A domain, web hosting, and a website are three different things and all three are necessary for your website to work on the internet. In this article, we explain what each one is, why all three matter, and where you can get them all conveniently in one place.
Imagine opening a store. You need an address, land and a building. It's exactly the same with a website:
Address - where people come to find you. On the internet, this is your domain, for example yourcompany.ee.
Land - the ground your building stands on. On the internet, this is web hosting, i.e. a server.
Building - what the visitor actually sees and moves around in. On the internet, this is your website.
You could build the most beautiful website in the world, but without web hosting you have nowhere to display it, and without a domain no visitor will ever find you.
What is a domain?
A domain is your address on the internet - in other words, the address that customers type into their browser, such as yourcompany.ee or yourcompany.com.
Registering a domain name means choosing a suitable name and claiming ownership of it, usually for one year at a time. Before registering, check domain availability to see whether your name is still free, as popular names disappear quickly.
Which domain extension should you choose?
.ee domain - ideal for the Estonian market. Domain prices start from €6.45/year.
.com domain - a better choice for international audiences, from €10/year.
.eu, .net, .org, etc. - good alternatives if your preferred name is already taken.
Through Voog you can choose from over 20 different domain extensions. See all domains and their prices on the Voog domain pricing page.
Is your desired domain still available? Check at voog.com/domain-search.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a server that runs around the clock, storing your website's files and data. Every time someone types your domain into a browser, the browser loads those files from the server onto the visitor's device.
Traditionally, web hosting had to be purchased and configured separately. Today, most website platforms include hosting automatically as part of their package.
The quality of your web hosting directly affects loading speed, availability, and security. A slow site loses visitors and drops in Google search rankings.
Good web hosting today also includes an SSL certificate, which ensures a secure https connection. Read more about HTTPS and SSL certificates and why every website needs a secure connection.
What is a website?
A website is your company's face on the internet — where your story, products or services, contact details, images, and everything else you want to share with the world lives.
Today you can create a professional website without any coding skills: choose a template, add your text and images, connect your domain, and your mobile-friendly site is ready. Built-in SEO tools help your business rank higher in search engines.
If you'd like to know exactly how to build a website step by step, find out more here.
Where can you get a domain, web hosting, and a website all in one place?
Voog brings together a domain, web hosting, and a website in a single package:
Domain — Voog lets you choose from more than 20 international and country-code top-level domains (.co.uk, .com, .de, .ee, .eu, .fr, .in, .info, .lv, .me, .net, .org, .org.uk, and more).
Web hosting is included in every Voog plan, along with an SSL certificate and automatic updates.
Website — a simple website with no technical knowledge required, automatically mobile-friendly and equipped with SEO tools.
Already have a domain? You can transfer it or simply connect it to your website. When ordering an annual plan, you get your first domain registration for free (applies to .ee, .com, .eu, .net, .org, and many other extensions). Explore Voog's domains and pricing.