What is the use of sub-domains

[cheynewong]

I saw some website using subdomain for every of their sublink. I was thinking instead of using subdomain, why not use the domain instead. Although I knew that subdomain is free and you can get unlimited from certain web hosting company. but I don't see the purpose behind this subdomain.

[OpenForSale.com]

You can use sub-domains this way:
If you domain is, clothes.com, you can setup,
mens.clothes.com, kids.clothes.com, etc

It will also work as techsupport.anydomain.com, etc. according to departments in your organization, for instance.

[cheynewong]

I understand that. but I can always by a new domain name for my menclothes. Isn't that more professional. Or I can also use www.clothes.com/menclothes.

Since subdomain is so easy to use. Why still have so many buy so much domain for their different websites?

[ezgoing8]

The theory is that you will receive more traffic and achieve better search engine positioning if you have a domain for each category of sale item.

Domain names are cheap now when bought from the Registrar. Most hosting companies allow you to host multiple domains on one account. So many buy multiple domains and link them together.

If I was using one domain I would use directories, not sub domains as it is easier on potential users to remember clothers.com/mensclothes than mensclothes.clothes.com. In the first example they only need to remember clothes.com and click on the link to men’s clothes on your home page. In the second instance they must remember a long domain name that is not normal usage. By normal usage I mean everybody is familiar with clothes.com, only one period, but not everybody is familiar with mensclothes.clothes.com, two periods before the .com.

[eddy2099]

As much as it is nice to have one domain name per category, it is not always possible as most of the good domain names are taken.

In my case, I only use subdomains if I am hosting a component of a site in its own space, for the most parts, a subdomain can be treated like a full domain hosting when it comes to control panel services, a sub-folder would not allow you to do so. Also sometimes when I need to run a multi-platform website, ie part components in Windows and part in Linux, I can do the subdomain for one or more components of the site. They can be hosted in servers located in different geographic locations too.

[domnom]

The theory is that you will receive more traffic and achieve better search engine positioning if you have a domain for each category of sale item.

No until recently each subdomain was treated as a different name from search engines


If I was using one domain I would use directories, not sub domains as it is easier on potential users to remember clothers.com/mensclothes than mensclothes.clothes.com. In the first example they only need to remember clothes.com and click on the link to men’s clothes on your home page. In the second instance they must remember a long domain name that is not normal usage. By normal usage I mean everybody is familiar with clothes.com, only one period, but not everybody is familiar with mensclothes.clothes.com, two periods before the .com.

and why can't the user click on mensclothes.clothes.com when he enters the clothes.com as he did with clothes.com/mensclothes ?

also there is / and \ symbols for someone to get confused when he types in the name

It's much better for search engines to see the subdomain mensclothes than the sub directory /mensclothes

Subdomains are easier, the problem is that MANY people attached to their mind the idea of www. I saw them can't realize that the www. is a subdomain and enter it even if you don't spell it

I support the use of subdomains and served very well my customers for years for both SEO and link building

[bobchrist]

I think subdomains are being used to organize information with a website that you hold but it is important that each subdomain has different content and individual identity.

[davidboyd]

There is another aspect to sub domains - cars.domain.com passes the "radio test" better than "domain.com forward slash cars"