Should You Host Your Online Course on a Domain or Subdomain? Key Tips
Janis | Audience Monetize
23.10.2024
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5 min read
If you're planning to offer an online course on your website, you’re likely faced with a common question: Should you host the course on your main domain or a subdomain? In this article, I’ll walk you through what a subdomain is, when it makes sense to use one, and the impact of hosting your course on your website.
A subdomain is part of a larger domain, and it’s used to separate specific sections of a website. For instance, in “members.yourwebsite.com,” “members” is the subdomain, while “yourwebsite.com” is the main domain.
Subdomains help organize your site, making it easier for visitors to navigate different parts of your platform through distinct URLs.
Opting for a subdomain can be highly beneficial, especially if you want to keep your main domain focused on marketing and attracting new customers. Here's why a subdomain can be helpful for your online course:
Segmentation: Your main domain can be geared toward visitors and prospective clients, while your subdomain is reserved for current users. This way, you can customize both areas without one interfering with the other.
Speed Optimization: Hosting your course on a subdomain allows you to optimize each part of your site for its specific purpose. For example, your main site may not need complex plugins that your course platform does. A lighter setup for each section means faster load times, which is crucial for both user experience and search engine rankings.
By using a subdomain, you can make your sites faster, boost your SEO, and improve your chances of attracting more visitors, which could lead to increased conversions.
Adding an online course to your main site could indeed slow it down, especially if your course includes rich media like videos, images, and interactive elements. Here are some factors that can affect your website speed when hosting an online course:
Large Files: Videos, audio files, and other large content in your course can slow down your site if not properly optimized.
Server Load: If you’re hosting hundreds or thousands of students on your platform at the same time, the server load can increase, leading to slower load times or even server crashes.
Hosting Infrastructure: The quality of your web host plays a significant role in your site’s performance. If your hosting service isn’t equipped to handle the increased traffic or media-heavy elements, it could result in slow loading times.
If your course contains a lot of multimedia elements, it’s better to ensure your hosting plan can support it without affecting performance. Opting for reliable hosting providers like SiteGround can be a good solution.
Not all hosting services offer the same features, especially when it comes to managing subdomains. Some providers may limit the number of subdomains you can create or charge extra for services like redirects.
Services like Porkbun offer easy subdomain creation and efficient customer service. You may find that switching hosting providers resolves many potential issues, particularly if you’re running a resource-heavy course platform.
Consider an All-in-One Course Platforms
One way to completely bypass the potential headaches of hosting and maintaining an online course on your domain or subdomain is by using an all-in-one course platform like Circle.
With platforms like Circle, you don’t have to worry about managing multiple technical aspects like hosting, storage, or performance. Circle takes care of everything for you, ensuring that your course runs smoothly without affecting the speed or performance of your website.
Conclusion
Deciding whether to host your online course on your main domain or a subdomain largely depends on your website's goals and infrastructure. A subdomain allows you to separate your public-facing site from your course content, improving site speed and user experience. However, keep in mind the technical requirements and potential server load. Ensure your hosting provider can accommodate the needs of your course platform, and always consider performance optimizations to keep both your main domain and subdomain running smoothly.
If you're unsure, check with your hosting provider or consider upgrading your plan to accommodate your course’s specific needs.