Your domain name is your address on the internet — like the street and number of your shop. Hosting is the land and building where all your files live. Both are essential, but they're two very different things — and it's worth understanding them before handing everything over to someone else.
The domain name: your unique address
A domain name (kelap.fr, mybusiness.com…) points to the servers where your site is hosted. Without it, your site is only reachable via an unreadable IP address. You rent this name (you never truly own it) for one or several years, and you need to renew it to keep it. The typical cost is around €10 to €20 per year for a .com or country-code domain.
.com, .fr, or another extension: which one to choose?
- .com: the global standard, reassuring for any audience. Best if you're targeting beyond a single country.
- .fr: signals proximity for a French-speaking audience, slight local SEO advantage.
- .io, .co, .agency…: niche extensions, useful if the .com is taken or for a specific positioning.
When in doubt: grab both (.fr + .com) and redirect one to the other. The combined cost stays modest.
The registrar: where you register your domain
The registrar is the service where you register and manage your domain name (OVH, Namecheap, Gandi…). Crucial point: your registrar account must be in your name, with your email, and you must keep the login credentials. If an agency buys the domain under their own account, you become dependent on them for everything — transfers, renewals, redirects. This is a real risk we regularly see with clients who come to us after a bad experience elsewhere.
Hosting: where your files live
Once you have your address, you need somewhere to store your pages, images, and all the code that makes up your site. Several options exist:
- Shared hosting: multiple sites share the same server. Cheap (€3–10/month), fine for a simple showcase site.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server): more power and control, ideal for a web app or a high-traffic site (€15–60/month).
- Cloud / static hosting: infrastructure like Vercel, Netlify, or GitHub Pages. Extremely fast, often free for static sites — this is what we use at KELAP for showcase websites.
The SSL certificate: the padlock in your address bar
You've noticed URLs start with https:// and display a padlock? That's the SSL certificate: it encrypts exchanges between the browser and the server, protects your visitors, and is now essential for SEO. Most modern hosts include it for free (via Let's Encrypt). If a provider tries to charge you for SSL without explanation, ask questions.
Professional email
Your domain also lets you create professional email addresses (hello@yourdomain.com). It's a detail that completely changes how credible you look. Setup happens through your domain's DNS settings — your host or registrar can handle it. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are the most reliable solutions for managing these inboxes.
Staying in control: the golden rule
Whoever builds your site, make sure you own your domain and have access to your hosting. These are your digital assets — not your provider's. At KELAP, we configure everything in your name from day one. If you're not sure about the status of your current access, that's the first thing to check before launching or rebuilding your site.
Want us to handle all of this for you, start to finish? Tell us where you stand — we'll recommend the right setup for your project, without charging you for things you don't need.