Ever try to explain something and people’s eyes just glaze over? On the subject of websites, it can be trying to describe the difference between domain names and web hosting. If you’re going to have a website, you might as well understand the distinction between the two.
What’s In A Name
A domain name (more on choosing one here) is a virtual address. You can purchase a domain name through any one of many domain registrars. Once you’ve done this, you have an online address, but at this point it’s just a P.O. box.
Get Some Space
To associate your new web address with an actual location on the web, you need a hosting account. This means paying an annual or monthly fee to a web hosting service to “rent” space on their server network.
A Name Needs Home
Until a domain name is associated with a server, it’s just an address. Once you set up your web hosting account, you point your domain name to your server space using something called the Domain Name System (DNS).
You have have an address, you just leased some real estate, and now you have an online location for your website or blog.
Have more questions? Need help registering a domain name or setting up a hosting account? Contact us.
