Domain name: the address people remember
A domain name is the human-readable address of a website, such as yourbusiness.com.ng. People enter it into a browser and domain-name systems direct requests toward the service you have configured. Registering a domain generally involves a periodic renewal fee.
A domain is not the website itself. You can register a domain months before publishing any pages. You can also point a domain to email hosting, a shop platform or other online services.
Web hosting: the place your files run
Web hosting provides storage and computing resources for the web pages, images, scripts and databases behind a website. Hosting fees may be monthly or yearly. Different packages have limits on storage, bandwidth, website count and server features.
For a conventional WordPress or PHP business website, you normally need both a domain name and hosting. For some hosted website builders, the platform provides hosting, and you connect your custom domain to it.
A practical example
Suppose your bakery registers sunrisebakes.com.ng. The domain is printed on packaging and shared with customers. Hosting stores the bakery’s menu, photographs and contact page. DNS records connect the domain to the hosting service. If you change web hosts, your domain can remain the same and you can update DNS instead of reprinting your materials.
Can you buy them separately?
Yes. Your registrar can be different from your host. The main responsibility is managing DNS carefully. If you want a simpler setup, buying both together may reduce the number of accounts you manage, but compare renewal costs and support before committing.
What should you purchase first?
If you know your business name but are not ready to build, register the domain first so you can secure an available name. If your website is ready to publish, choose suitable hosting and connect the domain. No domain registrar can guarantee that a desired name remains available until you actually register it.