Key takeaways
- Your domain name is your web address, like yourbusiness.com.au. Web hosting is the service that stores your website and sends it to visitors.
- You rent both. If one lapses, your website and often your email can stop working.
- Register the domain in your business’s name and keep the login yourself.
- A domain can point at any host, so changing host doesn’t mean changing your address.
- Fake “renewal” notices are common. Check them against your own registrar before you pay.
Domain name vs web hosting: the short answer
A domain name is the address people type to find you. Web hosting is the service that stores your website and sends it to their screen. You need both for a website to work. Email on your own domain is a third, separate piece.
Most trouble we see comes from not knowing who holds which. The person who built the site registered the domain, then left, and nobody has the login. This guide helps you avoid that.
Think of it as a shop
- The domain name is the street address.
- The web hosting is the building you rent.
- The website is the fit-out and the stock inside.
- Email is the mailbox out the front.
You can own the address and still lose the shop if the lease on the building lapses. That’s why it helps to know who looks after each part.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is your website address, like yourbusiness.com.au. You don’t buy it for good. You license it from a registrar for a set period, then renew it.
For a .com.au you usually need an Australian business presence, such as an ABN or ACN. Our post on how to get a .com.au domain has the steps. If you’re just starting out, here’s how to register a business name and what to do online next.
If you let a domain lapse, your site and any email on it stop working. Registrars often give a short grace period, but it varies, so don’t count on it. Eventually someone else can register the name.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a company running computers called servers that are always on. Your website’s files, photos and database sit on one. When someone visits, the server sends the page to their phone.
There are a few kinds:
- Builder plans. With Wix or Squarespace, hosting comes with the plan. Our builder vs WordPress guide covers the trade-offs.
- Shared hosting. Many sites share one server. It’s cheaper, and it can be slower when the server is busy.
- Managed WordPress hosting. Servers set up for WordPress, often with backups and updates handled.
- Your own server. More power and more to manage. Most small businesses don’t need it.
Hosting affects how fast your site loads and whether it stays up. Many hosts also supply the SSL certificate that puts https on your address. Here’s what an SSL certificate does. If yours feels slow, see why is my website slow.
How the two connect
Your domain has a set of settings, called DNS records, that say where things go. One record says your website lives on a certain server. Another says which company handles your email.
That’s why you can change hosts without changing your address: you update the record. It’s also why whoever has the DNS login holds the keys. Email has its own record, so it can stay with your email provider when the website moves. Our business email guide explains those records.
Who should own what
- The domain: registered in your business’s name, with your email address as the contact, and you hold the registrar login. If a developer registers it for you, ask for the login or to have it transferred to you.
- The hosting: with someone who looks after it. Ask who pays, who has the login and what happens if you part ways.
- A list: write down your registrar, your host, your email provider and who has each login. Keep it somewhere safe.
We can host and look after your site, or work with where it is now. Whoever looks after it, the domain should stay in your name.
Watch for fake renewal notices
Letters and emails that look like domain renewal invoices are a known trap for small businesses. The ACCC has taken action over notices that looked like renewals but were for a new, different domain name.
Before you pay one, check that the domain name matches yours exactly and that the notice is from your registrar. If you’re unsure, ring your registrar on the number from their own website, not the one on the notice.
Changing host without losing your site, address or email
- Check where your email lives. If it’s with the old host, move it separately first.
- Get the new host to set up a full copy of the site and test it before anything changes.
- Switch the DNS record last.
- Keep the old hosting until you’ve checked the new site, the forms and your email, then cancel it.
Questions people ask
What is web hosting in simple terms?
It’s renting space on an always-on computer that stores your website and sends it to anyone who visits your address. Without it, your domain name has nothing to point at.
Do I need to buy hosting and a domain separately?
It depends. With a builder like Wix or Squarespace, hosting is part of the plan, and the domain is sold with it or separately depending on the plan. With WordPress you usually arrange the domain and the hosting separately, or have your developer do it.
How do I find out who my domain is registered with?
Search your email for “domain” or “renewal”, ask whoever built your site, or look the name up on a public domain lookup tool, which shows the registrar. Then ask the registrar to confirm who the registrant is.
What happens if my domain expires?
Your website and any email on that domain stop working. Many registrars allow a short grace period to renew, but it varies, so renew before the date.
Can I change hosting and keep my domain?
Yes. The domain is separate from the host. You update the DNS record to point at the new host, ideally once the new site has been tested.
Not sure who holds your domain or where your site lives? Send your website in for a free website check and we’ll tell you what we can see. If you’d like us to look after it, have a look at our website care plans.