Using Your Own Domain For Your Website
Rentec Direct provides free website hosting when using the templates provided.
With that website, you can point your own domain (ie. www.yourcompany.com) to our servers and have that domain hosted free by Rentec Direct. Our free website hosting does not include a security certificate, however, all payment processing screens are redirected to our secure HTTPS website.
Domain Settings Configuration
To point your own domain name to the Rentec Direct server so that your customized Rentec website displays when visitors type in your domain name, there are two steps:
Step One -- Add your domain to your Rentec Direct account Website & Branding settings
In your Rentec Direct account:
- Go to Settings.
- From Program Settings choose Website & Branding.
- Enter your domain name into the Advanced Options. (Be sure to enter the part of your domain after the www and do not include the www.)
System Note: Enter only your actual domain name (example.com) in this field -- do not include the www. - Click Save Changes when finished.
Step Two -- Edit the Domain Settings with your Current Host
After you have entered your domain name in Rentec, you will need to edit the DNS for your domain and create a DNS CNAME that points to userweb.rentecdirect.com.
Caution: These are advanced settings that a professional web designer would usually configure for you. Your registrar (the company you purchased your domain name from) should also have support representatives to help you make changes to your domain's DNS records.
When you log in to your account with your registrar and change the DNS settings, it should look something like this:
With WWW: After you save your changes it could take up to 48 hours before your professional website is published and can be seen online. When a visitor types in your domain name (www.yourdomain.com) on their computer, they will see the professional website that you've created.
Without WWW: If a visitor types in yourdomain.com without adding www in front of it, they will not be able to see your website unless another DNS change is made. If you would like visitors to be able to see your website by typing your domain without the www in front of it, you will also need to point an A record to our IP address (52.39.5.90). When you make this change in your DNS settings, it should look something like this:
When you have finished making all of the DNS changes for your domain, your settings should look like this:
Important Note: If you've already invested in a search engine optimization (SEO) company or done extensive SEO work, be sure to consult your SEO expert before making any website changes. Even small changes can dramatically impact your search rankings.
After you have pointed your domain to the Rentec Direct servers, you can customize the built-in website template available in your software. More information on how to customize the pre-built template can be found here: Build Your Own Website
What about email hosting?
Would you also like to send and receive email from yourname@yourdomain.com? While Rentec Direct does not provide email hosting, there are many companies that do. We recommend looking into Google Apps for Business. Google will provide you the necessary settings to provide to your DNS administrator.