Essential components of your online presence
One question that we get at Full Scope Creative is: “You host our website, so don’t our emails and domain name go through you as well?” It’s a great question that all comes down to understanding a little about the difference between website hosting, email hosting, and domain name registration. While they are all essential components of your online presence, they serve very different functions. Let’s look at each in a little more detail.
Website Hosting: Where Your Website Is Stored
Website hosting is the service that makes your website accessible and available on the world wide web. When a website is built, all the files of that website—images, text, videos, databases, and more—need to be kept and maintained somewhere so users can visit the site anytime.
At Full Scope Creative, we provide website hosting through secure and reliable servers, ensuring your site is fast, secure, and always available. However, website hosting does not automatically include email hosting.
Email Hosting: Where Your Emails Are Stored and Sent
Email hosting is separate from website hosting. It refers to the servers that handle your emails—storing them, sending them, and receiving them. If you’re using a professional email address (e.g., yourname@yourbusiness.com), it needs to be hosted somewhere. This could be done by the same hosting as used for the website, or through a number of other options.
We offer email hosting through cPanel, which allows clients to create and manage email accounts. However, many businesses purchase Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for their email needs. These services provide additional tools like cloud storage, calendars, and collaboration features, but they are separate from website hosting. If you purchased an email service through Microsoft or Google, it is managed through them—not through your website hosting provider.
Domain Name Registration: Your Online Address
A domain name (like fullscopecreative.com) is a website’s online address. A business must register a domain name through a domain registrar, and this registration must be renewed periodically, typically yearly, to keep the website active.
While we offer domain name registration services, it is important to understand that owning a domain name does not mean you have website or email hosting. The domain name is simply the address that tells visitors where to go. Think of it like registering a business name—it doesn’t mean you automatically have an office or an email system in place.
How These Services Work Together
To summarize:
- Domain Name Registration: An online address (e.g., fullscopecreative.com).
- Website Hosting: Where a website’s files and content are stored.
- Email Hosting: Where emails are stored and managed.
Each of these services can be purchased from the same provider or from different ones, depending on your needs. If you have your website hosted with us but purchased Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace elsewhere, your email will be handled separately from your website hosting.
Why Keeping Everything in One Place Can Help
While it’s possible to have your domain, website hosting, and email hosting managed by different providers, having them under one roof can make things easier. If there’s ever an issue with your website or email, you won’t have to bounce between multiple companies to figure out the problem.
At Full Scope Creative, we offer domain registration, website hosting, and email hosting through cPanel, as well as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace licenses. If you’re unsure about how your services are set up, we’re happy to review them and provide recommendations to keep everything running smoothly.
Understanding the differences can help avoid confusion
Understanding the difference between website hosting, email hosting, and domain name registration can save you a lot of confusion down the road. If you’re ever unsure about where your services are managed or want to consolidate them for easier management, reach out to us at Full Scope Creative—we’re here to help!
