Domain Name vs. Web Hosting
Building a website is no straightforward process. While you can break down the steps to make it easier to understand, as a whole, websites can be kind of confusing.
Securing your domain name and web hosting are just two of the many smaller details that come with building a website.
Websites are multifaceted things
Building a website is no straightforward process. While you can break down the steps to make it easier to understand, as a whole, websites can be kind of confusing.
Because they are multifaceted – and surprisingly intricate – websites require a little more construction to go live than simply building the website itself.
Securing your domain name and web hosting are just two of the many smaller details that come with building a website. We explain the difference between the two below.
Domain name
Every website needs a domain name in order to exist. Found in the URL bar of your browser, the domain name is your website address. Just like a house without a street name or number, your website won’t be found without it.
A domain name commonly ends with the extension .com, but there are other variations to choose from, like .co, .net or .org. With so many different domain options available to you, it is important that you choose the one that best defines your business.
DNS
Things get a bit more technical when you dive into the Domain Name System (DNS), a network of global servers that manage IP addresses and domain names in order to ensure that websites can be found when users search for them.
Web hosting
Web hosting is different from your domain name in that it houses your website on the internet. Where the domain name is your address, the web hosting is your house. And inside the house is your website!
There are many different companies that offer web hosting services. A web hosting company will host your website on their server – which could be anywhere in the world – to make you visible and accessible to users.
Finding the right web hosting service for you
The trick with web hosting is finding a company that offers you everything you need without charging any hidden fees or exorbitant prices.
Be sure to go with a service that has excellent security, isn’t overloaded with too many other websites, and won’t randomly shut down – a catch that could leave your website vanishing into the virtual cosmos, never to be seen again.
Where domain names and web hosting meet
In order to have a website, you’ll need both a domain name and web hosting. Though they are two different services, they come hand-in-hand, and you can’t have one without the other (if you want to build a functioning website, that is).
Some companies offer both services under one umbrella, while others may offer only one of the two services. It is important for you to research whether buying them separately or as a package will work best for you – not only in the short term but in the long term as well.
Talk to our team about your domain name and web hosting today >
