When a new site is created on the IAAP Web Community, our system automatically creates a web address for your site that is immediately available on the web, regardless of whether or not you've clicked the "Publish Site" button or requested to have HQ activate your site. It is technically "live" from the very beginning. You might hear this link referred to as your site's "Community URL."
However, unless this link is shared, it is very unlikely that anybody will find your site until you are ready for it to be found. Even search engines usually take 1-2 months to find and index a brand new site.
The initial URL (or Community URL) for the site will look something like this: http://community.iaap-hq.org/IAAPHQ/(Chapter/Division Name).
Theoretically, you use could use that URL for your site, but you will likely want to establish what's known as a top-level domain for your site. A top-level domain is a more user-friendly address, such as www.iaap-bigcity.org. Rather than having to remember the long URL that is initially created, you can use a top-level domain that is easier to remember and easier to market in pamphlets, newsletters and other publications.
Establishing a top-level domain for a new chapter/division site:
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Your first option (and the one that IAAP headquarters recommends) is for your chapter/division to purchase and administer its own top-level domain. Most domain registrars charge about $10-15 per year to own a domain. You would not need to purchase any additional hosting or other services because that is provided in the annual cost of the IAAP Web Community.
There are many options for purchasing a domain. IAAP headquarters uses GoDaddy. While IAAP does not endorse a specific domain provider, GoDaddy generally has competitive rates with any other provider out there. You can expect to pay about $15 per year to own your own domain.
In order to keep our domain names consistent, we suggest purchasing a domain in the following format: www.iaap-(chapter/division name).org. So, for example, if your chapter name is Big City, your domain would be www.iaap-bigcity.org. If you are purchasing a new domain for a new site, please use this naming convention to make IAAP chapter/division sites as easy to find as possible.
Once you have purchased your domain, you will need to access the DNS settings for your domain and have it pointed to our web community IP address, which is 204.153.44.112. You must do this in order for your domain to interact with the community site. If using GoDaddy, you can contact IAAP headquarters for detailed instructions on how to do this. Other providers handle DNS changes differently, so you will need to check with them if using another company.
We strongly recommend chapters and divisions own their own domains. This gives your chapter/division complete control over that domain as well as your chapter/division branding. If for some reason your chapter ever decided to change over to a different website, it would be very easy to do so without any involvement from IAAP headquarters. This also allows your chapter to maintain control over any email aliases (like president@iaap-bigcity.org, vicepresident@iaap-bigcity.org, etc.) you might set up.
- The second option is to have IAAP headquarters purchase and administer your domain. Currently, this option is included in the annual fee for hosting your site on the IAAP Web Community. It is possible that could change in the future.
Once you have setup your domain and it is setup to point to the new IP address, you will need to access your Site Dashboard and go into "Edit Site Settings." At the bottom of the "Name Your Site" tab, you will see a field to enter your domain name. Here you need to enter the entire top-level domain, including the www and .org portions (do not include http:// here). Click finished. Once this has been completed, it can sometimes take up to 24 hours for the DNS changes to take effect (depending on the provider). GoDaddy is much quicker, making DNS changes usually within 30-60 minutes at the most.
Establishing a top-level domain for an existing chapter/division site:
- If your chapter already has a website and will be transitioning your site to the Web Community, the easiest solution is to keep the same top-level domain (if you are using one and are not hosted through a service like orgsites or other provider). Through your domain provider, you can then change your DNS settings to point to our web community IP address, which is 204.153.44.112.
Once you have setup your domain to point to the new IP address, you will need to access your Site Dashboard and go into "Edit Site Settings." At the bottom of the "Name Your Site" tab, you will see a field to enter your domain name. Here you need to enter the entire top-level domain, including the www and .org portions (do not include http:// here). Click finished. Once this has been completed, it can sometimes take up to 24 hours for the DNS changes to take effect (depending on the provider). GoDaddy is much quicker, making DNS changes usually within 30-60 minutes at the most.
If you have any problems pointing your domain to a new IP, you should first check with your domain provider and then contact IAAP headquarters. Every domain provider handles this differently, so the process will vary from company to company. If you use GoDaddy, HQ can send you very specific instructions for how to do this.
- If your chapter owns its domain name and would like to transfer ownership of the domain to headquarters, you can do that as well. You will need to contact your domain provider to figure out how to do that.
Simply enter your domain name and you will see all the public information about who set it up and who it is hosted through.
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