Demystifying Domains: A Quick Primer for Therapists
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address that people type into their web browser to find your website. It's like a digital name tag for your website. It usually ends in “.com,” but not necessarily.
Is my domain name the same thing as my URL?
Yes, your domain name is the same thing as your URL.
Is my domain name the same thing as my website host?
Nope. Your website host is the company that stores your website and makes it accessible on the internet (e.g., Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, etc). Your domain name is the address that people use to access your website.
It can get confusing because some website hosts offer domain registration as part of their services (like how you can buy a domain through Squarespace and also host your website there). Also, you may hear the term “hosting” or “host” in reference to your domain. For example, “GoDaddy hosts my domain.” But they may not also be your website host.
Choosing a domain name for private practice
Should I use my own name or a business name as the domain for my private practice?
I hate to say, “It depends,” but it does.
Don’t agonize over it. As a solo practitioner, it doesn’t really matter for SEO (aka, people being able to find you online). When it comes to the searchability of your name, it’s much more important that you have SEO best practices in place.
If you have a great practice name that really speaks to you, awesome. And if not, it’s 100% OK. In this field, it doesn’t make you seem less professional or odd (or any of the other things you might be worried about). If you come up with a name down the line, you can always change it.
The rules of thumb are that you choose one that’s memorable, relevant, and easy to find for your potential clients.
If I am going to use a domain that’s NOT my name, what should I consider?
As I mentioned above, it should be memorable, relevant, and easy to find. It should also be easy to type, avoiding complicated words or phrases that can be easily misspelled. It's also important to keep it short and sweet. A shorter name is easier to remember and type, making it more likely that potential clients will find you.
Moving a domain name
I bought a domain name, but now I have a new website. What should I do?
Here are two common scenarios:
You bought a domain, and it’s connected to your old website, but now you have a new website. You don’t want to change your domain name and/or you want that same domain name to be connected to the new site.
You don’t have a website yet, but you bought a domain name, just to secure it, and but now you don’t know what to do with it.
Good news! In most cases, you can either transfer your domain or leave it where it is and connect it to the new site.
We can’t provide guidance about every domain and website host here, but the best starting point would be to login to your website host to find out more (or contact their customer service to ask). If your domain host and website host are different, it’s highly likely you will need to make contact with both.
If you use Squarespace, here’s a walkthrough on starting the process of moving your domain:
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Transferring your domain to Squarespace means you will move it from the current host (GoDaddy, Google Domains, BlueHost, etc) over to Squarespace so that you will be paying Squarespace to host the domain instead of the third-party. This will also allow you to manage your domain through Squarespace so everything is all in one place.
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Connecting your domain means that you will leave the domain exactly where it is, and "point" it to your Squarespace website. You will continue to pay a third-party for the domain hosting and you will NOT be able to manage your domain through Squarespace.
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It can take anywhere from 24 hours to 14 days to transfer the domain, so if you have a live website, you may experience some downtime. And even if you don't already have a live site, there may be a waiting period before you can use the domain, so it's a good idea to factor that into your launch timeline!
I have more questions about Squarespace domains. What should I do?
Check out the Squarespace Help Center where they have up-to-date guides on everything related to domains (and every other topic you can imagine)!
Final Thoughts
I hope this article helped clarify exactly what a domain is. It’s my hope that if you have this basic knowledge it will make it so much easier to deal with!
Especially if you have to speak to customer service about something, I’m hoping you’ll feel less confused or overwhelmed.
And the other big takeaway: don’t stress too much about what to name your business or your domain name as a therapist, especially if you’re just starting out! A clever business name should not be the thing standing between you and getting started!
