Do you need your own domain name for a business website?

A domain name is the address people type to reach your website, such as yourbusiness.com. A subdomain adds a name in front of someone else's domain, such as yourbusiness.example.com. Both of these are placeholder examples.

Many website builders start you on a subdomain. The six questions below help you decide whether to keep it for now or move to your own domain, and how to switch without losing customers on the way.

1. What is the difference between a domain and a subdomain?

Your own domain is an address you register and renew in your name. A subdomain is part of an address that belongs to your website provider.

You register a domain through a registrar, a company that sells and renews domain names. You pay each year, and you choose where it points. A subdomain usually comes with your website plan. It works for as long as you use that provider.

Both can show exactly the same website. The real difference is control. With your own domain, the address stays with you if you move to another provider. A subdomain normally stays behind with the provider.

2. When is a subdomain good enough?

A subdomain is good enough while you are testing, building or not yet sharing the address widely. In these cases, getting online quickly matters more than the address:

• You are testing a side business to see if people want it.
• You are still choosing your business name.
• You want to check a draft site with friends or early customers.
• You need a page live this week and can choose a domain later.

Green Kauri's Standard website works this way. It costs USD 99 a year and comes with a Green Kauri subdomain address. If you have your own domain, you can switch to it yourself in your account settings. Starting on the subdomain does not lock you in.

One caution: each time you print or share the subdomain, you add to the work of changing it later. Business cards, vehicle signs and printed flyers are the hardest to update.

3. What does your own domain give your business?

Your own domain gives you a recognisable address, a matching email address, an address you can keep and one consistent link for every listing.

Customers remember it. Imagine a fictional garden business called Tidy Gardens. “Visit tidygardens.co.nz” is easy to say on a phone call. A long address with a provider's name in it is harder to say and easier to get wrong.

Your email can match. A quote from jo@tidygardens.co.nz looks like it comes from a real business. Business email needs an email service connected to your domain. That is set up separately from the website itself.

The address stays with you. A domain registered in your name can be renewed and moved to another provider. ICANN, the body that oversees domain names, explains these rights for domain registrants.

Every listing points to one address. Your Google Business Profile, social pages, directories and reviews can all use the same web address. Search engines and AI tools compare these sources when they describe your business. We explain this in where AI tools get their facts.

4. Does a subdomain hurt your Google or AI visibility?

Not by itself. Google can find, index and show a website on a subdomain like any other site. Clear pages and an address that stays the same over time matter more than the address type.

The real cost comes when you move. When your address changes, Google has to learn the new pages. Links in reviews, directories, old social posts and emails still point to the old address.

Google's guidance on site moves recommends a permanent redirect from each old page to its new address. A redirect automatically sends visitors and search engines from the old address to the new one. Even with redirects, search results can take time to settle.

Our view: the type of address is rarely the problem. The risk is an address that changes after you have shared it widely. Decide early, then keep it.

If your site is already on your own domain but search results or AI answers still show old addresses or details, our xEO Optimisation service reviews inconsistent business details as part of its free website review.

5. How do you choose a good domain name?

Choose a short name that is easy to say, matches your business name and ends in something your customers trust.

• Say it out loud. If you must spell it out on the phone, simplify it.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers. People forget them or type them wrongly.
• Match your business name. Do not stuff in keywords such as best-cheap-gardener-auckland. Customers search for your name after they meet you.
• Pick an ending for your customers. A .com suits businesses serving many countries. For New Zealand customers, .nz or .co.nz signals that you are local. The Domain Name Commission oversees .nz names.
• Check it is not someone else's name. Search for the name first, and avoid names close to another business in your area.

When you register, put the domain in your own or your business's name, not your designer's name. Turn on auto-renew and keep the login details somewhere safe.

Check the renewal price, not just the first-year price. Introductory prices are often lower. As a rough estimate, a common ending such as .com often costs around USD 10–30 a year. Prices vary by registrar and ending. Our guide to small-business website costs shows how the domain fits into the full yearly cost.

6. How do you switch from a subdomain to your own domain?

Register the domain, connect it to your website, redirect the old address, then update every place the old address appears. The best time is before you print anything.

1. Register the domain in your own or your business's name.
2. Connect it to your website. On a Green Kauri Standard website, you do this yourself in your account settings. Other providers may ask you to change DNS records. DNS records are settings that tell the internet where your domain should point.
3. Check that the old address redirects. Open the old address and see whether it takes you to the new one. If it does not, ask your provider what happens to the old address.
4. Update your listings. Change the link on your Google Business Profile, social pages, directories, email signature, quotes and invoices.
5. Check search after a few weeks. Search for your business name. If you use Google Search Console, add the new domain there. Our guide to getting a new website onto Google covers the steps.

So which should you choose?

Keep the subdomain for now if you are still testing your idea, choosing a name or checking a draft site. Move to your own domain when you are ready to print the address, send quotes or ask customers for reviews.

If you are building a site for the first time, our checklist of things to prepare before building a website includes a place to record your domain decision. New Zealand businesses that need several pages or languages can also look at our Professional website.

What else should you know about domain names?

Can I use my own domain with a Green Kauri website?

Yes. The USD 99/year Standard website comes with a Green Kauri subdomain address. If you have your own domain, you can switch to it yourself in your account settings. Register the domain with a registrar in your own or your business's name first, so the address stays under your control.

Do I need my own domain to have a business email address?

Yes. An address such as jo@yourbusiness.com needs your own domain plus an email service connected to it. A subdomain from a website provider usually cannot give you matching email. Many small businesses start with a free email account, then switch once the domain is registered.

Is .com or .co.nz better for a New Zealand business?

Choose the ending your customers expect. If most customers are in New Zealand, .nz or .co.nz shows you are local. If you sell to several countries, .com is widely recognised. Some businesses register both and point one to the other, so customers reach the same site.

What happens if I forget to renew my domain?

Your website and any email using that domain can stop working. After the expiry and any grace period, someone else may be able to register the name. Grace periods vary by registrar and ending. Turn on auto-renew and keep your payment details up to date.