Multi domain setup and its pros and cons

A domain refers to any group of users, workstations, devices, printers, computers and database servers that share different types of data via network resources. Domains are defined by the IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain.

Multiple domains are add-on domains hosted on the sub-directory of a primary package.  Each domain has its web files, but share the disk space, database and traffic quotas of its parent account. FTP access is via the parent account.

It has a domain controller that governs all basic domain functions and manages network security. That means it's used to manage all user functions, including username or password and shared system resource authentication and access.

A domain is also used to assign specific resource privileges, such as user accounts. There are also many types of subdomains.

Having multiple domains means having more than one website for the same or similar company. Some online businesses think to have more than one website.

Pros

• It is easier to manage a website with one main domain and several multiple domains than one with several different domain names that may have to be interconnected if you want them all associated with your brand.

• It’s important to consider the role of your website (or sites) when choosing to use more than one URL. Multiple websites tend to be created for short-term marketing purposes utilizing various PPC or social media campaigns. Although this may produce good temporary results, the long-term outlook is more inclined to building strong authority sites. If your website serves a simple purpose, such as a portfolio of work samples, using multiple pages on the same site will likely be adequate. If the business model is a bit complicated, then it’s worth exploring how to leverage several sites.

• A separate site for each group will avoid the need for the visitor to sort through any irrelevant information to find “their” material. This audience-specific approach can also be helpful for cultivating links with other sites, which does help search engine rankings.

• It allows for the kind of specialization that can be helpful to complement the information (or services) of other sites.

• This can support the development of deep, topic-specific content making your site a valuable (and linkable) resource.

• From a marketing and sales standpoint, these niche sites can support niche products and services.

• A financial service firm or law firm might change partners – adding a new name or removing the name of a retiree. If an affiliation exists with a parent company, such as a real estate broker with multiple state or regional offices, a rebranding effort might dictate a change. In those cases, multiple domain names can be helpful to leverage an established identity or geographic presence.

• If having the same business in multiple countries, it might be worth having separate sites for each geographic location. Localizing the colors, images, and content to match the social and cultural norms will make the sites more user-friendly. And matching local preferences and habits can make easy to find the URL.

• You might get more links to one domain rather than individual links to separate domains.

• You have less work to do: it is easier to manage a site with several multiple domains than several separate domains.

Cons

• Multiple domains can hurt your page ranking. There is no real benefit to having several keyword-rich domains pointing to your website. SEO is done on a single domain name and incorporates many things such as site popularity, the amount and type of content on the site, keywords in meta and title fields, and paying for a spot in the search engine database.

• There are zero benefits to having multiple sites depicting the same product or company. Often the sites can be penalized for identical or double content even if published in different languages.

• If people tend to look up a company by name, multiple domain names can make it difficult for a prospect or customer to find what they need.

• The time and money to be needed for building and maintenance increases with the number of sites you have to maintain.

• There could be some negatives, such as scattered back-links to your site or garnering bad links to phishing sites, which require significant technical troubleshooting.

• Changing domain name may hurt the site’s credibility.

• Splitting off products and services on different sites could undermine the power and market influence of your company.

• If you decide later to move to a single website, the migration needs to be done correctly which means more expense.

• A single website can support multiple product lines and services as long as the site is easy to navigate.

• The URL might appear long, depending on the length of the main domain name and that of the multiple domains.

• They may not be regarded as ‘proper’ websites in the eyes of Google users – although Google rankings are full of multiple domains and internal web pages and blog posts rather than Home pages.