Website hosting options

To put a website online, you need both a domain name and web hosting. These are closely linked but different things. You will need both in order for your website to be visible and accessible on the internet.

What is a domain name?

Your domain name is the address people type into the browser to visit your website - for example, www(dot)mynewbusiness(dot)com. It is your website's name on the web and helps customers find you online.

You can buy a domain name through a domain name registrar. This gives you the right to use that specific web address, but it does not provide space to host your website files. A domain name on its own won't make your website 'live' and available on the internet.

How hosting and domains work together

To make your website visible, the files that make it up (eg text and images) must be stored on a web host, which is a computer server connected to the internet 24 hours a day. The server gives your hosted website a unique internet protocol (IP) address - a string of numbers that computers use to locate it. A domain name is a human-friendly version of this address, so visitors do not have to remember long numbers.

What is an IP address used for?

When someone types your domain name into a browser, the system translates the domain name into the correct IP address and sends a request to the web host. The host then sends your website files back to the visitor's screen. This is essentially how your customers are able to view your website. So, for your website to be available online, you need both a domain name, as well as a hosted website.

If you have yet to choose your business domain name, there is a lot to think through - from the different types of domain names to trade marking considerations.

If you have a domain name but are looking for hosting, see factors to consider when choosing a web hosting provider.