If you've ever wondered what the difference is between www and non-www websites and which one is superior, the following analysis will help. You should read this if you plan to establish a website and are confused about www vs non-www.
From an SEO standpoint, www domains have some minor advantages and marginally boost the performance of the website.
But that's not the end of the narrative. Both www and non-www URLs have advantages and disadvantages, and both can be used in the same way. In this essay, we will compare www vs non-www URLs and discuss the SEO benefits of each. We will also make a final decision on which one is superior. So, let's get right to it and learn the distinction between utilizing www and non-www URLs.
Technical Differences
A non-www domain is sometimes known as a "naked" domain. Furthermore, www domains can function as a hostname and can be associated with several subdomains.
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The term "canonical domain" refers to the domain that we have chosen to utilize as our "official" domain in the eyes of search engines. Choosing one (and sticking with it) creates a more consistent and authoritative picture for both search engines and users.
When the internet first began, website URLs began with www, which was actually just another sub-domain. People began inputting website names without the www when searching for a website online over time. Webmasters took notice of this trend and began using a more bare domain.
In practice, there is no distinction between a www and a non-www URL. However, there is a tiny variation between the two in terms of technology.
Google considers both types to be distinct web pages. This can cause duplicate content difficulties, so keep that in mind. Make sure to redirect one page to the other so that Google will reward your chosen page.
In that regard, Google's Chrome browser hides www from URL display. It does not remove it from the actual URL, and it appears again when you click in the address bar to update the URL. When checking other sites to determine whether they are www or non-www, make sure to click through to see actual usage.
Pros and Cons
WWW Pros
A www URL allows you to control cookies for a specific www subdomain.
Assume you have a www.abc.com domain, and you set cookies for it; the cookies will be passed down to all subdomains. Cookies will be sent down to subdomains x.www.abc.com and y.www.abc.com.
Using a www prefix helps you to limit your cookies to your root domain, preventing additional cookies from being transmitted down to other subdomains. As a result, using www URLs for a website with numerous subdomains allows you to restrict cookies for each.
Another advantage of utilizing www is that www subdomains are significantly more versatile in terms of DNS. So, you can use CDNs in a better way.
WWW Cons
This version currently has a few drawbacks. It's probable that www domains will become obsolete in the future because most users don't bother typing www when looking for a website.
I previously stated that Google hides the www from the displayed URL in its Chrome browser. One Google employee wrote in a thread regarding this move that "'www' is now regarded a 'trivial' subdomain," lending credence to the notion that it may become obsolete in the near future.
Non-WWW Pros
Non-www domains are easier to remember and type and search for, making them ideal for direct traffic. This is the most obvious and powerful advantage.
Because most people look for websites without inputting the www, www domains may gradually go away, and non-www names may become more dominant. Furthermore, www is only a prefix that was utilized in the early days of the internet and is not strictly necessary.
Furthermore, if you do not need to restrict your cookies, you do not need to select a www domain and can instead choose a non-www one.
Non-WWW Cons
The disadvantages of non-www domains include limited technological alternatives. Here are a couple of such examples:
For example, in the case of non-www URLs, there is no option to limit cookies to the root domain only. However, if your subdomains are hosting images on the same base domain, this shouldn't be a big deal.
Non-www domains also lack CNAME records, making it impossible to reroute traffic from one server to another. This feature comes in handy when one server becomes overwhelmed and you need to reroute traffic to a healthy server. However, you cannot do so for non-www websites. This also makes working with a content delivery network for such domains challenging.
To summarize, www domains have some inherent benefits that non-www domains do not. However, these advantages are only applicable to huge websites with several subdomains and multiple servers. It makes no difference which type of domain you use for a small website, and a non-www domain works just as well as a www domain.
The other perspective is that everyone desires their website to expand and should plan for it rather than thinking small. Even if you have a tiny website now, you should plan for it to grow in the future. Again, this is a personal or brand preference.
Which is Better in Terms of SEO?
These little advantages give www domains a slight advantage. It has a more indirect, favorable impact. However, this effect is minor, and you can avoid it by using a non-www domain instead.
Website performance and a better user experience will be even more important, so as long as you don't compromise performance, you can choose between the two.
Furthermore, the benefits of www domains can be recreated for non-www names with some workarounds. You can, for example, host your static material on a separate domain entirely. This renders the cookie limitation functionality of a www domain obsolete.
So, if you have a non-www domain, you can still obtain the same benefits as if you had a www domain.
Final Verdict
If you have a huge website or expect it to develop in the future, you should get a www domain. It doesn't complicate the name too much and has some underlying technical advantages.
Using a www domain for a small website is unnecessary. So, whether you want a www or a non-www domain is entirely up to you. It would make absolutely no difference which one you chose. However, you can set up amazing websites using the Elementor plugin, and currently, this hugely popular plugin is offering a cloud hosting management system. So, if you are interested, go and have a look.
