Domains, Hosting, DNS and SSL: How they actually fit together

We often find that when a project reaches the launch stage, things can get a bit confusing if you aren’t familiar with the process and what some key terms mean. Who holds the domain? Where is the hosting? How is the DNS managed and by whom? Do we need a new SSL certificate?

It is easy to assume these are all just “the website”, but they are actually four distinct components. The confusion usually happens because one company can provide all of them, but often they don’t. You might buy your domain from one place, manage the DNS record for it somewhere else, and host your website with us.

To clear up who is responsible for what, it helps to break down the parts. The easiest way to visualise this is by thinking of your website like a bricks and mortar shop.

1. The Domain Name (The Street Address)Search bar

Your domain (i.e. jobboard.strategies.co.uk) is strictly just an address.

Owning the domain is like owning the rights to a specific street address. It doesn’t automatically come with a building or a shop; it just lets everyone know the exact location. You pay an annual fee to a Registrar (like Strategies, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or 123 Reg) to keep the rights to use that name.

You usually keep control of this account. We won’t automatically “take over” your domain ownership unless you explicitly request this and transfer it to our management.

2. Web Hosting (The Building)

If the domain is the address, hosting is the physical building where your shop lives.

This is the service we always provide. It is a server where all your website files, images, and databases are stored. When someone types in your domain name, their browser is trying to reach this specific server to “enter” the shop.

3. DNS (The SatNav / Map)

This is the piece that causes the most headaches and confusion at launch.

DNS (Domain Name System) is the connection that points your domain to your hosting provider. Think of it like a SatNav system. When we make your site live on our servers, the DNS records need to be updated to tell the world: “The website is now accessible at this address”

The confusion point: DNS records are usually managed wherever you bought your domain, but not always.

  • Scenario A: You (or your IT team) keep control of the DNS, and we send you the new settings to add.
  • Scenario B: You move domain/DNS management to us and we handle the whole process for you.
  • Scenario C: You give us access to your domain account, and we update the DNS for you at launch – for a small fee.

4. SSL Certificate (The Security Guard)

If you see the little padlock icon next to a URL in your browser, that site has an SSL certificate. It encrypts the data passing between your customer and your website, making sure the connection is secure. In the past an SSL certificate was usually only used for the most security conscious sites. But today it’s a must have for ALL sites and not having an SSL will usually result in browsers either displaying an insecure site warning or outright refusing to load the site.

Years ago, you had to buy SSLs separately. Today, they are almost always generated and managed by the hosting provider. Because we host the site, we usually handle the SSL for you automatically once the DNS is pointed to us.

Summary: Who manages what?

If you are hosting a site with us but keeping your domain registered elsewhere, here is how the responsibilities usually split:

Component What it is Who usually manages it?
Domain The name (jobboard.strategies.co.uk) You (via your Registrar)
Hosting The actual website files and database Us
DNS The connection settings You (or your IT team)
SSL The security certificate Us (installed on our servers)

What you need to do to prepare for launch

As we get close to going live, it’s important that you understand the differences between these services and who manages each one. This is especially true for the DNS record.

If we don’t manage the DNS for you, there is very little we can do to help update it. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re scrambling to find out where it is managed or who has the login details on the day of the launch.

Assuming you or your IT team manage it, we will send you an email just before launch (once the site is set up and ready to go live) detailing everything you need to update to get the domain pointing at our servers.

To ensure that your new site can also send out important emails (like job alerts or password resets) without hitting spam filters, we also recommend reading our Email Deliverability guide.