Domain, hosting and SSL in plain words
Three technical things every website owner should understand so they never lose control of their site.
Business owners don’t need to understand code. But three things are worth knowing, because they decide whether the website is really yours.
A domain is the address
A name like yourbusiness.com that people use to find you. Domains are rented yearly from a registrar.
Important: the domain should be registered to you or your company, not to a contractor. Otherwise, if the collaboration ends, the address may stay in someone else’s hands.
Hosting is where the site lives
The server that stores the files and databases and delivers pages to visitors. Hosting determines how fast and stable your site is.
Important: have access to the hosting account, or at least know where it is and who pays for it.
SSL is the padlock in the address bar
A certificate that encrypts the connection between the visitor and the site. Without it, the browser shows a “Not secure” warning, and some people will simply leave.
Important: certificates expire. Ideally, renewal is set up to happen automatically.
Make one note with all your access details: domain registrar, hosting, email, analytics. One day this document will save you weeks of stress.