Domain and hosting: give your website an address and a home

Understand what you need to publish a project, what renews and which details you should own.

Your computer is not the public website

A project running on localhost is normally available only on your own computer. Publishing makes the required files and application available through an internet-connected service so other people can reach it.

What a domain does

A domain is the name people use to find your site, such as komeshatech.com. DNS connects names to the services that handle your website and email. Registering a name does not, by itself, upload your website or create a mailbox.

What hosting does

Hosting provides the environment that serves your website. A static site needs a service that can serve its built files. A PHP application also needs PHP and may need a database. Some applications require a continuously running server process, which a basic shared-hosting package may not support.

Do you have to buy both immediately?

You can publish some projects using a provider's free subdomain and free static hosting. A custom domain gives a business its own recognisable address. Paid hosting may provide the server features, support or administration you need. Choose according to your requirements and the ongoing costs, rather than assuming every project needs the most expensive package.

Understand recurring costs

Ask how long the domain registration lasts and what renewal costs.
Confirm the hosting billing cycle and what its limits include.
Check who owns the domain registration and recovery contact.
Ask whether business email, backups and restoration are included.
Distinguish the development fee from annual domain and hosting charges.

Connect the pieces carefully

Use the DNS values supplied by your hosting provider. Keep existing email records when changing where the website points. Enable HTTPS, check the intended domain and test from a device outside your development environment.

Your next step

Write down what your site is built with, whether it needs a database and who will maintain it. Komesha Tech can help you choose a suitable domain and hosting arrangement and publish your work with a clear renewal agreement.