Who handles my website's hosting and domain name?
Key takeaways
- Your domain is your address, hosting is the building, SSL is the lock and email is the mailbox.
- Register the domain in your own business name, with your own business email as the contact.
- Each service renews separately, so someone must be clearly responsible for each one.
- Keep a written list of every service, whose name it is in and who renews it.
Domain, hosting, SSL, business email: these words come up in every website project, and they are easy to mix up. Each is a separate service, often from a separate company, with its own renewal date. Knowing which is which helps you keep control of your website and avoid the classic surprise of a site going offline because something expired.
What is the difference between a domain, hosting, SSL and email?
Your domain is your address, hosting is the building, SSL is the lock on the door, and email is the mailbox. They work together, but each is set up and renewed on its own.
| Service | What it is | Everyday comparison | If it lapses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your website's name on the internet, such as yourbusiness.com | Your street address | The website and email stop working, and someone else may register the name |
| Hosting | The computer (server) where your website's files and data live, switched on all the time | The building at that address | The website goes offline |
| SSL certificate | The security that encrypts information between visitors and your site, shown by the padlock and "https" in the browser | The lock on the front door | Browsers warn visitors that the site is "not secure" |
| Business email | Addresses such as info@yourbusiness.com, often hosted by a separate email provider | The mailbox at the address | Messages bounce or go missing |
Who should own my domain name?
You should. Register the domain in your own business name, with your own business email as the contact, so you are always the legal holder and can move it wherever you like.
The domain is the one piece that is hardest to replace. Your customers, your printed materials, your search rankings and your email all depend on it. If it is registered in a designer's or an employee's personal account, you depend on that person every time something needs changing.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. For more on ownership of the whole website, see will my web designer own my website.
Who renews what, and when?
Each service renews on its own schedule, and someone must be clearly responsible for each one. Agree this in writing with your web team, so renewals do not fall between two people.
- Domain: renewed with the company where it is registered, usually every one or more years. Turn on auto-renew if your registrar offers it.
- Hosting: renewed with whoever provides the server, often your web team.
- SSL: modern certificates renew often and are usually set up to renew automatically by whoever manages the hosting.
- Email: renewed with your email provider, usually on its own subscription.
What does Kensoftware handle for clients?
We look after the technical side of running your website and help you set up the parts that should be in your name. Because every site we build runs on our own CMS, we know exactly what it needs to run well.
- We check your domain first. If you already have one, we confirm it is in your name. If you need one, we help you register it so that you are the owner.
- We set up the website's hosting and connect your domain to it.
- We set up SSL so your site loads securely with the padlock.
- We connect your email settings so your website forms and your business email work alongside the site.
- We give you a written list of every service, who it is with, whose name it is in and who renews it.
Can I move my website to another company later?
You can always move your domain, because it is yours. Moving the website itself depends on how it was built, so ask about it before the project starts. With us, your content is yours, while the CMS is our software that runs your site; we explain upfront what a move would involve, so you can decide with full information.
What questions should I ask my web team about hosting?
Ask the questions that show who is responsible when something goes wrong. Good answers are clear, specific and in writing.
- Whose name is the domain registered in, and who gets the renewal reminders?
- Who looks after hosting, backups and security updates?
- How is SSL set up, and who makes sure it keeps renewing?
- Who do I contact if the website goes down?
- Can the hosting handle my busiest periods? See how much traffic a website can handle.
Hosting also affects how fast and safe your site is. Our guides on website security and what makes a website slow cover those sides.
If you are not sure who holds your domain or hosting today, get in touch and we will help you find out and get everything into the right hands.
How Kensoftware approaches this
- We check first that your domain is in your name, and if you need a new one we help you register it so you are the owner.
- We set up hosting suited to our CMS, connect your domain and set up SSL so the site loads securely.
- We connect your email settings so your website forms and business email work alongside the site.
- At launch we give you a written list of every service, who provides it, whose name it is in and who renews it.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my domain name expires?
Your website and email stop working, and after a grace period someone else may be able to register the name. Turn on auto-renew where possible and keep the contact email up to date.
Can my domain and hosting be with different companies?
Yes, and that is very common. The domain simply points to wherever your website is hosted, so either can be changed without affecting who owns the other.
Do I need a separate email provider?
Often, yes. Business email is usually a separate service from website hosting. It uses your domain name, so keeping the domain in your name protects your email too.