What is hosting?
Put simply, hosting is where your website lives. All websites are ‘hosted’ on servers (computers) somewhere around the world.
What is a domain?
A domain name is like a signpost that points people to where your website lives. It’s what you type into a browser to go to a site (E.g. shortiedesigns.com.au). Without a domain name, the only way to get to your site would be to type in the actual IP address of your site (something like 123.100.136.169). It’s kind of like how we have street names instead of having to memorise longitude and latitude numbers of locations in the real world.
Do I need both?
The short answer is: Yes. Without hosting, there wouldn’t be anywhere for your website to live. Without a domain name, nobody would be able to find it.
Where should I buy my domain and hosting?
Our preferred hosting and domain provider is an Australian company called Panthur. Panthur offer affordable and reliable hosting solutions starting from $5 per month, as well as a wide range of domain options. They provide the up-to-date tools we need to set up your hosting and domain so that everything works the way it should.
Why can’t I just buy them from Shortie Designs?
We don’t sell hosting or domains. Some web design agencies do, but we prefer not to keep all your eggs in once basket. We’d rather you go with companies that specialise in this area. It’s easier for everyone if you register yourself and provide us with the login details.
