How to Redirect a Website to a Different Website (Without Using a Plugin)
Most e-commerce stores have a store home page that functions as their landing page, introducing customers to the products sold on their website and collecting their contact details in the process. On this page, the brand will usually include a call to action like ‘shop now’ or ‘subscribe’, to encourage the customer to take the next step and make a purchase.
But what happens when the customer is on that page and decides they want to visit a different product or go to a different part of the website?
The easiest way to provide a more immersive customer experience on an e-commerce store is to guide them to a new page that is designed to transform them into a customer, and keep them coming back for more.
Consider a store that sells sportswear. The store’s home page includes a list of all the products sold on the site, alongside a call to action like ‘shop now’ or ‘add to cart’. When a customer clicks on this call to action, they’re presented with a product list containing all the products associated with that sport. When they choose a product, it takes them to a dedicated customer page where additional information is provided about the product, including images, prices and shipping details.
This dedicated customer page is where they’ll make their purchase, and on the page a product-related call to action like ‘add to cart’ or ‘buy now’ leads them back to the store homepage. At this point the customer is retargeted with content that relates to their previous browse session, increasing the chance of making a purchase.
But what if the customer decides they want to go to a different website after their initial purchase, with a different set of products?
In order to provide the best customer experience, many e-commerce stores will redirect visitors to specific landing pages, where they’re informed about the new products available, or how to use those products, or where to find additional items that compliment those purchased.
However, creating a seamless customer journey between multiple websites is extremely complex, and requires a bit of a plugin (or a complete re-design). Fortunately, WordPress provides many tools that make managing such a task much easier. In this article, we’ll discuss several ways in which you can seamlessly redirect a customer from one website to another without the need for a separate plugin.
Create a Custom 404 Page
When a customer clicks on a link that leads them to a website that no longer exists, they’ll see a 404 error message. A 404 page is usually the first page visitors see when they arrive at a website, and the chance to create a memorable and engaging experience often results in a more beneficial conversion.
To create a custom 404 error page, navigate to your website’s dashboard and click on the ‘Build’ button in the WordPress toolbar. This will open up the WordPress Customizer, where you can make several changes to your website’s appearance and functionality. In the top right corner of the Customizer you’ll see a gray icon with an exclamation point, indicating that a theme has already been selected for this website. Drag this icon to the left to bring up the themes list, then choose the Arrow theme from the drop-down menu. Doing this will result in a static 404 page with a design that’s similar to the one pictured above.
There are several reasons why you might want a 404 error page, but the most frequent one has to do with product listings on affiliate websites. If someone clicks on a product and visits a website that sells that product, but the product no longer exists on that website, the visitor will see a 404 error page. In this case, a custom 404 error page can help provide a better experience by redirecting them to the correct page, where they’ll find the information they need.
However, this doesn’t always fix the issue. What if the product does exist on the affiliate website, but the affiliate program has changed and the product’s listing no longer works?
If you experience any problems with your product listings, you can either update them directly on the affiliate website or replace them with placeholder images until you can get the actual product listings updated. The first option is the simplest, but it can also be more work, depending on your time constraints. If you decide to use placeholder images instead, at least you’ll know that they’re generic and won’t impact your actual product.
Set Up Automatic Redirects
There are several reasons why you might want to set up automatic redirects from one page to another, but the most frequent one has to do with affiliate marketing. If someone clicks on a product and visits a website that sells that product, but the product no longer exists on that website, the visitor will see a 404 error page. In this case, a custom 404 error page can help provide a better experience by redirecting them to the correct page, where they’ll find the information they need.
To set up automatic redirects from one page to another, click on the ‘Settings’ tab on the WordPress dashboard, then click on the ‘Reading’ button. You’ll see a box pop up with a host of options, two of which are important to note. The first one is the Rewrite Rule, and the second one is the Disallow rule. The Rewrite Rule is what determines what happens when someone visits a non-existent page. The Disallow rule is what prevents automated redirects from taking place when a page doesn’t exist.
The default setting for this feature is the Rewrite Rule: When a non-existent page is accessed, it will be redirected to the homepage of the site. Some e-commerce stores will choose to have this rule redirect all traffic to the homepage, while others might only want this rule to apply when a visitor clicks on a product listing or a call to action, like ‘add to cart’ or ‘buy now’.
If you choose to use the default setting (Rewrite Rule), you’ll need to adjust the rule to suit your needs. To have this rule only apply when a visitor clicks on a particular element like a product listing or a call to action, use the following syntax:
{% if(@element_to_check_for) {} %}
Where @element_to_check_for is the name of the element you want to check for (in this case a product listing or a call to action), and {} indicates that this part of the rule is a conditional statement, ensuring that it’ll only apply when @element_to_check_for is true. In most cases, you’ll only need to use this part of the rule, ensuring that the general rule will apply when a product listing or call to action is clicked on:
{% if (@element_to_check_for) {} %}
Once you’ve adjusted the Rewrite Rule, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to lock in your settings. You can now activate automatic redirects from one page to another on your website.
Use a 301 Moved Permanently Redirect
If you use a web host that supports 301 redirects, you can use this feature to redirect a page or a website to another. A 301 redirect simply tells the search engines that a page has been permanently moved to a new location. This feature is great for SEO (search engine optimization) as it provides a clear indication to the search engines that a page has been updated and is relevant to the information they’re searching for.
To use this feature, navigate to your website’s dashboard and click on the ‘Build’ button in the WordPress toolbar. This will open up the WordPress Customizer, where you can make several changes to your website’s appearance and functionality. On the left side of the Customizer, under the heading ‘SEO’, click on the ‘Redirects’ button to open up a box with settings that can be used to control the redirect process.
The first setting you’ll want to adjust is the Status drop-down menu. This menu will dictate what happens when a visitor follows a link to another page. The status code 301 is what’s usually associated with a 301 redirect, and it stands for ‘Moved Permanently’. Choosing this option will result in a redirection that’s identical to the one you’d get with a plain old 301 redirect.
You’ll also want to adjust the Header and description fields under the SEO heading. Simply paste in the new URL for the page you’re redirecting to, then click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to lock in your settings.