What Are Domains And Hosting? Simplified Explanation! Blogging For Beginners
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In this post we will answer the question: What Are Domains And Hosting?
When it comes to creating a website, there are two terms that often cause confusion: domains and hosting. People often use them as one term ādomains and hostingā, but both domains and hosting are very separate things!
While both are essential parts of a website, they serve very different purposes.
In this blog post, we’ll go through the differences between domains and hosting, and why understanding these differences is crucial for anyone who wants to create a website.
Whether you’re a business owner, blogger, or just someone curious about the world of websites, this post will provide you with valuable insights into the key elements of website creation!
(Donāt panic if you arenāt overly technically minded, Iāll be going over the basis of domains and hosting as to why they are useful and how they work together, more so than all the technical ways of how they work!)
So to begin we need to go back to the basics of a website itselfā¦
What Is A Website?
A website is a collection of digital pages that can be accessed through the internet. These pages can contain text, images, videos, and other types of content, often structured in a fairly organised or cohesive way.
Think of a website like a book. Each page of the book contains information that’s related to the overall theme or topic of the book. Similarly, each page of a website contains information that’s related to the overall purpose of the website.
When you visit a website, you can navigate between pages by clicking on links or using a menu. This allows you to explore the content of the website and find the information that you’re looking for.
Websites can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as sharing information, selling products or services, providing entertainment, or connecting people with common interests. Many businesses and individual people use websites as a way to establish their online presence and reach a wider audience.
We often use the terms āblogā and āwebsiteā interchangeably and for the most part thatās true. All blogs are websites but not all websites are blogs.
A blog is a website where someone (or a team of people) can share thoughts, ideas, knowledge, experiences or opinions! Blogs are often regularly updated with new posts and new information.
Websites are the general term for ANY page on the internet. This could be a blog, a niche website, a shop, a personal branding page etc! Some may have a separate blog page too.
For more information on the differences between a blog and a niche website, check out this post here.
What Are Website Domains?
A website domain is the unique address that people use to find your website on the internet. It’s like your website’s phone number or address. For example, Google’s domain name is “google.com” or my blog here is ākatherinemclee.comā.
Every website on the internet has a domain name, which is made up of two parts: the name and the extension. The name is the part that you choose for your website, such as “mywebsite.”
The extension is the part that comes after the name, such as “.comā, ā.co.ukā or “.orgā. There are many different extensions available so when you are buying a domain name for your website, you can choose which extension you like and that suits your website best.
When someone types your website domain name into their web browser, it sends a request to the server where your website is hosted. The server then sends your website files back to the user’s browser, which displays the website on their screen. Simple as that!
Think of a website domain like the address of a house. Just as you need an address to find a physical location, you need a domain name to find a website on the internet. Without a domain name, people wouldn’t know where to go to find your website. You need both domains and hosting to have a visible website on the internet!
You can purchase a domain name from various places such as HostGator or GoDaddy. Once on their website you can check if your chosen domain name is available, and then purchase it!
A domain is one major part of a website, a second part is of course, hosting.
Soā¦
What Is Website Hosting?
Website hosting is like renting a space to store your website and make it accessible and findable to others on the internet. Think of it like renting a space on the internet where your website can live!
Just like you need a physical space to store your belongings, your website needs a digital space to store its files, images, code and content.
Website hosting companies provide this space on their servers, which are powerful computers that are always connected to the internet. When someone types in your website’s address or URL, their computer connects to the server where your website is hosted, and the server sends your website’s files to their computer, allowing them to view your website.
When you choose a hosting provider, you’ll usually pay a small amount to use their servers and services. Just as you would pay rent for a physical space!
Once your website is hosted, anyone can access it by typing in your website address or domain name into their web browser.
Website hosting companies offer different plans based on the size and needs of your website. They also provide security measures and technical support to ensure that your website runs smoothly and is accessible to visitors at all times! Itās imperative to find a hosting company with amazing customer service to make your website running and ownership a lot more enjoyable.
You can start off with a low-cost hosting plan and upgrade as your blog/website grows.
Choosing a low-cost but reliable and dependable hosting company is key for new bloggers and website owners.
I started off on HostGator and as of this post going live I still use them, even after upgrading a while back. I would always recommend them to anyone wanting their own website or blog! Plus they are amazingly affordable considering you get 24/7 live chat website assistance!
How Does A Free Blog Work?
A free blog is a type of blog that you can create and use without paying any money.
When you create a free blog, you will be provided with a subdomain or a free website address, which will usually include the name of the blogging service in the URL. For example, if you create a blog on Blogger, your website address might look like “yourblogname.blogspot.com”.
Free blogs usually have limited features and customisation options compared to self-hosted blogs. However, they can be a good option for beginners or casual bloggers who want to experiment with blogging without investing any money!
A thing to note with a free blog is that the service you sign up with (e.g. blogger), owns your website. You can carry on using it and customising it as much as you like, but you donāt own it. Your website will stay up for as long as you/they choose.
For anyone serious about blogging or wanting the security of owning your website, you need a self hosted website.
What Is A Self-Hosted Website?
Hosted and self-hosted are terms that also get used interchangeably. Including by me!
True āself hostedā websites are way over my head lol so each time I talk about a self hosted website or blog, I mean hosted.
This is common to see so donāt panic if you see the term āself hostedā but someone then refers to a hosting company.
Self hosted websites and hosted websites are technically different things though which I shall quickly explain.
A hosted website is a website that is stored on a server owned by a hosting service provider such as HostGator. This means that you don’t have to worry about setting up your own server or managing the technical aspects of your website. This is what a lot of us call āself hostedā, where in reality these are just HOSTED websites.
With a hosted website, you pay a fee to your hosting service to store your website files and data on their server as mentioned above. The hosting service is responsible for maintaining the server and ensuring that your website is accessible to your readers – and you!
This is by far the easiest and most popular hosting option when it comes to āself hostedā websites!
A true self-hosted website on the other hand is a website that you set up and maintain on your own. Without using a web hosting company’s services. This means that you will need to provide your own server, which can be a physical server or a virtual private server (VPS).
With a self-hosted website, you have complete control over your website. This includes content, design, and functionality. You can choose which software and applications to use, and you can customise your website to meet your specific needs. However, you will also be responsible for maintaining and securing your server, which can be time-consuming and technically challenging.
Definitely not for the faint of heart or for anyone not up to speed with self hosting!
In summary:
A Website is the collection of pages you see under one domain name.
A Domain Name is the address to reach that particular website.
Hosting is the space you rent from a hosting company so that your website has its own place on the internet!
If you have any questions on domains, hosting, blogs or self hosted websites, leave them in the comments below and I will do my best to get back to you and answer as best I can!
Did you start off on a free blog or jump straight to a self hosted (hosted!) blog?
Let me know in the comments below!
Speak soon!
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40 Comments
Gloria
I went straight for a program that made it as easy as possible for me LOL! I’m using Wix and all I know is it walked me through purchasing a domain name and I think they host my website.
Katherine McLee
If you love it and it works for you then that’s perfect!
Liv
Another great post, I love the way you explain things
Katherine McLee
Thank you! I love that you do!
Sneha Lodha
Currently, I am using blogspot as my main website. I have used hostgator previously and yes, it is great for starting a blog. Thanks for the detailed information, I might get a new domain soon.
Katherine McLee
Hostgator has been amazing for me the whole time so would always recommend it!
Lisa
There’s soooo much to learn about blogging. Thanks for providing some great info and tips on your site.
Katherine McLee
It’s definitely an ongoing learning process! You’re welcome!
Meredith Topmiller
Great information. I love your site!
Katherine McLee
Thank you so much!
Isabella
This is such a useful breakdown! I’ve had a few people ask me this recently, so I’ll save this post to send to them š¤
Katherine McLee
Thank you! I hope they like it! š¤
Melissa
This is a great post! I wish I had seen this before I started my blog. It would’ve helped a lot. I’m bookmarking this to share with friends that are interested in getting into blogging!
Katherine McLee
Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful! Thank you for sharing it with others!
Natalie Perry
This is great information! I wish I had this when I first started blogging. Thanks again!
Katherine McLee
Thank you! Hosting and Domains is SO confusing at the beginning!
Julie Russell
I love how you simplified the differences between domains and hosting! This can definitely be confusing to new bloggers. I remember it being confusing when first learning about it. I look forward to reading more articles!
Katherine McLee
Thank you! It can be so confusing so I wanted to really help people looking for a simple explanation of what they mean!
Rachel Rivera
Thank you for explaining this so thoroughly! Hosting threw me off so much when I first started blogging, this is a great explanation.
Katherine McLee
Thank you! There is so much to learn with blogging, I want to help it not seem overwhelming to people!
Mayra
You have explained this often confusing subject in such a clear and simple manner. The hosting services can get costly so I agree with you that in the beginning is great to start with a lower cost service like Hostgator and then upgrade.
But, unless it’s a hobby, I wouldn’t go with the free option.
Katherine McLee
Thank you! Absolutely, there’s really no need to go for anything pricey in the beginning! I completlely agree, you are so much more limited with a free blog!
Tracy McHugh
I wish I had this post and breakdown when starting my blog. I had no idea which website to pick so I just went with one š
Katherine McLee
I did the same with my first ever blog, just went with whatever I fancied at the time haha
Marisabel Park
Really good info and super well presented. As a new blogger this was great!.
Katherine McLee
Thank you! I’m really glad you found it helpful!
Eva Petruzziello
This article was very help for newbie bloggers! TY
Katherine McLee
Thank you! Iām really glad you found it helpful!
Diane Houghton
Great post! There aren’t enough really basic articles out there for beginners.
Katherine McLee
Thank you! I try and break it down so that the information doesn’t feel overwhelming to anyone!
Sanober
This is an invaluable post, especially for someone beginning their blogging journey and unsure where to start. Getting the basics like a good domain can undoubtedly make a massive difference to the overall site’s performance.
Katherine McLee
I’m really glad you found it useful! A good domain and good hosting company is one of the biggest recommendations I would make to any blogger!
Tetyana
Excellent blog post for the ones who start blogging or think about creating a website!
I wish I had known it 16 years ago š©
Katherine McLee
Thank you! It can be confusing which is why I wanted to really break it all down!
Grace
Very informative and helpful!
Katherine McLee
Thank you! š
Fransic verso
Very informative, and this will help many new people understand sites and domains. Thank you for sharing!
Katherine McLee
Thank you! š
Mandy
Thank you for breaking this down into such easy to understand information. There are so many new terms to learn when starting blogging.
Katherine McLee
I’m glad it was helpful! There really is, but a lot of the terms and things to learn aren’t overly complicated, they can just sound it initially!