We are often asked by clients what the difference between domains, hosting and SSL Certificates are. In order for your website to work, you need all three of these components. When creating a new website, most clients are not aware that it takes multiple components to make their website accessible to the world. In this blog, we will explain the difference between domains, hosting & SSL Certificate and why these components necessary to get your website live!

Domain Name – What are they?

Your domain name is your unique place on the internet. This is what you type into an address bar to go directly to your website. For example, www.google.com or www.cfgmgroup.co.uk. To put it into a practical perspective think of it as a street address. It needs to be specific for people to be able to accurately find where you are. This is why is why its referred to as a web address.  Its often the first point of call on marketing materials so needs to be short and memorable.

A domain name can be purchased from a domain registrar and is inclusive with one of our website development packages. You can buy a domain name from anywhere between 1 – 10 years however it is not possible to purchase a domain for a lifetime. Before this time elapses, you will need to renew your domain. If you don’t, it will be released back into the public and is free for anyone else to buy it.

What is web hosting?

Your website is comprised of multiple different files. These files need to be stored on a computer which can be accessible by the internet. Essentially, this is where your website lives.

Your hosting can have a few variable factors, such as how big it is and how much traffic can come in and out of it each month. This is usually set to a default and can be negotiated depending on your websites needs. Choosing the right hosting plan will mean having access to the right allocation of resources to keep your website loading quickly and reliably for your visitors.

As a web hosting provider we rent out our servers that are stored in data centres. They are also responsible for maintenance of these machines and can provide an uptime guarantee, backups, configurations and disaster recovery depending on the hosting package selected. This is a service CFM Group can also help facilitate so give us a call today.

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate means that at the start of your domain name, you’ll see https:// (note the ‘s’, which stands for secure) and a padlock symbol. This secures and encrypts any data your website processes; for example, if a customer sends an Inquiry contact form or purchases something from your store.

All websites should have an SSL, because Google warns people visiting sites without SSL that their personal information may be stolen. Having an SSL is also great for your SEO as it is now part of Google’s search ranking algorithm: Google has publicly mentioned that if two identical websites appeared in Google, one with an SSL, one without. The one with the SSL will gain a slight ranking boost to outweigh the other.

What should I do next?

Here at CFM Group we can take the stress out of managing these components by providing a number of web design, hosting and maintenance packages for your business. Please be sure to get in touch if you would like to discuss how we may be able to provide these services to you.

CFM GROUP has over 8 years of experience in the Digital Marketing Industry. We are proud to have more reviews than any other local company in our industry, assuring our customers they are in good hands. Every single website we create is bespoke as no single client is the same. Getting to know your business and your exact needs are integral to producing a beautiful website.  That not only looks professional, it sells your services or products to your target audience effectively.

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