The names and terms associated with a website can be confusing. These are all relatively new things for most of us. We didn’t grow up, at least most didn’t grow up, with website lingo as part of our vocabulary. These simple definitions will help you better understand what is a registrar, a website host and a web server.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the website address for your website. It is a series of letters and/or numbers followed most often by a dot com (.com). It is an alias for the actual address of your website which is an ip address, ie 54.124.35.212. Domain names are used because they are easier to remember than an ip address.
What is a registrar?
A domain registrar is an accredited company that manages the purchase of domain names. This is the company from which you buy a domain name. There are lots of them such as NameCheap, GoDaddy, Dotster, etc. Something many people don’t realize is you don’t actually buy a domain name. You are leasing it. When you ‘buy’ a domain name you are leasing it for a specific time frame. After that time frame is up, you can renew it. If you don’t renew your domain name, it will expire and go back into the pool of available names. If this happens, you could lose your domain name. Another company, including a competitor, could then buy it.
If this happens, you could lose your domain name. Another company, including a competitor could then buy it.
What is a website host?
A website host is the company you pay to host your website. A website is a collection of files and most often a database. These need to exist on a computer that is hooked up to the internet so people can access your website (see web server below). Your email may or may not be hosted with the same company that hosts your website. Many website hosting plans include email, but you may choose to have your email and your website hosted with separate companies.
What is a web server?
A web server is a computer built to run websites. It has an operating system much like your home computer. Instead of running Windows or Macintosh, it probably runs Apache. It also has several other programs installed, again, like your home computer. A web server will be running PHP, mySQL, etc. One of the most important jobs of your website host is to keep your serving updated and patched. You hear all to often about computer hacks. One of the most common ways this happens is through outdated or unpatched software. This is also why it is so important to keep your website updated and patched.
One of the most important jobs of your website host is to keep your serving updated and patched.
Bonus question – What is a top-level domain (TLD)?
This is what follows the dot in your domain name. It’s the com, net, edu, gov, etc. These are called top level domains. There used to be only seven, now there are hundreds. There are TLD for countries (.uk), industries (.casino), companies (.amazon), etc. A .com remains the most popular and generally the best choice if you can find one. Other TLD do create a unique opportunity so should not be dismissed as a viable option.
Understanding these terms will make you better educated about how your website actually works. You can have an education conversation with a provider or a colleague and make better decisions for your business.
If you have additional terms you would like to see defined, enter them in the comments below.
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