A few weeks ago, we whetted your palate with Domains 101: An Introduction to Custom Domains, an introductory post about custom domains. This week, we’re going to delve deeper into the details of domain ownership and hosting your site.

Your registrar versus your host

Let’s pause the tech-talk for a moment, and switch to a time-tested metaphor. Your domain is like your street address. When someone wants to visit your house, they pop your address into Google Maps, follow the directions, and arrive at your doorstep. Your home, on the other hand, is like your hosting provider. It is where your store all of your things: your books, your clothes, your photo albums. If your mayor one day knocked on your door and said, “We’re changing your street name from Main Street to Broadway,” your house would remain the same, but your address would change. Makes sense, right?

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