Domain and web hosting are related, but different entities. A domain host is what provides the name of your website, such as www.yourdomain.com. This is where audiences can find you. Think of the domain name as your street address. Web hosting provides the physical space where your site is stored, includes text, images, videos, a store, and any other content you want on your website.
There is the ability to connect one or more custom domains to your site. Once they are connected, a visitor will see that your domain name is hosted by the hosting provider you chose. This is important for both businesses and successful SEO, and personal websites.
Here are five popular options for domains and hosting.
1. Domain.com
Domain.com is an accessible domain register that offers a variety of top-level domains and inexpensive hosting options, with tools such as blogs, web design, online marketing services, and VPS hosting. The service offers hosting through WordPress. Each of the plans at Domain.com includes a free domain name, unlimited disk space, and loads of tools for marketing to help build the traffic of your site.
2. Bluehost
Bluehost is known as a recommended WordPress hosting provider. They are recommended for hosting if you are just getting started online, and you can register your domain name. With Bluehost, you get quality hosting at low prices. Some plans include email, free domain, and setup help. The company also offers a 24/7 support team available, 365 days a year.
3. HostGator
HostGator is an excellent site to register your domain, and there low-priced hosting and domain register bundles. The service provides an excellent foundation if you are starting your online business, and they have a reasonable uptime rate, meaning they very rarely are ever offline. The site currently hosts over approximately nine million websites on their platform.
4. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a popular hosting site that has been along for a long time. They offer domain registrar and hosting, so you can run your website from one spot. It is the biggest domain name registrar, and they also have a lot of other services to support their large sites, such as eCommerce sites. There hosting costs a little more than the others mentioned, but they frequently run promos on domain registering.
5. Dreamhost
Dreamhost is another popular web hosting provider and domain registrar. The site has over 1.5 million websites and over 400,000 customers. Dreamhost offers an unlimited supply of domain name extensions, free domain privacy, and easy control over settings.
When you’ve determined your domain name, you need to make sure you purchase it through the right registrar. Here are some factors you should consider during your search.
- Domain Transfers – domain transfer is the process of moving from registrar to another. Make sure you know your registrar’s policy for transfers. In most cases, the domain cannot be changed for 60 days following the registration.
- Contract and Pricing – if you are researching domains and hosting services, you will probably come across a variety of pricing options. Be sure to examine associated costs in dealing with domain transfers, cost of renewal, and any additional fees that might be tacked on.
- Customer Support – you want to make sure your choice for domain and hosting offers support staff. You want to quickly get ahold of someone for help if something was to go wrong on your site. When researching different hosting services, read reviews from customers to see how they rank their customer support.
- Additional Services – Most registrars offer other services besides registering a domain name. Many allow you to host your domain names, build your site, and purchase certificates.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to research and read reviews so that you are able to decide the service for you.
