Overview

Beginners often confuse domain names and web hosting, but they function as two distinct components required to build a live website.

Core Definitions

• Domain Name: The physical address or street name (e.g., mybusiness.com) that visitors type into their web browser to find your site.
• Web Hosting: The physical server space or digital plot of land where your website files, images, database, and code are actually stored.

How They Work Together

Purchasing a domain name alone only secures the address; visitors will see an error page until you connect that domain to a web hosting account using name servers or A records. While many companies bundle domains and hosting together, you can purchase them from entirely separate providers.