Although it may seem simple, many entrepreneurs do not understand what domain and hosting are; they do not know the difference between them or how they relate, and they end up getting confused when hiring these crucial services for their businesses.
I’ll try to explain it simply for those who don’t know:
A domain is nothing more than your website’s address on the internet—it’s the “name” you type into your browser to access a site.
Hosting is where your website’s files are installed so that it can operate.
When we purchase hosting, we are renting space on a server to install the website files so that it works online, and the domain is used so that these files that make up your website can be found and viewed on your phone, computer, etc.
There are several hosting companies that offer plans for everyone; it’s up to the professional developing the website to indicate the best option for the current needs. I won’t recommend any in this post (they might think I’m being paid for it, haha), but I do have my favorites that I suggest and always explain the reasons for to my clients.
Many hosting companies also sell domains, which makes buying and renewing the service much easier.
The @companyname emails also depend on both the domain and hosting, and usually the professional email service comes included in the hosting plans; it works in a similar way to the website, where messages are sent and received by the server via the email address.
Domains with the “.br” extension are regulated by Registro.br, and you can purchase your “.br” domains directly from their website.
It is very important that the domain and hosting are purchased and registered with the company owner’s information—or with the contracting company’s CNPJ—and not under the name of the professional or agency that develops your website.
And finally, the most important thing: The domain and hosting (and consequently the website files) are the property of the company, not of the person who creates the site!
