Domain, hosting and email: what each one is, and which you need

The domain is the address

It is the name people type, like yourbusiness.in. You register it for a period (usually a year) and renew it. It does nothing by itself: it only points somewhere.

Hosting is the place

Hosting is a computer that is always on, where your website's files live. The domain points to it. WordPress hosting is hosting set up for WordPress, the software most small business websites run on.

Email is the mailbox

Business email gives you addresses at your domain, like you@yourbusiness.in. It is its own service with its own storage; it works whether or not you have a website.

What you need

• Only want a professional email address: a domain and email.
• Want a website to show your work or take enquiries: a domain and hosting.
• Want both: all three. The domain is the common piece, so register it first.

How they connect

DNS records tie them together: one record points the domain to your hosting, another (the MX record) tells the world where your email lives. Our guide on DNS records explains them.