When you’re redesigning an old website, very seldom do you turn off the lights, throw up a “Under Construction” page, develop the new site, then flip the switch back on.

No, normally a client wants to keep their old site live while simultaneously working on developing their new website.

Our new standard operating procedure is to purchase a new, second domain name for use only while the new website is being developed.

Our new process is as follows:

  1. Buy a New (possibly temporary) Domain Name – $12
  2. Develop the new Website under “lock and key”
  3. Replace the old website (backing it up of course)
  4. Redirect the new domain to the old domain – Free

Since domains are really inexpensive, normally around $12 for a year, buying this second domain adds very little to the project cost, while also making the entire process much easier.

A second domain allows:

  1. Anyone, Anywhere the ability to View the website at the new domain. (no editing complicated files or typing in crazy numbers.)
  2. Security to lock down the new website, while under development, for only those you want to see.
  3. Duplicate content to exist, without Google or other Search Engines penalizing you. They cannot see through the security lock down.
  4. The easiest way possible to test the redirection from old links to new links.
  5. The easiest way possible to transition from the old website to the new website with zero interruption.

A Case Study for Using a Second domain to Develop a new Website:

DEAF Way had an existing website, DEAFWay.net which had to remain active and useful while the new website was being developed.

We purchased StlInterpreters.com to develop the new website under.

Secondly, having a Search Engine Keyword Optimized Domain name like the above, will help them in Search Engine results.

Security was put in place so only select people could access and see the new website under development as StlInterpreters.com.

Links and redirects could easily be tested by simply changing an existing url, for example and existing page like deafway.net/about.html could simply be changed to stlinterpreters.com/about.html to see if the redirect rules were working property and redirected to stlinterpreters.com/about/

Finally, when we launched the new website, we replaced the old and in seconds the new site was live.

If you type in StlInterpreters.com you are redirected to DEAFWay.net.

This is our new standard operating procedure and it’s working out quite nicely for all of our Web Design customers, in Columbia Missouri, St. Louis Missouri and abroad!