Domain, hosting, and your website: A simple guide to what's what

Tending Your Online Home is a series of website notes inspired by real client projects. Small fixes, real stories, and simple ways to create an online home that feels supportive and aligned.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in business, in possession of a website, must be in want of a clearer understanding of her domain. Jane Austen would understand.

Or at least, that's what I've come to believe after working with women on their websites.

Here are some of the things I hear regularly:

  • I think my domain is with GoDaddy... or maybe it's somewhere else.

  • My old web designer set everything up, and I have no idea where anything is.

  • I have a business email but I can't get into it.

  • Honestly? I just try not to think about it.

Sound familiar?

If so, you are in excellent company. And I want you to know: this is not a reflection of your intelligence, your tech savviness, or your commitment to your business.

This stuff is genuinely confusing.

And underneath the confusion, there's often something else. A feeling of overwhelm that makes the whole backend of your website feel like a drawer you'd rather not open.

So let's gently open the drawer together.

Three things, simply explained

Your domain is your address. It's the URL people type to find you, like shelaghlenon.com. Your domain is registered and managed somewhere, often a platform like GoDaddy, Google Domains, or Squarespace. Think of it as the street address for your online home.

Your website hosting is the land your home sits on. It's where your website's files actually live. This could be a separate company from where your domain is registered, which is where things often start to get tangled.

Your website is the home itself. The pages, the words, the images, the experience someone has when they arrive.

And then there's email. Business email is connected to your domain and tends to live somewhere else entirely, often Google Workspace. It's its own conversation, and honestly, it deserves its own post.

Try This

Open a document (somewhere safe and private) and start recording the following:

  • Where is my domain registered? (Check your email inbox for the original confirmation if you're not sure.)

  • Where is my website hosted?

  • What are my login details for each?

  • When do my subscriptions renew, and how much am I paying?

Think of it as a little map of your online home.

Website Tending Sessions

If your online home feels a little tangled, technically or otherwise, I'd love to help you sort it out with a Website Tending Session.

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