Addon domains - what are they and are they right for you

Written on 18 October, 2021 by Melissa Toh
Categories Domains

What is an addon domain?

An addon domain is a domain name that can be attached to a web hosting account via a control panel such as cPanel. An addon domain allows you to host more than one website on a single hosting account. You can create multiple websites, email addresses and email forwarders under a single control panel but with separate domain names.

Launch fresh new websites without finding a new web hosting account. And when users visit your addon domain, they won’t know that it’s an addon domain. They won’t even know it is linked to your existing domain or business unless you want them to.

Two important reasons a business would use a cpanel addon domain:

Addon domains can save you money:

This is probably the most obvious advantage for addon domains. You can create multiple websites without the cost of multiple web hosting accounts.  Those savings can add up. As small business is growing controlling costs becomes vital.  Saved expenses can be used to build and market your business.

Addon domains can be super convenient:

Addon domains save you stress and time. Multiple domains with one hosting provider mean you won’t have to log into them separately. You can manage all your accounts from one dashboard. Addon domains are a simple way to increase the agility of your business. Saving time and stress can also save you money.

Factors to consider before creating an addon domain:

Your sites will need to share resources: 

Hosting more than one website on a single web hosting account means all the websites must share the same resources.

Service support for your website: 

Support is usually only available for the main website account.

Server changes and stability:  

If server changes occur it will affect all your connected websites. So when the main account goes offline so will your addon domain.

Backups: 

Backing up with many addon domains is a problem, especially when it comes to restoration. Backups work best for single accounts.

Security:

If a hacker gets access to your main account then all your websites are affected.

Domain name systems DNS:   

Addon domains share the same DNS settings as your main account. Any change to the DNS of the primary account will impact the addon domain.

For most small business these factors are manageable and outweighed by the potential cost savings.

What else do you need to know about addon domains?

SEO

If the resources on your web hosting account can’t handle the websites you are hosting then your website might become unstable and slow.  This will, in turn, affect your SEO.

Duplicate Content:

If configured correctly you don’t need to worry about duplicate content. Simply submit one URL to google and it will be the one to be indexed.

FTP Access:

You can create an FTP account for your addon domain and it will work just like the one for the primary domain of your account.

How to set up an addon domain

Now you’ve thought about it, learn how to create an addon domain here. Still not sure please call our helpful Customer Care team on 1300 638 734 for more advice.

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