A sub domain is a second website that can be created within your existing website. For example, ‘my.example.com’ or ‘shop.example.com’ would be a sub domain of the main site ‘www.example.com’. This means that you can create a second website, with original content, without having to purchase a new domain or separate hosting. You are simply changing ‘www’ to something else.
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Why Should I Create A Sub domain?
You are probably thinking “Why would I want to create a sub domain within my existing site?” A sub domain allows you to create different sections of a site without putting too much strain on your main site. A good example would be if you had a forum, shop or membership part to your site. If you were to include all these on your main domain (example.com), it would put unneeded pressure on your site as everything would need to be loaded. All your plugins, images, ads, forum threads, shop products, etc. would be kept and loaded from one domain. Not only can this slow down your site (see our guide on how to speed up your site) but it can also lead to future problems (e.g. if your forum went down it would also take your shop down).
If you were to create a sub domain for each individual aspect, it would make things a lot easier. You would be able to create a shop (shop.example.com) that you can manage separately from your main site allowing you to add all the necessary plugins and security information. You could create a membership area (members.example.com) where you can add exclusive content that only paying members can access. Perhaps you could add a forum (forum.example.com) where you let visitors ask questions and interact with one another. The possibilities are endless!
Many websites do this (big and small) as it makes it easier to manage the overall site. Take ‘craigslist.org’ as an example. That is a HUGE site that deals with a vast amount of different subjects. It uses sub domains for each city that it operates in (e.g. ‘newyork.craigslist.org’ or ‘losangeles.craigslist.org’). Without sub domains it would be practically impossible to manage.
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