A sites’ mall

In a previous article we mentioned using subdomains to create a web media colossus. Let us elaborate a little more on that. There are actually easier steps that can be taken. These are the options;

1. Advertise the directory in all sites
2. Have a site for directory and promotion
3. Use subdomains to direct to existing domains
4. Locate sites in subdomains and redirect existing domains

1) Advertise the directory in all sites

One way of promotion would be to agree to include the list in all the sites. Only sites that advertise the list should be in it.

2) Have a site for directory and promotion

A site may be created really quick e.g. altmedia.com that will serve as directory and promotion for the rest of the sites. It can have links, photos, information in the form of text, video, audio. One or more pages can be used by each site to inform and promote it.

3) Using subdomains to direct to existing domains

A step further is to create subdomains that direct to the existing domains. The subdomain JohnDoeShow.altmedia.com will direct to JohnDoeShow.com were the site is located.

In all three ways, the sites remain in the same server where they are right now.

4) Moving sites to subdomains

More technical consolidation is actually locating sites in the subdomain servers and having the old address redirect there. The site will be located at JohnDoeShow.altmedia.com and JohnDoeShow.com will redirect there.

Another way to see all these alternatives is dynamically, starting from the easier and moving to the more difficult.  

It is like taking several small and medium shops that are scattered all over town and putting them in the new biggest mall in town. The owners and the merchandise remain the same but the address changes. Few people knew and visited each store when they were scattered all over town. Everybody in town though knows and visits the biggest mall.

The domain is the mall (e.g. altmedia.com). To be precise, the server that hosts the domain is the mall and the domain the mall's address. Moving is a lot easier done in the web than in reality. The server would be in one location in the world but the administrators of the subdomains could be located anywhere in the world. Also content can be produced at different locations than the one of the administrators.

Instead of a subdomain, a page is another option but a page can’t have a lot of content unless it is a parent page with many other pages under it. A page may be appropriate when there is not much content someone has to contribute e.g. various.altmedia.com/JohnDoe. A parent-child page organization would be altemedia.com/JohnDoe/articles/articlename. 

Facebook and other social media are huge sites with billions of pages. The domain is facebook.com. Where ever you go (browse) in FB, it will always show facebook.com at the beginning of the address (on left top), which means that you remain on the same site. Some pages are child pages to your entry page. For example if you press the list of your friends it will say facebook.com/yourname/friends. The same is true for photos and information. They are child pages to facebook.com/yourname. This does not apply for messages though. Other social media, instead of giving a parent page with child pages, they give a subdomain. An example is Tumblr.

The conclusion is that if FB can run billions of accounts by using pages, the same applies for a web media colossus. Both ways are feasible, subdomain or parent page, but we prefer the first because it provides a separate site instead of pages and a parent-child page organization can additionaly be used in each subdomain/site.