So you want to build the website huh? Well by now I’m sure you’ve heard of all these buzzwords related to them like domains and hosting and DNS and the such. Some people use these words interchangeably and it’s really important to understand the differences between all of them.
Today I’m going to break down the differences between domains, hosting, and websites for you and why it’s important to understand, especially when dealing with a seasoned web developer
Domains and Hosting–How Do They Make A Website?
Here’s a simple analogy. Let’s build a house.
In order to build it you need some land. On that land you can build your house. With that house comes an address so people can get to it.
Well websites work the exact same way.
- The land you purchase that you want to build your house on is your domain.
- The ability to build a house on that land that you will be paying for overtime is your hosting.
- The address of that house is your URL (universal relative location), which will take the name of the domain. This is what people will use to find your website.
Altogether, how your house is designed, how many stories, how many bedrooms and bathrooms and such, that’s your actual website, which will have an appearance completely up to you.
The Domain: Your Website’s Address
A domain is simply a website address you want your site to be called. This is your digital property that you own over an indefinite period of time based on your domain registrars payment plan. Domains can be acquired with a domain registrar such as:
- Hostinger
- Godaddy
- Hostgator
Domains also have records of who owns them called WHOIS records. Most companies that own domains have WHOIS records that are private. I highly recoommend purchasing domain provacy, otherwise your contact information upon purchasing your domain will be public information.
Simply purchasing a domain isn’t all you need. You will also need hosting as well. Domain registrars generally offer hosting plans as well.
Hosting: Where You Can Build Your Website
Hosting is your ability to build a website on a domain name. It will include servers with a given amount of storage you can use to arrange your websites files that make up your site. Hosting can come in many different forms, such as:
- Shared Servers
- VPS Servers
- Dedicated Private Servers
Each listed respectively in order of what is better and usually more expensive. After you purchase a hosting subscription, you will be assigned a server that you can use to create your website on, granted the server is not one you own yourself.
What hosting provides is a place where you can install a CMS (content management system) like WordPress or WIX, to build your actual website. Once you decide what you want your website to do, and how it will look, you can team up with a developer or even build it yourself.
Don’t let this scare you!!!
Creating a website isn’t as scary as it looks. Nowadays, with AI, software, and affordable online tools, creating a website is just a matter of action. There are plenty of resources, guides, and support groups who are more than willing to help. Yes, that includes me.
Some websites even have a one click wordpress installation. There are templates for website types that come with all the functions you need to be successful such as a contact form, a blog system, and even a payment processor to accept transactions.
I will be creating a definitive guide on how to create a website soon. When I do, it will have it’s own dedicated page.
Conclusion
Again in today’s world it’s a matter of just doing it. When discussing your website be sure to have a clear plan on what you wanted to do for you and how it can benefit your business and be worth it for you, your employees, and investors. Generally speaking if you can think it, it can be built.
You can even create your own membership sites, forums, online magazines, and even go as far as creating your own social media platform. If you are developing an app for the Android App Store or iOS, having a website is near mandatory.
I hope this guide has helped you understand the differences between domains and hosting and websites. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. Thanks!
Regards!
