If you've recently set up your own website or are planning to, you may have come across terms like "hosting," "domain," and "cPanel" for the first time. This can feel a bit confusing at first. In this blog post, you'll learn what hosting and a domain are, where you can register a domain, and how to use cPanel. Additionally, you'll find a tutorial on how to create an email address using your own domain name.


What is Hosting?

Hosting is where your website "lives". Every website consists of files such as images, text, and videos, and these files need a place to be stored so they can be accessed online. Hosting involves storing these files on a server, which ensures the data is stored and transmitted properly.


When you sign up for a hosting service, you're essentially renting space on a hosting provider's server (a computer where your website files are stored). When someone visits your website, they access the files on that server.


Without hosting, your website wouldn't be connected to the rest of the internet. Hosting also plays a crucial role in your website's speed and security, which can affect its overall performance.


Types of Hosting:

  • Shared hosting - This is the most affordable type of hosting because you share a server with other websites. However, if other websites on the server experience high traffic, it can slow down your website. Shared hosting is ideal for websites with low traffic. 
  • Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting - As the name suggests, VPS hosting provides a dedicated section of a physical server just for your website. This separated space acts like a complete system dedicated to your site. While it's more expensive than shared hosting, VPS offers more control, faster loading speeds, and better security.
  • Dedicated hosting - With dedicated hosting, your website has its own physical server, not shared with anyone else. This type of hosting is typically used by large companies with high traffic that need full control over their server configuration. It’s one of the most expensive hosting options available.


What is a domain?

A domain is the address of your website on the internet—what people type into a browser to find your site, such as www.yourwebsitename.com. To get a domain, you'll need to come up with a name, check its availability, register it, and then purchase it (prices start from around €12 per year, excluding VAT).


You can buy .lv domains from the nic.lv website. For foreign domains like .com, .eu, or .info, platforms such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or EURid are great options.


"In simple terms, hosting is like the house where your website lives, and a domain is like the home address where people can find it."

Many hosting providers also offer domain registration, which can be convenient if you'd prefer to manage both in one place.


If you purchased your domain and hosting separately, you’ll need to link them manually. However, if you bought both from the same provider, this process is usually done automatically.


To connect your domain to your hosting, you'll need to update your DNS (Domain Name System) settings. This involves pointing your domain to your hosting provider's server.


How to Connect a Domain to Hosting?

1) After signing up for a hosting service, you should receive an email containing all the necessary details, including the information needed to connect your domain. One key piece of information you’ll need is the NameServer (usually two names or more), which looks something like this, but they can also vary from the given example below:

ns1.hostingprovider.com

ns2. hostingprovider.com


If you can't find this information because the email has been deleted, you can contact your hosting provider to resend it.


2) Once you have the nameserver names, log in to your domain registration page. We are going to log in into our GoDaddy website for this example.


3) Once in your account, choose your domain.



4) In dashboard, click on “Domain”.

5) Then click on “Manage DNS”.


6) Click on “Nameservers” and then “Change Nameservers”. 


7) Choose “I’ll use my own nameservers” and add your previously acquired nameservers (step 1).


8) When all the information has been entered, click “Save”.

At this point, everything should be set up, but keep in mind that your website might not be immediately available online. This is because it takes time for the domain to connect to the server where your website’s data is stored. These changes typically take effect within 24 to 48 hours after updating the server settings.


How to create email with your domain name?

Once you have set up your domain and hosting, you can create an email address using your domain. It's very simple.

1) Log in to your hosting provider's dashboard (usually cPanel). We will create e-mail using cPanel as this is one of the most frequently used.


2) When you're logged in, press the button “Email Accounts”.


3) Press on “Create”.


4) Then type in the name you want for your email, e.g. [email protected], enter the password you will use to log in to your email, and press “Create”.

5) The email is now ready. You can log in and check how everything works by clicking “Check Email”.

6) The following window will appear, click on the "Open" button and tick the box "Open my inbox when I log in" if you don't want to go through this step again.


7) This is what your new email dashboard will look like, where you can read, send and receive messages.


We hope you found this tutorial useful. 

If your situation is different from what’s described here and you're having trouble, we’re happy to assist. Feel free to send us a message, and we’ll help you resolve the issue.

If you would like to find out more useful information, check out our other blog posts.