In brief.
Register your domain in your own name, keep its contact email current, and turn on auto-renew. Hosting and email are separate services, and on my plan the hosting is included.
The three pieces at a glance
| What you need | What it is | Who you usually pay |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your address online, like yourbusiness.com. It’s also the part after the @ in a business email address. | A domain registrar, usually once a year. |
| Website hosting | The computer that stores your website and sends it to each visitor. | Your web host, website builder, or web designer. My plan includes it, for $0 setup and $50 a month. |
| Business email | Email at your own domain, like you@yourbusiness.com. | An email provider, usually a monthly fee per person. |
Your domain name
Your domain is the address people type to find you, and the name on your email if you have a business address. You register it with a domain registrar, typically for one to ten years at a time, and renew it before it runs out. WebsiteSetup’s 2026 guide puts a standard .com at about $12 to $25 a year.
The person or business named as the registrant holds the domain. Whoever can sign in to the registrar account controls it day to day: where it points, whether it renews, and whether it moves.
Check that your domain is yours
A few minutes with your registrar now can save a lot of trouble later. Check that:
- It’s registered in your name or your business’s name, not your web designer’s or a former employee’s.
- You can sign in to the registrar account yourself.
- The contact email is one you check, because renewal reminders go there.
- Ideally, that email address isn’t at the domain itself, so notices still reach you if the domain ever lapses.
- Auto-renew is switched on, and the payment card on file hasn’t expired.
If you’re not sure where your domain is
Look it up with ICANN Lookup, a free tool from the organization that coordinates domain names. It shows which registrar holds the domain and when it expires. The owner’s details are often hidden for privacy, but the registrar is enough to start.
If someone else set it up, such as a past web designer, ask them to move it into an account in your name. Your registrar’s help pages explain how.
Website hosting
Hosting is the computer that stores your website and sends it to each visitor. Website builders include it in their plans. Freelancers and agencies often bill it separately, or ask you to open a hosting account of your own.
On my plan, hosting is included in the $50 a month and I look after it, so there’s no server to choose or manage. Your domain is simply pointed at the website I host.
Business email
An address at your own domain, like you@yourbusiness.com, shows customers the message comes from your business, and it stays the same if you change email providers.
Business email is a separate service from your website. Providers such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 usually charge a monthly fee per person. Some registrars offer free forwarding instead, which sends mail for your domain to an inbox you already have.
Email isn’t part of my plan. If you already have business email, it can stay exactly where it is.
How the three connect
Your domain’s settings, called DNS records, tell the internet where to send each thing. Some records point visitors to your website’s host. Others, called MX records, deliver mail to your email provider.
That’s why you can change your website without changing your email, or the reverse. When a domain is pointed at a new website, only the website records should change, so ask whoever makes the change to leave the email records alone.
If a domain expires
Your website and email stop working when the domain expires. Registrars send reminders before it does, and there’s usually a short window to renew afterwards, sometimes at extra cost. After that, the domain can be lost for good, and someone else can register it.
How this works on my plan
If you go ahead, here’s who handles what:
- Hosting is included in the $50 a month, and I look after it.
- Your domain is registered in your name, and you pay its registration and renewal directly to your registrar. I can help you set it up.
- Business email, if you want it, comes from a provider you choose, separately from the plan.
- If you cancel, your domain and the content and photos you supply remain yours. The website code is owned by Tawkee and stays with me.
No domain yet?
You don’t need one to see a preview. Send your business name and a sentence about your services, and I’ll design a free homepage preview. If you go ahead, I can help you set up a domain in your own name.
A few practical questions.
Is a domain the same as a website?
No. The domain is the address. The website is what people see at that address, and it’s stored on hosting.
Can I keep my domain if I change web designers?
Yes, if it’s registered in your name. You point it at the new website, and your email can carry on as before.
Do I need business email to have a website?
No. Your website can show any email address you already use, and a contact form can send messages to it.
Should I buy my domain through my web designer?
Only if it’s registered in your name and you can sign in to the account. Otherwise, register it yourself and let your designer help with the settings.