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Understanding domain names and how to set them up in Salesforce

Training Objectives/Goals

By the end of this session, you will:

gain a clear understanding of domain names and their importance; and
understand the steps to create and manage a project in Salesforce

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the web address that people use to access a website, such as agentimage.com.

It serves as a human-friendly alternative to an IP address, a string of numbers used to locate a website online.

A client may have multiple websites with us, and we use the domain name as our unique identifier for each website build.

Choosing a domain name

Oftentimes, clients would ask us what we recommend for domain names. We tell them to consider their brand, niche, and target audience. A good domain name in real estate should be:

1. Short & Memorable

Avoid long or complex names.
Easy to type and recall.
Example: BHLuxuryHomes.com instead of BeverlyHillsLuxuryRealEstateForSale.com

2. Branded & Unique

If you’re a known agent, use your name for branding. Example: YourNameRealty.com or YourNameLuxuryHomes.com

3. Keyword-Rich for SEO

Use relevant real estate terms: homes, estates, luxury, properties, mansions
Include location-based keywords for local search. Example: BeverlyHillsEstates.com or LAEliteHomes.com

4. Uses the Right Domain Extension

.com – The most trusted and widely recognized.
.realtor – Exclusive to realtors.
.luxury – Great for high-end properties.
.homes – Real estate-specific.

5. Avoids Numbers, Hyphens, and Abbreviations

Numbers and hyphens make it harder to remember and type.
Example: LALuxuryHomes.com is better than LA-Luxury-Homes123.com

6. Available Across Platforms

Check that the same name is available on social media for branding consistency.
Secure similar variations to prevent competitors from using them.

Good to know: The client will need to purchase their domain name. We are unfortunately able to do this for them. GoDaddy.com is a good registrar to purchase domain names from as their interface is very easy to use.

Setting up a New Domain in Salesforce

(review sales notes or upon checking the account - see other projects or past projects)

1. If it is a new client and ready with a new domain

use this naming convention: domain.com

2. if it is a new client with no domain yet

use this naming convention: jdoe_pending.com (first letter of the account name + last name + “_pending.com”)

3. If the client is a returning client

has a website with us
and wants to use the same domain name
use this naming convention: domain.com_new

NOTE: Once the new site is up and running, change the old domain/ old project to domain.com_old and update the website status of the old site to Legacy/Inactive. Then mark the _new with the actual domain name.

Domain creation:

On the account level

go to Domain Names level
click the New Domain Name - fill in the important fields

When in the Domain Name level - fill in the necessary information

Information section:

Domain Name: jdoe_pending.com
Assigned Division: (pre-filled) Agent Image
Account: (pre-filled) name of the owner
Website Type: Check Sales notes, DM Invitation, Web Order Form (WOF). If unsure, ask your manager
Hosting Server: You may leave this blank for now (to update once you have the staging link)
Platform: Responsive AIOS Single Install - Rackspace - unless specified to use another
Template: For template websites (like AgentPro) - if it is already specified
SEO’d by: only with SEO projects (consult)
Recurring Revenue Record: You will find this on the client’s Account level https://snipboard.io/VsNcWJ.jpg . Choose the RR that’s related to the hosting or TrueSupport Service (This is helpful in tracking the hosting fees related to the domain).
Brokerage: Indicate the client’s brokerage affiliation if available (ie. Compass, Sotheby’s etc.)

Hosting Information:

Website Status: Staging (meaning site is still being created)

leave the other fields unless provided in the notes
hit “Save”

(after saving SF screen is prompted to the Domain Name level - specifically under the newly created domain - create the new Project on this window)

Creating New Project in Salesforce

Project creation:

Under Project section

click “New Project”
Record Type of new record - use PM Project (usually the department where you belong - you’re not going to a create a project for other departments anyway like: AIM or Support)
click “Continue”

in the New Project window

General section:

Project Name: jdoe_pending.com: Semi-Custom (Migration)
- use the domain name created for the project + colon ”:” + Product Name + any add-ons enclosed in parenthesis)
Project Manager: Your Name
Project Status: In Progress (since this is just a new project)
Assisting Project Manager: Your Name (unless someone is assisting)

Project Information section:

Project Phase: Design Phase
Product/Service: Type of Project (e.g. Semi-Custom as per notes)
Account: the owner of the account
Contact: provided contact person for the project (as per notes) or same as owner of the account
Salesperson: Salesperson who pitched the project (use Partner User to find the salesperson)

Domain Information section:

Domain Name: (pre-filled since we are creating the project from the domain)
Link To Live Domain: use the domain whether it is live or dummy domain name (no need for http:// - this will be added by SF when saved)

Status Description section:

Status Description: if available
Sales Notes: if available
Design Questionnaire: if available

Dates section:

Project Start Date: (the date of the Design Meeting / DM) or just click the date on the right. You will not be able to edit this once you hit save.

Process Update:

You may occasionally notice that the domain and project levels are already set up for you. If so, just check the details (often, the domain name used has the _pending.com). If you know the client’s domain name, update the domain level and project name accordingly.