When you ask me to build your WordPress website, one of the first “behind-the-scenes” decisions we make is what your official website address will be—and then we make sure every other version automatically points to it. This protects your brand, avoids confusion for customers, and helps search engines understand exactly which site to show.[developer.mozilla]
The “same website” can have different addresses
Many business owners are surprised to learn that these can be treated as different addresses on the internet: mayafiddler.com, www.mayafiddler.com, https://mayafiddler.com, and https://mayafiddler.com. Even if they look similar, they’re not identical—and if multiple versions stay live, it can create duplicate copies of your pages and split your results across two “sites.”[sitepoint+1]
www vs non‑www (what it means for your business)
www.mayafiddler.com and mayafiddler.com are two different hostnames, and either one can be your primary address. What matters is choosing one as the preferred version and making the other one forward to it, so customers always land in the same place and your marketing links are consistent.[developer.mozilla+1]
http vs https (why you should care)
HTTP is the older, non-encrypted version of a website connection, while HTTPS encrypts traffic and helps protect what visitors do on your site (especially contact forms). A modern business website should use HTTPS everywhere, and the non-secure HTTP version should automatically redirect to HTTPS.[keyfactor+1]
What I set up for WordPress clients (best practice)
For WordPress builds, I recommend a clean, standard setup:
- Pick one official address: either
https://mayafiddler.comorhttps://www.mayafiddler.com.[developer.mozilla] - Permanently redirect every other version to the official one (so there’s only one “real” website address).[developer.mozilla]
- Keep WordPress links and site settings aligned with that official address to avoid inconsistencies.[developer.mozilla]
This is a small configuration step, but it prevents common problems like split analytics, inconsistent sharing links, and duplicate pages being visible online.[sitepoint+1]
What this means for you day-to-day
Once it’s configured, you don’t need to think about it: you share one website link everywhere (Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, email signature, business cards), and it always works the same way. If someone types the “other” version (with www or without it), they still end up on the correct site automatically.[developer.mozilla]
Which do you prefer as your public-facing link for your brand: https://mayafiddler.com (shorter) or https://www.mayafiddler.com (traditional)?