase, the parked domain owner gets paid. An example of this is WordPress 101.
By-the-way, this is a good use of a domain name you are no longer using and plan on letting it expire. If it works well and is profitable, you may even decide to keep it 
TLD is the abbreviation for top level domain. The most popular top level domain is ‘dot COM’. Other examples of TLDs – top level domains – would be ‘dot ORG’ and ‘dot NET’.
There are also country code TLDs. The abbreviation for them is ‘ccTLD’. The ‘cc’ stands for country code.
Examples of ccTLDs would be ‘dot CA’ for Canada, ‘dot UK’ for United Kingdom, and ‘dot DE’ for Germany.
Businesses and individuals who provide products or services to different countries often register their domain name in that country, park it, and then redirect the parked domain name to their main website.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of why someone would want to Park a domain name, I’m going to demonstrate how easy it is to redirect or point a parked (or floating) domain name.
I’m making an assumption that you registered your domain name through WWHS.ca or WebsiteWebHostingServices.com. If it is registered elsewhere and you would like to transfer it to Website Web Hosting Services click here.
There are several different methods to redirect a domain name to another website, social media account, or elsewhere.
The following is, by far, the easiest way to redirect a domain name that is not hosted.
In the Domain Type field, it will display either Floating Domain, Parked Domain, or Hosted Domain.
In this 12ma.business example, it displays Floating Domain. Click on the words Floating Domain.
On the screen that opens, click on Redirect this host to another domain/subdomain.
When you do, this screen pops up …
As indicated in the graphic, enter the domain name this Floating or Parked domain will redirect to. Then click on Redirect.
Wait a few minutes (on occasion it may take longer) and enter the domain name in your web browser.
If all steps have been followed correctly, when you hit enter the window that opens ought to be the one you are redirecting to.
There are many reasons why one would want a domain name and then forward it to another website, web page, social media account, like LinkedIn, or elsewhere.
Those reasons range from just having it to be sure it is available when they want it to parking a domain name for brand or reputation management.
What is important to be aware of is domain forwarding, website redirect, URL redirection, and forwarding setup each mean the same as redirecting a domain name.
Throughout this article we referenced WWHS.ca and WebsiteWebHostingServices.com. They are the services we recommend for registering domain names and hosting. They are inexpensive and fully featured. Plus, unlike other domain name registrars, you can have up to three email addresses without having to invest in website hosting. This is a big plus to boost reputation and branding.
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