Congratulations! You own a domain. That’s a really big step in the right direction! We’re very proud of you.
So now that you have a domain…
Now what?
Why You Need Hosting AND a Domain
So let’s say you’ve purchased a domain and your domain is fluffyoranges.biz. You encourage people to post pictures of pretty oranges. Even knitted ones. You know…that’s awesome.
But your URL doesn’t go anywhere. It just sits there in your URL bar looking pretty. Nothing pops up about oranges when you type it in. Nothing happens to impress you. You see no photos of oranges. Not even a crocheted one, even if that isn’t your favorite.
So…why not?
Hosting is the Key!
Imagine the internet is a game of Monopoly. A really scary game of Monopoly with no limit on houses or hotels and a negative Free Parking.
In this game of Monopoly, you hold, in your hand, the card to Boardwalk. This is like your hosting. While you hold the card to Boardwalk, there is rent due, even if there isn’t very much rent due because the property is unmodified. There is a place on the board for your property. You even know where it is! – but it doesn’t have a name, even if you can literally put your finger on the spot where Boardwalk is. It doesn’t have a house, and your property card doesn’t have any information on how to modify the property. This is because your hosting is just what supports your website. It is the backbone, but it isn’t your website, or your domain.
So Wait, My Domain Is…
Your domain is what is going to put a house and a name on Boardwalk. Your domain is FluffyOranges.biz. Your domain is going to make sure people can locate your property and cringe appropriately once you tell them how much rent is.
To review – your hosting is your anchor, it’s your space on the board. But your domain is what people are going to use to find you and your fluffy orange pictures – one without the other is not so helpful. You can’t build a house on Boardwalk without owning Boardwalk, and Boardwalk is just another place on the board without a house. To really make everyone go bankrupt, you need both – AND the ability to upgrade to hotels, which is your website. That is how you total people in Monopoly, and that’s how you’re going to rock your internet presence, too.
So remember, when in doubt – hosting, domain, website. Hosting, domain, website. You need all three as a skeleton foundation for your internet presence. Watch out for an infographic on this one, folks.
