Want to learn how to add a domain to your WIX site? Let’s take a closer look at this essential element of your WIX site.

After all, the domain and the hosting of the site are the two main elements of your website.
When creating your own website, when faced with the option to add a domain to your WIX site, you might be confused about what you are being asked.

A domain name is simply the web address of a site, for example ‘www.profiletree.com’ is the domain name for ProfileTree. This is crucial for achieving a strong brand identity. Using a consistent brand across all channels can massively boost revenues:

Branding stats infographic
Custom domains should be used as part of your overall branding strategy. Image credit: Venngage

Therefore it is important to invest in an appropriate domain name for your site. Although WIX does provide your published site with a domain it has very little value as it includes ‘WIX’ within it.

Let’s take an example. If our WIX username was ProfileTree, and we published a blog called Web Development, the URL might be ‘profiletree.wixsite.com/web-development’. This isn’t so great.

How to add a domain to your wix site featured image.

Let’s explore how you can do better by adding a domain to your WIX site.

Why do we add a domain to your WIX site?

In the digital landscape, establishing a strong online presence is quintessential for businesses and individuals alike, and choosing the right domain is pivotal in this quest. Especially when utilising platforms like Wix.com, which is prominent for its user-friendly website-building tools, understanding the essence of a domain and the setup process becomes crucial. Here’s why it is crucial to add domain to your WIX Site:

1. Unmistakable Identity:

To add a domain to your WIX site establishes your unique digital identity. When dealing with Wix domains or domains from another domain host, it’s vital to select a name that resonates with your brand and easily sticks in the minds of your audience.

2. SEO & Visibility:

To add a domain to your WIX site (Being a strategic domain name) enhances your SEO efforts. Whether you connect your domain to Wix or utilize another platform, ensuring that your domain includes relevant keywords can significantly boost your visibility on search engines.

3. Professionalism and Credibility:

To add a domain to your WIX site (Being a custom domain), whether purchased elsewhere or through Wix, elevates the professionalism of your site. It lends credibility and demonstrates to your visitors that you are serious about your digital presence.

4. Marketing and Branding:

To add a domain to your WIX site is a critical tool in your branding and marketing arsenal. Particularly when you connect a domain to your Wix account, you benefit from cohesive branding, making your website memorable and easily shareable.

Why Add a Custom Domain to Your WIX Site

To add a domain to your WIX site – It being a Custom domain brings a number of tangible benefits to any online business. For one thing, using the domain extension of a website builder doesn’t exactly project an image of professionalism or success.

For another, they’re pretty much anathema to decent SEO. A custom domain is essential if you’re serious about using your WIX site to drive traffic and gain sales for your business. Most SEO strategies will be ineffective without a proper domain name.

Additionally, custom domains allow you to take advantage of a whole host of other tools, including branded email inboxes, traffic analysis suites and other premium webmaster tools on your WIX site.

How Do I Connect my domain?

Step 1: Connect my domain to wix or purchase a domain on wix

Choose to purchase a new domain to a site or connect a domain you already have (whether it’s one of the Wix domains or an existing domain). If you want to connect a domain purchased externally, navigate through your Wix dashboard to the domains section to initiate the process. This does mean you’ll have to use the pointing method

Step 2: Updating DNS Records

You’ll be required to update DNS records to point towards Wix. This involves logging into your domain host account and altering the CNAME record and name servers as per the instructions provided in the Wix help center.

Step 3: Wait for Propagation

DNS propagation might take some time – up to 48 hours in some cases. This is the period it takes for the DNS changes to propagate across the web. During this time, continuous checks through the Wix dashboard will keep you abreast of the connection status.

Step 4: Verify the Connection

Post-propagation, verify that your domain is active and properly connected to your Wix site. You might hire a professional or seek assistance from Wix’s help center or your domain host for assistance if any issues arise.

How to Add a Domain to your WIX Site

Adding a domain to your WIX site is an incredibly simple process. Afterall, WIX is designed specifically to allow just about anyone to create a professional website, regardless of their technical knowledge and experience.

With that in mind, let’s look at the three steps you should follow to add a custom domain to your WIX site.

Upgrading Your WIX Site to Premium

To add a domain to your WIX site you first need to upgrade your subscription plan to premium. Without a premium site you won’t be able to add a personal domain.

Upgrading your site is very easy. All you need to do is exit whichever editor you are within and head back to the dashboard of the site. Here in the dashboard you will see the likes of site actions, plans and other features and elements of your site.

You will also see a pink banner saying ‘Upgrade to Premium’ with an Upgrade Now button.

Add a domain to your WIX site screenshot
The first step is to upgrade to a premium WIX account. Image credit: WIX

Once you have clicked on the Upgrade Now button you will be brought to a new window. In this window, you will need to choose a premium upgrade plan for your site. Every plan can be paid monthly and you can choose between a range of plans.

The cheapest plan is £3 a month. All it allows you to add a domain to your site. If your site has an online shop, the cheapest plan you can use costs £13 a month. This plan gives access to 100% commission-free online payments.

Select the right plan for you and enter your details. You can choose a monthly plan, an annual plan or a two-year plan. The longer the plan, the cheaper the actual cost will be. Once you have entered the right details, select Purchase.

Depending on your plan, you may get a free option to add a domain to your WIX site for a year. WIX allows you to search for a domain or connect your very own domain.

Connecting Your Own Domain to WIX

Connecting your own domain to your WIX website is easy. When you first upgrade your site to premium, it gives you an option between finding the right domain or connecting your own. Click on Connect My Own Domain. This will start the process for connecting your own name.

To add a domain name to your WIX site, the next step is to find your own domain. It will then confirm with you where your domain has come from. Examples would be the likes of GoDaddy, NameCheap and HostGator to name just a few. Confirm that WIX is correct.

WIX will then give you a similar guide on how to connect your domain name.

You will need to go to your domain name settings from your domain name provider. Sign into your account from the likes of GoDaddy and head to the settings of the correct domain. You will see a button labelled ‘DNS’.

Choose a nameserver screenshot
Choose the correct nameserver for your new custom domain. Image credit: WIX

Once in the DNS settings of the domain, scroll down to the section labelled ‘Nameservers’. You will see a field with labelled default. Change the field to custom. You will see you need to add two custom nameservers. To find the correct nameservers, head back over to your WIX site.

In your WIX site, you will find two custom nameservers. Example above. Copy and paste these two nameservers individually into the custom nameservers settings. Once done, click save and then verify the connection using WIX.

Checking Your Domain is Connected

Add a domain to your WIX site vector
Adding a domain to your WIX site is a fairly straightforward process, with huge benefits. Image credit: ProfileTree

Once you have successfully connected the nameservers and clicked saved. Make sure the names settings on the domain provider have been saved fully. If not then the verification process won’t work.

Once the verification is complete, that certain domain name will be connected to your published site.

The connection may take up to 48 hours to connect successfully, so check the next upcoming days that the domain name has connected successfully. You should also receive an email from WIX once the verification is through.

Upgrading Your WIX Site Further

You can further improve your WIX site by adding a blog or even a direct ecommerce option for your users. Blogs help educate your visitors and also help improve your SEO, while direct ecommerce options can greatly improve your ROI as you sell direct to your customers without the need for a middle man or third party go between.

If you’d like to learn how to add these elements to your WIX site just check out our tutorials listed below.

Conclusion: Effortlessly Adding a Wix Domain

When it comes to establishing a robust online presence, connecting a domain—be it a new domain or an existing domain—to your Wix site can be paramount. With Wix domains, the process has been simplified, yet there are crucial steps and considerations, especially if you’re looking to connect your domain to Wix using diverse methods such as the pointing method or through name servers.

For those who opt to connect a domain you already own, the Wix dashboard becomes a central hub for managing and connecting your own domain. Your domain host’s account is where substantial work is done, including modifying CNAME records and potentially altering name servers. Should your domain host’s site provide intricate steps on the domain host’s portal or if the domain has complicated DNS records, you may hire a professional or seek domain host for assistance to avoid trouble updating specifics and ensuring a smooth transition.

Whether it’s a custom domain or subdomain, or you’re employing the pointing method versus connecting via name servers, keeping the guide page open to work through the steps methodically is recommended. The connection method chosen might depend heavily on whether you prefer not to reconfigure existing settings or if your domain’s current host account allows for such changes without hiccup. Platforms like Namecheap may offer step-by-step guides on the steps to change DNS settings, but always ensure that your Wix DNS settings are configured correctly to prevent propagation issues.

If you’re setting up an online shop or premium site, your domain name in the browser’s address bar plays a significant role in SEO and user experience, especially if you’ve redirected a subdomain or ensured your root domain redirects to your primary domain. And while the pointing method is often recommended for connecting a domain to Wix, especially when Wix advises or if you recommend pointing because we’re unable to assist directly with the current host, it’s crucial to ensure Wix domains page and SEO settings are optimal post-connection.

Moreover, considerations like choosing a custom nameserver or ensuring that your IP address is accurately directed within Wix while ensuring your domain remains registered with your domain registrar are pivotal. The unlimited number of settings and records you should use can seem daunting, but keeping this page open and working through the steps systematically—or using related content and guides from Wix or your domain host—will help you to go through the process seamlessly.

In essence, every step, from choosing to connect my domain to Wix to finalizing settings in your domain host account, culminates in a Wix website that not only represents your brand with a unique web address but also ensures your users can find, interact, and return to your site with ease.

Remember, while the work is done primarily in the setup phase, maintaining, renewing, and occasionally revisiting your domain settings ensures continual, uninterrupted service for every visitor to your digital space. So, whether you’re connecting a freshly purchased elsewhere domain or an existing one, every detail from the DNS to redirect settings fortifies the reliability and professionalism of your Wix digital space.

Want to learn more about WIX? You can find more of our simple and helpful tutorials on our website or check out our YouTube channel for more of our WIX tutorial videos.

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