You can connect your own domain and set up test domains for testing and development. It is not required to register new domains or transfer domains. LODGEA does not provide domain registration as there are already a number of very good domain registrars out there. The domain integration is compatible with all registrars worldwide and, of course, with the global domain name system (DNS).
✅ See the tutorial videos for your domain provider
Have a look at the tutorial videos for major Internet domain providers such as GoDaddy and IONOS by 1&1. These tutorials provide you a step-by-step video guide on how to connect your domain to the system.
Creating test domains
It is highly recommended to also use a test domain that we provide to test your configurations, styles, currencies and contents. The test domains are alls set to noindex,nofollow to prevent them from being indexed by search engines like Google.
⚠️ Do not use your test domain in production
You should never use your test domain in production. Do not give it to customers to make bookings. Although the test site would work for production bookings and behaves the same way as the production site, it lacks a number of performance improvements that are only available with production sites. Further test sites are not indexed by search engine or social media robots.
Connect your own domain
✅ The process can take some time
Depending on how fast the DNS servers of your domain provider propagate (update) your DNS records, it may take up to 90 minutes to complete the connection. As some internet service providers (ISPs) don't freqently process DNS updates and some home routers also take some time, it might take up to 48 hours for some people to be able to access your site. Please consult your domain provider for any information on DNS propagation.
Connecting your own domain is a 3-step process that involves verifying that you are the owner, issuing an SSL certificate and connecting the content delivery network (CDN) to your domain. You should have access to your DNS configuration of your domain provider to start connecting your domain. There are no limits on how many domains you create or connect. You can also delete connected domains at any time, reconnect them or connect other domains.
▶️ No need to wait in front of your computer
The domain validation, DNS updates and all other processes work automatically and in the background. You can logout, close the Management Console and have a coffee. It is sufficient to frequently check the status of the process should it take longer.
Confirming SSL certificates
✅ SSL certificates are included
All subscriptions already include SSL certificates issued by Amazon. The issued certificates are supported on all devices, from PCs to Macs, iPhone, iPads, various Android devices and all other systems with SSL support. The certificates are issued to you at no addtional cost and will be renewed automatically as long as your domain configuration is active.
LODGEA will issue SSL certificates from Amazon for you. This requires you to add additional DNS records to verify your identity for the certificate authority. The procedure is the same as the domain validation in the first step of the domain setup.
Once the SSL certificate is issued, you can already start setting up the CNAME DNS record to use your domain. If you made any errors and the SSL certificate issuing is still in process, you can also delete the domain at any stage of the setup process.
Configuring the CNAME record
Once the domain is configured and only the network setup is pending, you can already copy the CDN-endpoint and add a CNAME record for the domain in your domain provider's DNS configuration. It may take equally long for that record to be propagated (updated). You can ask your domain provider for any details, should you have problems with the configuration.
You have no successfully created your production domain and can use it to generate bookings and revenue. Remember that it might take time for some home routers and thus for some of your customers until they can access your new production site. It should not take longer than 48 hours for any consumer to be able to access your site.
▶️ Set up the Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
It is always recommended to continue to set up the Google Search Console and the Bing Webmaster Tools. This way you can ensure that search engines index your pages as soon as possible so that they appear in their search engines. See the Marketing Automation section for more information.