If you are launching your very first website and are new to it, you may have heard of domain names and hosting about it. But what distinguishes the two? What is the difference? We suggest that you make a quick point on the difference between the two so that you no longer make the mistake.
When you visit a website, your computer, tablet or phone makes the necessary arrangements to display the site in question. This is done by entering the domain name in the bar of your browser, which can also be done by clicking on a link. Then the domain is transcribed into the IP address of the site server. This server then sends the various elements so as to display the website to you. A website is made up of:
- A domain name
- A web hosting server
- Site files
To better understand what a website is, let’s use the house metaphor: your domain name is the mailing address of the house, the accommodation is the house, and the site files are the furniture.
WHAT IS A DOMAIN NAME?
Your domain name is the address of your website, such as www.DMTwebhosting.com. This address is like a mailing address. It tells computers (and other devices) where to find the site on the servers so that they can send and receive information. Without a domain name, it would be like trying to call someone on a phone that doesn’t have a phone number. He might have a phone, just like he could have a website, but you would have no way of reaching him.
WHAT IS WEB HOSTING?
A server is a device that is connected to the Internet and stores site files. When you pay for a web hosting service, you rent space on their hard drive so that users around the world can access files on your site to view it. Many hosts have multiple server locations so they can back up your site files, very handy in the event of failure!
Web hosting is storage space for your website. On this space you store your site files, corresponding to the layout, content, images, etc. Content management tools (CMS) like WordPress allow you to easily work with these files without having to get your hands dirty on your hosting server.
There are several types of web hosting. The most common are:
Shared Hosting: Shared hosting has multiple users on the same server, and all share the same resources. It’s sort of like renting an apartment. You all share the building and the common areas, but you have your own private space to make a living.
VPS: a VPS (Virtual Private Server or VDS, Virtual Dedicated Server) is a “virtual private server”. Several sites are on the same server, but resources are distributed rather than shared at the same time. It’s like owning a condominium apartment. You share the building with everyone, but you own your share. This means that you have a specific amount of resources allocated to you and only you. The advantage is that your site will be much faster than with shared web hosting. And this remains evolving.
Dedicated hosting: dedicated hosting implies that you are alone on the server. It’s like owning a whole house. This means that all the resources are yours and that you can control your server. This type of hosting is ideal for sites needing instant display speed, and even more so if the site traffic is high and cannot afford untimely outages.
Most good web hosts offer these three types of hosting so that you can easily migrate from one solution to another depending on the evolution of your website traffic.
DO YOU HAVE TO USE THE SAME COMPANY TO MANAGE DOMAIN NAMES AND HOSTING?
One of the reasons why many people often confuse hosting and the domain name is that many companies offer both services. It is not the same profession. And nothing prevents you from using one organization to register your domain name and another to manage the hosting of your website. So you are not stuck and can easily modify the DNS of your domain name to point them to another host. You can always choose a different domain name and point it to the same website. You can even point several different domain names to the same site at the same time. Very handy if you use expired domain names to exploit the SEO juice!
You can also change your host without losing your domain name or your site files. You may need to contact support for this to have everything transferred correctly. However, if you find that you need a better host, you don’t have to start all over.
Some people choose to register their domain name through their host because it is more convenient. Others choose not to keep everything in one place to facilitate transfer to a new host and to improve site security. It’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons before choosing who you want to work with.
We hope that thanks to this article you have understood the difference between domain names and web hosting and that it will make your work easier to set up your website.
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