Website Hosting and Domains. What’s the difference? In this article, find answers and gain knowledge necessary to get your business website up and running!
What are Domains? The Key to Everything
Choosing a name for your website is an important piece of creating a web presence, the first step in doing this is buying and registering a domain. A well-chosen domain name is an important part of your online presence, but finding the perfect one can be challenging. Ever hear the stories of the 90s where someone bought up all the single word domains for various colours? It was possible then, now, it’s harder to get the perfect name as billions more websites have been created since.
To check if your great domain name you want to pick is available, you can use free tools like whois.com to view public information about the domain, like if it has an associated history of use.
If you use a TLD (Top Level Domain) such as .CA, you will want to consider if they are registered with the CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority), a not-for-profit organization known for managing .CA domains. Browse this list, https://www.cira.ca/en/ca-domains/registrar-list/, and ensure your domain registrar, a company that sells domain names, is on here, so that way you have extra protection in regards to domain privacy and registration.
What is a DNS? Manage all your Connections
A DNS is important for connecting and setting up all the various services you need for your website to function. To not get too technical, an A record for example, maps your domain to an IP address (a server), which is how you share your website with the world! An MX record is how you make sure emails are attached to the right system, TXT records are used for authentication and spam prevention, etc. There are many others but you get the idea!
Usually you manage your DNS through your domain registrar, but it can actually be in a different service altogether. To not make it too complicated, your DNS is how you manage all the various services for your domain and assign records in order to create those connections.
It’s important to always keep a copy of the DNS records offline for your safe keeping, in case you make any changes later and want to undo those changes.
You’re free to check what the current DNS for your website is by logging into your registrar or by using a free DNS Lookup tool. There are plenty out there, but a decent one is through dnschecker.org
What is Hosting? The machine that makes everything work
Hosting a website requires a service provider or a server to store all the files associated with your website. That can mean, your HTML/CSS files, which are programmed language files, or your entire WordPress website installation directories and files. Hosting can get quite complex, but is extremely important as picking the right one and the right plan can make a big difference for the success of your website. You want to look for key factors such as: reliability, security, speed, performance, and customer support in case you have questions. Set up your website first by consulting with your local expert web designer or developer to find the best options for you.
Understand that there are various types of hosting plans available and you’ll want the best hosting plan that’s right for your website needs. Consider this a significant portion of your budget for the website fees, in comparison to domain fees which are usually much cheaper.
Conclusion
Now you know a little more than everyone else about Domains and Hosting, share with friends, family, and colleagues! If you feel like you or a colleague are ready to make changes to a website or need help with making a new website, please consider hiring a freelance web designer or agency, such as myself, to assist with building a brand and website from the beginning. They know the landscape and have the experience to achieve your business goals and dreams!
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