Web hosting, domain name, SSL certificate, VPS, and cloud hosting; if you have been searching about running a website online, you must have come across these and more such terms.
Getting confused among these terms is normal for beginners. However, most people are often confused between the terms web hosting and domain.
This happens mainly because you need both web hosting and domain name to set up a website. However, they two are different things.
If you are thinking about dipping your toes in the world of online business, let us empower you with the terms web and domain hosting, what they, how they work, and the difference between the two.
What is a domain name?
Think of this as your website’s address in the Internet world. It is something your audience types in the URL bar to visit your website.
A domain name is separated by two dots. The first part is the brand name that you choose for your business, and the second part after the dot is the domain extension, for example, .in, .com, etc.
What is web hosting?
While a domain name your address for your online business, think of web hosting as your website’s home. In other words, web hosting is a storage location on the hosting server of the web hosting company where all the files of your website are stored.
This is how you need both domain name and web hosting to set up a website.
How is a domain name different from web hosting?
The domain name and web hosting are closely related, but you need both to build a website.
Most enthusiasts only end up buying a domain name, which you can use for a specific period. To the point that domain name to a website, you also need to buy a hosting plan from the best hosting provider in India.
Once you have bought the hosting plan with the features you need and want, the next step is to build a website where your domain name will be pointed.
In simple words, you need to fix a land (server resources) and build your home (website) so that your address (domain name) will have a physical location to point at.
Can I buy a domain name and web hosting from a single hosting provider?
Yes, you can. In their plans, most hosting providers in India offer both domain names and web hosting. You can buy domain names and hosts from different hosting companies. However, doing so would require you to edit DNS settings to point your domain name to your web hosting.
Buying web domain hosting from a single web hosting company won’t require you to change DNS settings, which makes renewing domain as well web hosting from the same dashboard.
Now that you know what a domain name, web hosting, and the difference between the two, you can choose the web hosting company that provides both and other features required to build a website.