Domain Name vs. Website

To some, there is confusion between a domain and website. We find when trying to get information on a domain name this results in us sometimes getting sent the information for the website instead.

In this article, we explain the difference between the two.

Think of a website as a database. This database holds all your website files and is accessed online by your audience. Otherwise, known as a bunch of pages that make up the design of your website using content and images. According to SiteGround, “For a site visitor to be able to see a site, they need to know the Internet address where the server that has the site files is hosted. This address is called an Internet Protocol address or an IP Address. IP addresses look like this: 173.194.70.113.”

Rather than trying to remember an IP address, we use what is called a domain name. The reason is that it’s way easier to remember. A domain name typically consists of your company name or the service you offer. 

Example: Your business is called New Hope Chiropractic.

Your domain name is www.newhopechiropractic.com but you also own www.chiropraticserviceskingston.com.

You can have as many domain names as you want for your business because of the strategy behind your business. You would choose one as your primary (which should also be the one used in your email address) and have all the other domains point to your primary domain. 

There is a strategy on what domain name(s) you should consider for your business. For more information, give this article a read.

There are two ways of looking at this.

1. If you have a website, you technically don’t need a domain name but it is highly recommended. We explained this in more detail above when explaining what a domain name is.
2. You can have a domain name without a website. Sometimes businesses will grab domains so others cannot as there is a plan of getting a website down the road.