What’s the difference between web hosting and domain hosting?

When it comes to your business communications, your website is critical. That’s why it’s so important to know what type of IT services you need to make the most of your online communication tools.

As IT experts, questions we’re commonly asked are “What’s the difference between web hosting and domain hosting?” and “Do I need both?”. So, to provide some clarity, we’ve identified the main features of both forms of hosting, to help you identify which one will benefit your business the most.

What is domain hosting?

Your domain, the online address of your website, is undoubtedly the most important element of your website. After all, it’s how customers and potential customers will find you on the internet. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you have a high level of domain hosting, so that your domain is renewed and that you have domain ownership protection. Should you require web hosting, your domain host will be able to assist you with changing your DNS nameservers which allow you to direct your domain to a particular web host.

When choosing your domain there are two things you need to think about, your top-level domain and your second level domain. Your top-level domain is the last part of your web address, for example ‘.com’ or ‘. co.uk’. Your second level domain is your name, which will most likely be the name of your business. It’s important to note that there are different costs associated with each top-level domain, so keep this in mind when creating a new website.

It’s often the case that business’ purchase a variety of domains with variations of their name and/or with different top-levels. They can then point these alternative domains to their actual website to make sure they’re getting as much traffic as possible.

What is web hosting?

Think of web hosting as the place where you house your website. Web hosting, although not imperative, is extremely important. It ensures that your website is updated and backed up regularly, that there is an SSL security certificate in place, that your website loads quickly and perhaps most importantly and that there’s no downtime.

Your web host will house all of the different parts of your website in one secure location. That location depends on the type of web hosting you choose.

There are a number of different types of web hosting, including shared hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting.

Shared hosting is the most common form of hosting for SMEs, as it offers a shared hosting environment for those that require less space. Plus, as this is shared with other websites, the cost is lower. The other options do offer additional benefits but come at a much higher cost.

VPS hosting is typically used by businesses who’ve outgrown shared hosting and need more space to house their website or who need faster site speeds. Dedicated server hosting is, again, a further step up. It is perfect for businesses who require an entire server for their website as it gives dedicated resources, perfect for larger resources.

Your web host will offer additional services, including your email accounts. It goes without saying that your business will present a more professional image, should your email address contain your domain name. Your web host will be able to set these up and manage them for you.

Ultimately, domain hosting and web hosting are two completely different services – however, they are both extremely important when it comes to your online communications.

Want to find out how our telephony solutions can help you increase your productivity and reduce your costs, or just some friendly, impartial advice on the best tools to make comms a breeze? Contact us today via our live chat, 0333 3603 723, or email enquiries.uk@enreach.com.