Congratulations on getting to this point! We know launching a website can be overwhelming but we’re here to help you through to the end. 

Before we get into the steps you need to take to launch your website, it is important to understand how it will work. 

There are three factors for a website to work and display on the web:

• Website Host - This is us at Advisor Websites! We store, build and display your website using our platform. Think of this as your physical office that clients will visit you at.
• Domain Name - This is the website address(www.example.com). As it suggests, this is your name on the internet and how people get to know you. This is normally provided by companies like GoDaddy or Network Solutions. Think of this as your office address.  
• DNS (Domain Name System) - Is how we connect your website to your domain name. These are usually set up within your domain name provider. Think of this as the directions that will lead visitors to your office.

So, how do we connect everything so that anyone who types your website address (domain name) will go to your website?

DNS Configuration

This is the process of telling your domain name where to go by adding DNS records to it. To launch your website, this is what we’ll be doing!

If you purchased your domain name from GoDaddy, follow these steps to make changes using the domain provider dashboard:

PLEASE TAKE A BACKUP OF ALL SETTINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE CHANGES

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account.
2. Navigate to Domains.
3. Select the domain that you wish to set up the DNS settings for and click “Manage”.
4. Click “Manage DNS” on the next page.

5. Next, click “add” under DNS Records.

6. Add two IP addresses. Select TTL to be ½ Hour when adding.

7. Click add record once each IP address has been entered.

Next, you will need to add a CNAME Record, this will point your domain to your unique website. You should have received an email from your onboarding agent providing you with the CNAME. This will be added the same way you added the IP Addresses. 

8. Add another record and select type CNAME  with “www” in the Name field.

9. Add your CNAME to the Value field and set TTL to ½ hour. After this is complete you can click “Add record”.

10. Once all the steps are complete, reply back to our team to ensure that we add your domain to our records as well. This is the last step to the launch!

Chat Option

If you would prefer to talk to GoDaddy’s technical support, I recommend chatting with them for faster resolution. 

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account. 

2. You can do so by clicking the drop-down arrow beside your name and clicking “Chat Now.”

3. Once you get through to an agent, send the records your onboarding expert will have provided to you and let them know that you need this added to your domain name. 

4. When they confirm it has been added, don’t forget to reply back to our team so we can add your domain name to our records as well. This is the last step to the launch! 

If you encounter any problems, follow these instructions instead and provide access to support@advisorwebsites.com. Please notify your support agent that you have provided access to the domain so that we may complete the setup.

Note that DNS records take up to 24 hours to propagate. If nothing is working after 24 hours, please reverify that you put in the correct settings and try opening the website through an incognito browser window. If you continue to experience issues after this you may contact our support team for assistance.