Intro: Web Hosting and Web Domains
Understanding the difference between web hosting and web domain names may be a challenge to people new to Web Design. It’s easy to get hyper focused on the design part but when it comes time to deploy your website you might be left confused by how to get it online and in front of customers. Some companies like GoDaddy offer A domain, hosting, and a web design platform which makes the process seem easy, but you are then locked into their universe. For all you who either don’t want an all-in-one package or want to have a better understanding of what a Domain or Hosting is, then hopefully this will give you a basic understanding.
What Is a Website Domain?
Basically, it is just your website name. Technically, it is your unique website address to place in browsers. For example, our company website southcountycreative.com. This is a more human way of expressing the address rather than having to remember the IP Address which is a series of numbers and dots.
For a deep dive into what an IP Address is, check out this article “What is an IP Address – Definition and Explanation” and for more info on what a domain is this article “What Is a Website Domain and How Does It Work?”
How Much Do Website Domains Cost?
You can expect to pay on average $1.99 – $20 per month for most domains that end in a “.com”. If you are a nonprofit or educational organizations you can secure a “.org” or “.edu” but these exetensions do have special requirements that we wont get into here.
If you choose a name that is more popular you might see a cost that exceeds several hundred dollars. Adding a dash “-“, or changing the spelling might get that price back down. If you are looking to purchase a domain, read this article of GoDaddy “How much does a domain name cost? Find out!” or this one from Forbes comparing multiple companies “Best Web Hosting Services of August 2024”.
What is Web Hosting?
Hosting is the service you select to hold your website content and make it available to the public. It’s a concept that gets exponentially more difficult as you start getting deeper into weeds, but for this articles we are keeping it simple. You are likely a small business or startup just looking to get a website online and we will only briefly discuss these concepts.
There are currently 4 types of hosting:
- Shared Hosting: This is the best for startups and small businesses. It allows for multiple websites share the same server. This is great to keep costs low.
- VPS Hosting: A Virtual Private Server. This is more secure and faster, however a bit more expensive than shared hosting. You should consider this if you have a lot of sensitive or secure data you store or access online
- Dedicated Hosting: You get an entire server dedicated to your website. This is the most secure and expensive. Think about that room at work with all the computers and wires and lights. Very complicated and specialized.
- Cloud Hosting: Uses multiple servers to balance the load and maximize uptime. This is the newest in the game and is very flexible, allowing you to allocate more or less resources based on your unique needs. Some of the bigger players in this space are Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS and Google Cloud. This is also the most complicated.
Which Web Hosting Company Should I use?
The most common shared Web Hosting platforms I see people using:
Bluehost: I havent used this company but they had a very large advertising campaign online, so chances are if you look up videos on YouTube, you will likely see this referenced.
HostGator: I used this company to host my first consulting website, and they were fine 8 years ago. At the time they were one of the bigger hosting companies.
Hostinger: My company website South County Creative uses this web hosting company and I am very happy with their service and speed. It costs us about $180 per year. This the service I use for Julz Talks Tech. I purchased both web hosting and web domain from them.
DreamHost: My experience with them is limited, but many YouTubers love it (or get their sponsorship, I dunno).
InMotion Hosting: I used InMotion Hosting for a large school project that has multiple sub domains and websites with over 100 pages. It is very fast, but also required a lot of server space and resources. I haven’t used this hosting company for small websites.
GoDaddy: I have never used them for Hosting, but my company website South County Creative uses it for its domain. It costs us about $120 a year
For most web hosting companies you can get started around $2-$4 per month and after the promo period it will increase to $10-20 per month. For more information you should review each one of their Pricing Pages and see which one is best for you. This is a popular choice for many people becuase they offer bothweb hosting and web domain names.
Final Thoughts
If you choose, you could also buy your domain through the web hosting company, however it might make it complicated to switch one or the other in the future if you choose. I wanted to look at their “Basic” hosting plan; the one that is cheapest and not going to bankrupt you in the end.
ProTip: when chosing a company that offers both web hosting and web domain names, please look at the monthly/yearly plans carefully. The “teaser” rate is usually for a promotional period and will go up after a year or so. The prices are Constantly Changing so check back frequently to see if you can get a better deal.
ProTip: one reason it is good to separate hosting companies from domain companies is because prices can go up or down and you might get stuck in a high-cost plan. Its easier to swap out one rather than unbundle and find a new company for both Domain and Hosting.
To Summarize
- Web domains are the website name you see in the browser.
- Web hosting is the service that “Hosts” your website domain online so people can visit your website
- Most Domains start around $2 per month
- Most Hosting (Shared/basic) starts around $11 per month after the promotional period
- I recommend buying each one separately and not to bundle with the same company in case you want to switch services it is easier
- Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more advice. We offer a free 15-minute consultation for anyone with questions and a paid service for help building your product.
Julz Talks Tech dives into web design, graphic design, technology, AI, and all things nerdy. If you enjoy this article, please like, comment, and share it with a colleague who might find it interesting or helpful. Your support on Patreon helps us grow and reach a wider audience. Let’s expand this community together!
This article was sponsored by South County Creative, a full-service web design and branding company located in Dana Point, CA
