YOUR PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE FOR $100

Why Your Google Site Needs "WWW" and How to Fix the Missing Link

You’ve launched your new Google Site and connected your custom domain. You tell a potential client your new web address is "mybusiness.com." They type it into their browser and are met with a frustrating "This site can’t be reached" error. But when you tell them to type "www.mybusiness.com," it works perfectly. What's going on?

This is a common and confusing technical hurdle for many Google Sites users. The good news is that it’s not a mistake you made; it’s a specific requirement of how Google Sites works. Even better, there is a simple, permanent fix.

This guide will explain in plain English why this happens and provide a clear, step-by-step plan to ensure your website works for everyone, with or without the "www."

The "Why": Understanding Your Website's Address

To understand the problem, let's use a simple analogy. Think of your domain as an office building.

jeremydoeswebsites.com (the "naked" or "root" domain): This is like the main street address of the entire building itself. It's the core address.
www.jeremydoeswebsites.com (a subdomain): This is like the address for a specific office inside that building—in this case, the "WWW" office.

The problem arises from a long-standing rule of the internet's Domain Name System (DNS). Google Sites doesn't use a fixed, permanent address (an IP address) for its websites. Instead, it requires you to point your domain to its hosting address using a special type of record called a CNAME. The internet rule is that you cannot point the main building address (the naked domain) using a CNAME record; you can only point a specific office (like the www subdomain) to it.

This is why Google's instructions have you set up the www version to work, but the shorter, "naked" version is left pointing nowhere.

The Fix: A Step-by-Step Guide to Domain Forwarding

The solution is to set up a permanent "change of address" notice for the internet. This is called Domain Forwarding or a 301 Redirect. You will do this at your domain registrar—the company where you bought your domain name (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.).

This rule tells any browser, "Anyone who tries to go to the main building address should be automatically and permanently sent to the 'WWW' office."

Here are the general steps to follow:

Step 1: Log In to Your Domain Registrar Go to the website where you purchased your domain name and log in to your account dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to DNS Management Find the domain name you want to fix and look for an option like "Manage Domain," "DNS Settings," or "Advanced DNS."

Step 3: Find the "Forwarding" or "Redirects" Section Every registrar calls this something slightly different, but you are looking for a section dedicated to forwarding your domain. It might be near the main DNS records or in its own tab.

Step 4: Create a New Forwarding Rule You will need to add a new "Domain" or "Subdomain" forward with the following settings:

Forward From: Enter @ (this symbol is the standard shortcut for the naked/root domain) or, if required, type out your full naked domain: jeremydoeswebsites.com.
Redirect To: Enter the full, secure www version of your address: https://www.jeremydoeswebsites.com. It is crucial to include the https:// part.
Forward Type: Select Permanent (301). This is very important for SEO.
Settings: Ensure the "Forward Path" or "Forward with masking" options are turned off. You want a simple, clean redirect.

Step 5: Save and Wait Save your changes. DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to update across the internet. Once it's complete, try typing jeremydoeswebsites.com into your browser. You should be instantly redirected to the www version.

Why This Matters for SEO and Your Visitors

Fixing this issue does two critical things:

Improves User Experience: You eliminate the frustration and confusion for visitors who forget to type "www," ensuring everyone can reach your site easily.
Consolidates SEO Authority: A 301 redirect tells Google that www.jeremydoeswebsites.com is the one "canonical" or official version of your site. This ensures that all your SEO value—all your backlinks and authority—is concentrated on a single address, preventing duplicate content issues and strengthening your search ranking over time.

Conclusion

Navigating the technical side of a website launch can be tricky, but this is a common and completely fixable issue. By setting up domain forwarding, you create a seamless experience for your users and a solid foundation for your SEO.

If you're struggling with this or any other technical aspect of your website, you don't have to figure it out alone. My job is to handle these complexities so you can focus on your business. For a free, no-pressure consultation to ensure your website is built on a rock-solid technical foundation, call me directly at (608) 888-3735.