Domain Name and Web Hosting – What’s the Difference?

Setting up your very first website? Confused between web hosting and a domain name? This brief guide will help you understand the difference between a domain name and a web hosting service.

The Components of a Website

A website is comprised of three primary components namely:

• Domain name
• Web hosting
• The design and coding files of the website

What is a Domain Name?

Your website’s domain name is like your phone number. If someone wants to call you, they must dial your phone number. Similarly, if someone types the address of your website in their browser, they’ll be able to visit your site.

The Internet is a huge network of interconnected computers and servers. In order to identify the computers, every computer is assigned a unique string of number known as an IP address, which looks something like this:

65.248.65.1

Computers can easily identify and remember these numbers. However, that’s not so easy a task for us humans. Domain names offer a simple solution to this problem.

A domain name is made up of words that make it easy for people to remember a website’s address. So every time you want to visit a website, you don’t have to type a string of numbers. Simply type in the domain name such as – ls25webhosting.co.uk!

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is where all your website’s files are stored. So if your domain name is your website’s address, the web host is the home where your site lives. So if you want to have a website, you need web hosting.

When you type a domain name in a web browser, the domain name will be translated into your web host’s IP address. This computer (web server) stores your website’s files and it will send these back to the visitor’s browser.

How are Domain Names and Web Hosting Related?

A Domain Name and Web Hosting are two entirely different services. But they work hand in hand to make a website possible.

A domain name is an address that points to your site. And behind the domain name is the address of the web host that’s storing the files. One is incomplete without the other. Without a domain name, people won’t be able to find your site, and in the absence of web hosting, you won’t have a website.

In Conclusion

You will need a domain name as well as a web host to build a website. You cold but both from the same company or you could choose to buy them separately from different providers. However, many companies offer a bundled deal when you buy a domain name and hosting.

Looking for a reliable hosting for your website? Get in touch with LS25 Web Hosting today for more information.