Domains and web hosting, explained
A website needs two things to be visible: an address and a place where the files live. Here is how they fit together, and how to avoid the usual mistakes.
The domain is the address
The domain is the name visitors type in, for example yourcompany.se. It is rented per year from a registrar. A .se domain costs roughly SEK 100 to 300 a year depending on the provider.
The single most important piece of advice: register the domain in the company’s name, with your own email address. If a provider registers it for you, moving later can get complicated. The domain should be yours regardless of who builds or hosts the site.
If you already have a domain you do not need to change it. It is pointed at the new site, which takes minutes to do and up to a day to propagate.
The web host is the place
The web host (or hosting) is the server where the website’s files live. When someone types in your address, the page is fetched from there.
A simple business website needs very little. An ordinary web host from around SEK 20 a month is plenty. Sites built as finished files, without a publishing tool, can also live on services that are free or nearly free and very fast.
If you let the provider handle hosting you pay a monthly fee instead, which usually covers the server, certificate, updates and often small changes. Ask what is included and whether the agreement has a lock-in period.
Certificates and https
The padlock in the browser comes from a certificate. It should be free: every serious web host issues one automatically. If you are asked to pay separately for “SSL”, ask why.
What you need ready
- A domain, registered to the company.
- Login details for the registrar’s control panel, so the DNS record can be changed.
- A decision on who handles hosting: you or the provider.
With those three in place a finished site can go live the same day.
Common mistakes
- The domain is registered to a former provider or an employee who has left.
- The domain expires because the invoice went to an old address. Set a reminder.
- Hosting costs more than it needs to, because it was bought bundled with something else.