Changing our domain name
We have changed our web address from www.middlestreetbaptist.org to www.middle.st. This also includes changing our email addresses from [name]@middlestreetbaptist.org to [name]@middle.st.
Why change our domain from www.middlestreetbaptist.org to www.middle.st?
It’s shorter – have you typed “www.middlestreetbaptist.org” recently? It’s really long, unwieldy to type, and easy to mistype or add a typo. Changing to a shorter domain makes certain design elements (print media, newspaper ads, the sign in front of the building, digital information) easier to lay out and more eye-catching. Speaking of eye-catching…
It’s catchier – the *.st domain suffix naturally makes us think of the postal abbreviation “St.” When we see middle.st, we naturally think “Middle Street.”
It’s available – Just about every conceivable *.com, *.org, and *.net address has been taken, often by resellers hoping to sell the domain at a premium. For instance, www.middlestreet.com is for sale for about $4,500 right now. The owners probably paid about $40 for it. Therefore, organizations are quickly moving to use other, more creative domain extensions like *.co, *.us, *.tv, etc. We will only see more and more unique domain extensions in the future.
It’s more memorable – the *.st domain is more unique than a standard *.com or *.org. Because of the natural *.st/“Street” association, people are more likely to remember www.middle.st than they are to remember www.middlestreetbaptist.org.
What’s wrong with www.middlestreetbaptist.org?
Nothing is inherently wrong with that domain name. It describes us pretty plainly. But domain names are much like real estate, and the real estate mantra holds true for domains names as well: location, location, location. The easier/more convenient a location, the better and more valuable it is. Because the domain www.middlestreetbaptist.org is so long and unwieldy, it makes sense to use something shorter, catchier, and more memorable.
What will happen to the domain www.middlestreetbaptist.org?
We’ve kept it and set up a redirect. That means every time someone types www.middlestreetbaptist.org into their web browser, they will automatically get sent straight to the new website, www.middle.st.
It will take some time to get used to the new domain. By keeping www.middlestreetbaptist.org and setting up a redirect, we can ensure that everyone can still find us. It’s like setting up mail forwarding with the Post Office when you move. Even if people don’t know that we’ve moved, they can still get in touch with us, as though nothing has changed.
How about emails sent to [person]@middlestreetbaptist.org?
Emails will also be redirected. Emails sent to chris@middlestreetbaptist.org get forwarded automatically to chris@middle.st, emails sent to office@middlestreetbaptist.org get forwarded automatically to office@middle.st, and so on. This ensures that nobody’s emails to anyone at the church will get lost in the transition.