DOMNE
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How is domain name different from website and web hosting?
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Different types of domain names
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Who is responsible for the domain name system?
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Frequently asked questions about domain names
What is a Domain Name?
Domain
name is the address of your website that people type in the browser URL bar to
visit your website.
In simple terms, if your
website was a house, then your domain name will be its address.
A more detailed explanation:
The Internet is a giant
network of computers connected to each other through a global network of
cables. Each computer on this network can communicate with other computers.
To identify them, each
computer is assigned an IP address. It is a series of numbers that identify a
particular computer on the internet. A typical IP address looks like this:
66.249.66.1
Now an IP address like this is
quite difficult to remember. Imagine if you had to use such numbers to visit
your favorite websites.
Domain names were invented to
solve this problem.
Now if you want to visit a
website, then you don’t need to enter a long string of numbers. Instead, you
can visit it by typing an easy to remember domain name in your browser’s
address bar. For example, wpbeginner.com.
How Domain Names Actually
Work?
To
understand how domain names actually work, we will take a look at what happens
when you enter it in your browser.
When you enter a domain name
in your web browser, it first sends a request to a global network of servers
that form the Domain Name System (DNS).
These servers then look up for
the name servers associated with the domain and forward the request to those
name servers.
For example, if your website
is hosted on Bluehost, then its name server
information will be like this:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
These name servers are
computers managed by your hosting company. Your hosting company will forward
your request to the computer where your website is stored.
This computer is called a web
server. It has special software installed (Apache, Nginx are two popular web
server software). The web server now fetches the web page and pieces of
information associated with it.
Finally, it then sends this
data back to the browser.
How is Domain Name Different
from a Website and Web Hosting?
A website is made up of files
like HTML pages, website builder software, images, and more.
If the domain name is the web
address of your website, then web hosting is the home where your website lives.
This is the actual computer
where your website’s files are stored. Such computers are called servers and
they are offered as a service by hosting companies.
To create your website, you need both domain name
and web hosting.
However, it’s important to
remember that they are two separate services, and you can buy them from two
different companies.
Now you may be wondering, how
would it work if you bought them from two separate companies?
You just need to edit your
domain name settings and enter the Name Server information provided by your
hosting company. Name Server information defines where to send user requests
for your domain name.
We recommend getting both your
domain name and hosting from the same company. This allows you to easily manage
them under the same account.
For more details, see our
guide on the difference between domain name and web hosting.
Different Types of Domain
Names
Domain
names are available in many different extensions. The most popular one is .com.
There are many other options like .org, .net, .tv, .info, .io, and more.
However we always recommend using .com domain extension.
Let’s take a more detailed
look at different types of domain names available.
Top Level Domain – TLD
Top level domain or TLD are
generic domain extensions that are listed at the highest level in the domain
name system.
There are hundreds of TLDs,
but the most popular ones are .com, .org, and .net. Other TLDs are lesser known
and we don’t recommend using them. For example, .biz, .club, .info, .agency,
and many more.
Country Code Top Level Domain
– ccTLD
Country code top-level domain
or ccTLD are country specific domain names which end with country code
extension like .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, .in for India.
They are used by websites that
want to target audiences in a specific country.
Sponsored Top Level Domain –
sTLD
Sponsored top-level domain or
sTLD is a category of TLDs that has a sponsor representing a specific community
served by the domain extension.
For example, .edu for
education-related organizations, .gov for the United States government, .mil
for the United States military, and more.
Who is Responsible for Domain
Name System?
Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages the domain names
system. It is a non-profit organization that creates and implements the
policies for domain names.
ICANN gives permission to
companies called Domain Name Registrars for selling domain names. These domain registrars are allowed to make changes to domain names
registry on your behalf.
Domain name registrars can
sell domain names, manage its records, renewals, and transfers to other
registrars.
As a domain name owner, you
are responsible for telling the registrar where to send requests. You are also
responsible for renewing your domain registration.
How to Choose a Domain Name
for Your Website?
There are currently more than
350 Million registered domain names and thousands more get registered each day.
This means that all the good
ones are already registered or will be registered very soon. This puts a lot of
pressure on new users to come up with a domain idea for their website.
We’ve created a free
AI-powered business name generator tool that helps you come up
with creative company name ideas and check domain name availability status to
help you save time.
Here are some quick tips to
help you choose a domain name for your next website.
·
Stick with a .com domain name as it is the most popular, easy to remember,
and easy promote.
·
Make sure it is shorter and easy to remember
·
Make it easy to pronounce and spell
·
Do not use numbers or hyphens
·
Use domain name generators to come up with clever
domain name ideas
For more tips and practical
advice, see our guide on how to choose the best domain name for your website.
How to Buy a Domain Name?
You can
buy domain names from one of the many domain name registrars. A domain name
typically costs 14.99 per year. Some popular domain name companies are:
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Domain.com (Use this Domain.com coupon to get a discount)
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Network Solutions (use our Network Solutions coupon code to get 25% off).
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GoDaddy
However, buying a domain does
not automatically give you hosting service. For that, you will need a website
hosting account as well.
Many WordPress
hosting companies offer domain registration services as well. This allows you
to manage both services under one account, and you also don’t need to worry
about changing name server settings for your domain.
We recommend using Bluehost. They are offering WPBeginner
users a free domain name and 60% discount on hosting.
Basically you can get started for $2.75/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Domain Names
Over the
years we have helped thousands of beginners start their first websites. We have
heard almost every possible question about domain names that you can think of.
Following are the answers to
some of the most commonly asked questions about domain names.
1. What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is basically a
child domain under the main domain name. For example, videos.wpbeginner.com is
a subdomain of wpbeginner.com.
Once you register a domain,
you have the permission to create subdomains for it by yourself.
Subdomains are commonly used
by websites to create child-sites under the same domain name. For example, a business
website can create a subdomain for their blog or their online store as
store.example.com or blog.example.com
2. Can I cancel my
registration of a domain name?
Some domain registrars allow
you to cancel your domain registration at any time. If you cancel your
registration, it will become available for others to register.
Other domain name registrars
allow you to simply let your domain registration expire.
In most cases, you will not
get any refund for the domain registration. However, some domain registrars do
have refund policies which you may want to discuss with them before canceling
your registration.
If you don’t have the
auto-renew feature turned on, then your domain name will simply expire after
the registration period you have paid for.
3. Can I move my website to a
different domain name?
Yes, you can. You can point
your domain name to your hosting server. You can also keep both domain names
pointing to the same website.
However, search engines
consider it duplicate content and that will affect your search rankings.
We have a step by step guide
on how to properly move a website to new domain name and setup redirects, so
you don’t hurt your SEO.
4. Can I sell a domain name?
Yes, you can sell your domain
name. Domain names are like real estate for web. There is a huge demand for
good brandable custom domain names.
Trading domain names is a
multi-million dollar industry. Since domain names are so cheap, smart
entrepreneurs are always looking for great domain name ideas to get their hands
own.
If you want to sell your
domain name, then there are many marketplace websites like Sedo, GoDaddy, and others where you can list your domain for
sale.
Popular registrars like Domain.com and Network Solutions also let you buy premium
domains right from their domain search feature.
Related: See the best GoDaddy alternatives for buying domains.
5. What is domain privacy? Do
I need it?
ICANN requires people
registering domain names to provide an email, physical address, phone number,
and other personal information to be made available publicly.
Domain Privacy is a separate
add-on service sold by domain registrars. It allows you to show proxy
information instead of your actual personal info.
You don’t need to buy domain
privacy if you don’t want to. However if you are concerned about privacy, then
you can buy this service for a small cost.
6. Can I buy more than one
domain name?
Yes, you can buy as many
domain names as you like.
7. Where can I learn more
about making websites?
Right here. WPBeginner is the
world’s largest WordPress resource site for beginners. We have tutorials, step
by step guides, and videos created specifically for beginner users.
Here are some of the helpful
resources you’ll find on WPBeginner (All of them are completely free).
·
How to make a website (step by step guide for
beginners)
·
WPBeginner Videos – Our series WordPress video tutorials for
beginners
·
WPBeginner Dictionary – Our glossary of terms
to help you understand the WordPress lingo
·
WPBeginner Blog – This is where we publish our WordPress
tutorials, how tos, and step by step guides.
·
WPBeginner on YouTube – Need more video
instructions? Subscribe to our YouTube channel with more than 126,000
subscribers and 12 Million+ views.
We hope this article helped
you learn what is a domain name and how do domains work. You may also want to
see our list of best free domain name generators to find cool ideas for
your next domain name.
If you liked this article,
then please subscribe to our YouTube
Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
What Is Web Hosting? Web Hosting
Explained for Beginners
Web hosting
is an online service that enables you to publish your website or web
application on the Internet. When you sign up for a web hosting service, you
basically rent some space on a physical server where you can store all the
files and data necessary for your website to work properly.
A server is
a physical computer that runs without any interruption so that your website is
available all the time for anyone who wants to see it. Your web host is
responsible for keeping that server up and running, protecting it from
malicious attacks, and transferring your content — such as text, images, files,
etc. — from the server to your visitors’ browsers.
When you
decide to start a new website, you need to find a web hosting provider that will supply you with that server space. Your
web host stores all your files, assets, and databases on the server. Whenever
someone types your domain name into the address bar of their browser, your host
transfers all the files necessary to serve that request.
Therefore,
you need to choose a hosting plan that best fits your needs. In fact, it works
similarly to housing rentals — you have to pay the rent regularly in order to
keep the server running continuously.
To reduce
risks, each Hostinger plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can see if our service really meets
your expectations. When your website grows in traffic and you need more server
space, you can move on to one of our more advanced plans without any delay.
In fact, you
don’t even need any programming knowledge to perform regular site management
tasks. For instance, you can upload HTML and other files to the server, install
content management systems such as WordPress or Drupal, access your database,
and create backups for your site with ease.
Even though
the cPanel hosting platform is used by most web hosting providers, it is a
powerful tool, it can be intimidating to beginners who just want to get a site
up and running quickly. Therefore, we decided to build a custom control panel
for our users — hPanel.
Besides
providing server space for your website, Hostinger also provides other services
related to website management, such as:
- SSL certificates
- Email hosting and page builders
- Developer tools
- 24/7 customer support service
- Automated website backups
- One-click software installs for WordPress or Drupal and much more
In this
article, we’re going to explain web hosting in greater detail. So, let’s dive
right in.
Video Tutorial
Types of Web Hosting
Most web
hosts offer different types of hosting so that they can serve the needs of
different clients — whether you want to build a simple personal blog or own a
large online business and are in a dire need of an intricate company website.
Here are the most popular options available:
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Cloud hosting
- WordPress hosting
- Dedicated hosting
It’s the
best to start small and when your site reaches higher traffic numbers, upgrade
to a more advanced type of plan. In any case, we’re going to describe each one
in more detail.
Shared
Hosting
Web hosting
providers usually offer more than one plan for each type of hosting. For
instance, here at Hostinger, our shared web hosting services come with three
different hosting plans.
This type of
hosting is the most common answer for most web hosting needs and it’s an
excellent solution for most small businesses and personal blogs. With this type
of hosting, you’re sharing one server with other clients. Websites hosted on
the same server share all its resources, such as memory, computing power, disk
space, and others.
Pros
- Low cost, excellent for small online business websites
- No need for specific technical knowledge
- Pre-configured server options
- User-friendly control panel — hPanel
- Maintenance and server administration is taken cared for you
Cons
- Little or no control over server configuration
- Traffic surges on other websites can slow down your website
VPS
Hosting
When you’re
using a Virtual Private Server — or VPS for short — you’re still sharing a
server with other users. However, your web host allocates an entirely separate
partition for you on that server. This means you get a dedicated server space
and a reserved amount of resources and memory.
In fact, VPS
hosting can be great for medium-sized businesses with a rapidly growing number
of websites and traffic.
Pros
- Dedicated server space
- Traffic surges on other websites have no effect on your performance
- Root access to the server
- Easy scalability and high customizability
Cons
- More expensive than other types of hosting
- Technical and server management knowledge is a must
Cloud
Hosting
Cloud
hosting is currently the most reliable solution on the market. With cloud
hosting, your host provides you with a cluster of servers — your files and
resources are replicated on each server.
When one of
the cloud servers is busy or encounters a problem, your traffic is
automatically routed to another server in the cluster. This results in little
to no downtime, which is excellent if you own a very busy website.
Pros
- Little to no downtime
- Server failures have no effect on your website
- Allocates resources on demand
- Pay-as-you-pricing strategy — you only pay for what you use
- More scalable than other web hosting types
Cons
- Hard to estimate the actual costs
- Root access is not always provided
WordPress
Hosting
WordPress
hosting is a particular form of shared hosting, created for WordPress site
owners. Your server is configured specifically for WordPress and your site
comes with pre-installed plugins for crucial tasks, such as caching and
security.
Because of
the highly optimized configuration, your site loads much faster and runs with
fewer problems. WordPress hosting plans frequently include additional
WordPress-related features, such as pre-designed WordPress themes,
drag-and-drop page builders, and specific developer tools.
Pros
- Low cost and beginner-friendly
- One-click WordPress installation
- Good performance for WordPress sites
- Customer support team trained in WordPress issues
- Pre-installed WordPress plugins and themes
Cons
- Recommended only for WordPress sites, which can be a problem if you
want to host more than one website on your server
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated
hosting means that you have your own physical server that’s dedicated solely to
your website. Therefore, you’re given incredible flexibility over how you want
to manage your website. You can configure your server as you wish, choose the
operating system and software you want to use, and set up the whole hosting
environment according to your own needs.
In fact,
renting a dedicated server is just as powerful as owning your own on-site
server, but comes with the professional support of your web host. Usually, this
is more oriented towards large online businesses that deal with heavy traffic.
Pros
- Full control
over server configuration
- High
reliability and security options
- Root access to
your server
Cons
- High cost, more oriented towards larger businesses
- Technical and server management knowledge is a must
What’s the Difference Between Web Hosting and a Domain Name?
Besides
signing up for a web hosting service, you also need to purchase a domain name. While web hosting allows you to rent server space for
your site, the domain name acts as an address of your site.
When your
users want to check out your site, they type the domain name into their
browser’s address bar and your server transfers the content they requested for.
With most
web hosts, you need to purchase your domain name separately. Or, if you already own a domain, you
can also transfer it to your current hosting provider. Similarly to web hosting
plans, you need to pay for your domain name annually in order to keep the
ownership of the domain.
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