Table of Contents
What is the difference between a domain and a subdomain?
The domain name (e.g., example.com) serves as your website’s unique internet address while subdomains serve as subsections of that address (such as blog.example.com).
What is the purpose of a subdomain?
Subdomain serves various purposes, among them:
Organization: Subdomains enable you to classify various sections of your website into different groups.
Branding: Subdomains give specific products or services their own identity.
Testing: Subdomains can function as a safe space for testing new website features or designs.
What is a subdomain used for?
Subdomains are used for various purposes:
- Blogs (blog.example.com);
- Online stores (shop.example.com);
- Support forums;
- Language-specific versions.
Subdomains provide ways for targeting different audiences of your site with different information or products.
Are subdomains necessary for a website?
No, subdomains are not mandatory; smaller websites may even go without one at first.
Nevertheless, track the expansion of your website, and assess if it needs to add content or features; this is when subdomains become invaluable tools for better structure and user experience.
Is a subdomain a separate website?
A subdomain is part of your main website, yet acts like its own entity with unique content, design, and purpose. Search engines recognize them as separate entities by indexing them separately.
What’s the difference between a subdomain and a subdirectory?
Subdomains and subdirectories are both ways of organizing content on websites. Subdomains (such as blog.example.com) act like standalone websites with their own domain and design while subdirectories (such as example.com/blog) inherit design from the main site. While subdomains offer greater branding options, subdirectories can be more straightforward and manageable.
Is ‘www’ a Subdomain?
Yes, technically speaking ‘www’ is considered a subdomain and was historically used to indicate web servers. Today though it serves more as a convention rather than a technical requirement – many websites automatically redirect users from the ‘www’ subdomain to the root domain, so users can still access the same website with or without the “www” prefix before any URL.
Conclusion
Subdomains can be powerful tools for organizing, branding, and managing website content. By understanding their purpose and benefits, you can make more informed decisions on whether and how best to incorporate subdomains into your online strategy.
