I often get asked this question by clients who are just starting out on the road to internet glory for their businesses. So, I felt why not set out to explore this together here?
More than ever it is important to consider a web presence for your business. Just as you would need a logo, branding, identity, as well as all the other logistics that you would need to consider for your entrepreneurial endeavors, a web presence is equally important and fairly necessary. But navigating the options without being fully aware leads to confusion and costs that were not considered and should have been.
There are several options now that offer “turnkey” template-based quick start-up websites, but unfortunately, they don’t elaborate very well when it comes to the differences between domain name and hosting. So, let us break down what a website actually is.
Three basic components come together to form generally what we think of as a website: a domain name registry, which can be equated to registering your business name legally, secondly a place to house what you intend to show, and thirdly is the content itself as a developed tool, whether retail or services or just an interactive landing page. Think of websites a little as organic in the fact that as your business grows, so will your online presence.
The domain registration secures the name and a number address, that’s it. It doesn’t come with the whole “container” in which to show everything. This aspect can generally cost around ten or more dollars a month and sold in yearly, renewable periods. Sadly many people think that’s it, good to go!
So, now you need hosting, which is the equivalent of renting a brick-and-mortar establishment to conduct your business in the tangible realms. This can vary widely from a fully realized showroom and e-commerce giant to a simple page with contact information and social media links. The costs for this aspect annually also vary widely depending on your needs. How large of a space and how much traffic it can handle should determine and guide how this develops, along with security and maintenance based on your needs and falls under Content intended to be shown and interacted with. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ask your web designer questions as you develop things together, think of them as your partner to a degree on this part of your journey. The more communication there is the less likelihood of misunderstandings.