Domain vs Hosting: The Difference & How to Use Them?

Are you starting with websites or website development and confused what is a domain and whats is hosting and how do they differ?

You found the right page to resolve your queries!

When building a website, there are many factors to consider, and two of the most important are domain and hosting.

Both are essential components that determine how your website will function, but they serve different purposes.

In this article, we will see what is a domain and what is hosting, their functions, domain vs hosting; the difference, and how you can make a complete website using both of them.

Let’s begin.

What is a Domain?

A domain is a unique name that identifies your website on the internet.

Put another way;

It is the address that people type into their browsers to access your website.

For example, if your website is about cooking, your domain name could be cooking.com.

Similarly you can acquire any available domain name that represents your business or whatever domain name may attract you and your customers.

Did you notice how this website is named InsideAdSense.com? What do you think of the domain name?

You can register and buy a domain name from various online companies. These domains are registered and managed by ‘domain registrars’ such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Bluehost.

What is Hosting?

If Domain is your websites address, Hosting is a service that allows your website to be accessed on the internet. It is where your website’s files, data, and content are stored.

Hosting companies provide servers where you can store your website’s files and data.

They also provide bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be transferred between your website and its visitors.

Some popular hosting providers include Bluehost, HostGator, and Hostinger.

Domain vs Hosting: The Difference

While domain and hosting are both necessary for your website to function, they are different in several ways.

Let’s understand this with a quick example;

Suppose that you bought a new piece of land in XYZ street in Manchester, England. You built a house over it.

Now in this example, the address of your house is in XYZ street in Manchester and your land is the host over which you have built your house.

Now think of the house address as Domain, the land on which your house is built as hosting, and the house as your website.

Got the point?

Now let’s look at the other differences between domain and hosting:

1. Function – A domain is like your website’s street address, while hosting is like its physical location. A domain is what people type into their browsers to access your website, while hosting is where your website’s files and data are stored.
2. Ownership – When you register a domain, you own the rights to that domain name as long as you keep paying the registration fee. With hosting, you are renting server space from a hosting provider.
3. Cost – The cost of a domain varies depending on the registrar and the domain name. Hosting costs also vary depending on the provider and the hosting plan you choose.
4. Renewal – Domains must be renewed every year or every two years, or depending on the registration length. Hosting plans are usually renewed on a monthly or yearly basis.
5. Scalability – You can scale up or down your hosting plan depending on your website’s needs. Domain names, on the other hand, cannot be scaled up or down.

Now that you know what is a domain and what is hosting and what is the difference between them, let’s move a step further and look at how you can make a website with these two.

After all you need a head start for making your first website.

How to Build a Website with Domain and Hosting?

Building a website with a domain and hosting can seem overwhelming at first, but with our guidance, it will be a straightforward process.

We are walking you through the steps of building a website with domain and hosting from start to finish.

Step 1: Determine Your Website’s Purpose and Audience

Before you begin building your website, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your website’s purpose and who your audience will be.

This will help you to determine what kind of content you should include on your website, and what features and functionalities you’ll need.

This step may sound like a no-brainer but this is also the most important step of building a website.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

It’s important to choose a domain name that’s easy to remember, and that accurately reflects the purpose of your website.

There are many types of domain names that you can buy including the most popular ‘.com’ domains.

You can register your domain name through a domain registrar, such as Namecheap or GoDaddy. It would cost you around $ 10-20 to buy a domain.

Step 3: Choose a Hosting Provider

As mentioned before, Hosting is the service that allows your website to be accessible on the internet.

There are many hosting providers to choose from, such as Bluehost, HostGator, or SiteGround.

At the time of choosing a hosting provider, consider factors such as cost, reliability of the host, and customer support. You can buy different hosting plans based on the traffic your website would receive and you can always upgrade it later at most hosting companies.

Step 4: Install WordPress

Considering you have no knowledge of website development, WordPress is the best option to start a website.

WordPress is a popular website builder that allows you to create and manage your website’s content without needing to know how to code.

Most hosting providers offer a one click installation of WordPress, making it easy for you to build your website.

Step 5: Choose a Theme

A theme is a pre- designed template that determines the look and feel of your website.

WordPress offers thousands of free and premium themes to choose from, so take the time to browse and find the one that fits your needs.

Step 6: Customise Your Theme

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can customise it to make it your own.

You can change colours, fonts, and add your own logo to the website.

Step 7: Launch Your Website

Once you’re happy with your new theme and it’s customisation, it’s time to launch your website! You can post content, make pages and upload media that you want.

Make sure to test your website thoroughly to ensure that everything is working as it should be, and then share it with the world.

In Wrapping Up

Domain and Hosting are two different and essential things that you need to build a website. While Domain is the street address of your website, Hosting is your website’s physical location where your website data, files and media are stored.

You can build a complete website using a domain address and a hosting plan and following our step by step guide to build a website as mentioned in this post.

You can also optimise your website for Search Engines using Search Engine Optimisation techniques and rank your website on Google to generate traffic. Do check out our 9 Easy and Powerful Step SEO Technique for this purpose.

FAQs

Q: Do I need to know how to code to build a website with domain and hosting?

No, you don’t need to know how to code. With WordPress, you can create and manage your website’s content using a visual editor.

Q: How much does it cost to build a website with domain and hosting?

The cost of building a website can vary depending on the hosting provider and any premium themes or plugins you choose to use. However, it’s possible to build a basic website for as little as a few dollars per month.

Q: Can I change my domain name or hosting provider after I’ve launched my website?

No you can not change your domain name after you have made a website on it, however you can migrate your website to a new domain address if you feel the need for it. But you need to be cautious of the negative impacts it can have over your website’s SEO. As of hosting provider, you can change it anytime without having much effect over your website if you do it properly.