“Domain Names” and “Web Hosting” are two terms commonly used in discussions about creating a new website.

A “Domain Name” is the name of your website. It often ends with “.com”, and it’s what you’d type into an internet browser to navigate to your website (for example, www.yourcompany.com). A domain name may also be referred to as an “Address”, “Web Address”, or “URL”.

Ideally, your domain name will contain the exact name of your company, but since every domain name is 100% unique, and only one person on earth at a time can own a domain name, many of the most popular and obvious names have already been registered. If your name is already taken, we’ll find the name that most closely resembles your business name – or one that is associated with your company slogan, or marketing campaign.

“Web Hosting” is the combination of equipment and service that makes your
website available on the internet. Your hosting provider will store all of your website files on a special computer called a “Web Server” that is able to broadcast your website to the world.

Think of web hosting as being the physical storefront that holds all your products and information, while your domain name is the street address that allows your customers to find you. Domain names are typically billed annually (approximately $15 per year), while web hosting is typically between $5 and $50 per month (depending on size, speed, features, and security).

For more detailed information, including specific hosting plans, check out our article on web hosting.