Why and How do I Use a Custom Domain for my Contribution Form URLs?

A custom domain is a website address that you can purchase from a domain registrar (such as GoDaddy, Domain.com, etc). If you have a campaign website, you likely already know this and have purchased your domain for your campaign. Now that you own that domain name, Numero allows you to host your Numero contribution forms on that domain. Meaning, instead of your forms having a form link like secure.numero.ai/contribute/FormName, you can change the form link to something like donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com. Custom domains are included in the Numero Plus service plan. 

The Why

There are several benefits to using your custom domain on your forms rather than Numero's domain. See a few of them below:

1. Builds Trust: It's widely understood across all industries that a custom domain improves your site's credibility, therefore building trust with your donors. In fact, according to a survey by Domain Name Wire, 77% of consumers are more likely to trust a website with a custom domain.
2. Brand Continuity: When it comes to building name recognition and brand identity, consistency is key. So anytime you can eliminate a different and potentially confusing experience for the donor (like going from your website to Numero.com to donate) - you should do so! 
3. Increase Search Engine Rankings: A study by Microsoft found that websites with custom domains are 39% more likely to rank higher in search engine results.
4. Faster Page Loading: According to Google, a one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversion rates by up to 20%

There are also Numero-specific reasons to consider using Custom Domains. For example:

When connecting a custom domain to Numero, you not only have the option to use one generic domain for all of your forms ( donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com) you also have the ability to create a second subdomain for your RSVP forms. If you chose to use multiple, you would have all of your standard forms live on donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com and all of your RSVP forms live on something like rsvp.YourCampaignWebsite.com. Using two subdomains is nice for a few reasons: 

• One, it clearly lets your donor know the type of action they are taking on this form.
• Two, it allows you to drop the /contribute and /rsvp prefix from your URLs (for example, rather than donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com/contribute/FormName it would just read donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com/FormName).
• This also allows you to create a Primary Form that lives on just donate.YourCampaignWebsite.com without even needing the URL slug at the end of the URL.

The How

Custom Domains are included in the Numero Plus service plan. If you already use Numero processing, setting up a custom domain is quick and easy. If you're familiar with the process of adding CNAME records in your DNS settings, you can do most of the Custom URL setup on your own. For step-by-step instructions, email us at support@numero.ai.  Once you've completed the setup we can finalize the custom domain on our end.

If you haven't set up Numero processing yet, don't worry, it's still an easy process!  We'll help you set up your first contribution page and connect your bank account so that we can direct deposit your contributions to you. Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page we'll get you on your way!