Domains & Email
Domain Names, Website Hosting, and Business Email Explained
A domain name is your address on the internet, such as yourbusiness.com, and you renew it every year with a registrar. Website hosting is the service that stores your site and delivers it to visitors. Business email is a separate service, such as Microsoft 365, that sends and receives mail for addresses at your domain. DNS records connect the three, which is why they can come from three different companies and why changing one carelessly can break another.
On this page
What is the difference between a domain, hosting, and email?
| Piece | What it is | Who provides it | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your address, like yourbusiness.com | A registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, and others) | A yearly registration |
| DNS | The settings that tell the internet where your website and email live | Usually the registrar, sometimes your host or a DNS service | Often included with the domain |
| Website hosting | The servers that store and deliver your website | A host or your web team's platform | Monthly or yearly, sometimes inside a care plan |
| Business email | Mailboxes for addresses at your domain | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and others | Per user, usually monthly or yearly |
A simple way to remember it: the domain is the street address, DNS is the directions, hosting is the building where your website lives, and email is the mailroom. You can move the building without changing the address, as long as you update the directions.
What do the DNS records actually do?
You do not need to edit these yourself, but knowing their names helps when someone asks you to "update DNS."
| Record | Plain-English job |
|---|---|
| A or CNAME | Points your domain (and www) at the server hosting your website |
| MX | Tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain |
| TXT (SPF) | Lists which services are allowed to send email as your domain |
| DKIM (usually CNAME or TXT) | Adds a signature that proves your email was not altered |
| TXT (DMARC) | Tells receiving servers what to do with email that fails those checks |
| TXT (verification) | Proves to Google, Microsoft, or another service that you control the domain |
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC matter more every year. Without them, legitimate mail from your business is more likely to land in spam.
What usually goes wrong?
These are the problems we see most when a small business asks for help.
The domain is registered to someone else
A former web designer or employee registered the domain in their own account. When they leave, so does your access. Fixing it can take days or weeks. The domain should be in your business name, with login details you control.
Our rule at Frankly Digital: client domains stay client property. We can manage DNS while we work together, but the records and the access are kept transferable to you.
Email stops after a website move
Moving a website sometimes includes changing the domain's nameservers. If the new DNS provider does not copy over the MX, SPF, and DKIM records, email stops arriving or starts failing checks. Before any move, export the current DNS records and confirm the email records exist in the new location.
The www version and the plain domain behave differently
yourbusiness.com and www.yourbusiness.com are technically two names. Both should load the same site over a secure connection. Check that your security certificate covers both versions before a website move.
Old addresses are left behind
When a website moves to a new address, old URLs need redirects that send visitors to the matching new page. Check those redirects before launch so people can still follow earlier links.
The renewal lapses
Domains expire. Turn on auto-renew, keep a current card on file, and make sure renewal reminders go to an inbox someone reads.
Do you need all three?
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Only want professional email for now | Domain + business email. No hosting needed yet. |
| Want a website, happy with a free email address | Domain + hosting. Consider email later. |
| Want a website and professional email | Domain + hosting + business email, connected through DNS |
| Want a section of your site to live on a separate system | A subdomain, like shop.yourbusiness.com, pointed at that system |
We generally recommend email at your own domain over a free address. It looks more established and it stays with the business if staff change.
What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is a prefix added to your domain, like booking.yourbusiness.com. It can point to a different service than your main site. Our own site uses one: digital.franklyaf.com is a subdomain of franklyaf.com. Subdomains are useful for separating a booking system, an app, or a new offer without buying another domain.
What does Frankly Digital set up?
Our Domain & Business Email setup connects your domain, configures DNS for your website and email, and sets up Microsoft 365 mailboxes. Basic setup in a straightforward environment starts at $250. More extensive configuration is defined in your proposal. Email migration and ongoing administration are quoted separately, and domain registration and Microsoft 365 licenses are paid to those providers. If you are also launching a website, the Launch bundle includes domain and email configuration. See current Domains & Business Email pricing.
Common questions
Can I keep my domain where it is and still use a new website host?
Yes, in most cases. The domain can stay with your current registrar while DNS points to a new host.
Do I need hosting if I only want email?
No. Email needs a domain and an email provider. Hosting is only for the website.
Will changing web designers break my email?
It should not, if the DNS records for email are kept in place. Ask for a list of current DNS records before any change.
Who should own the domain?
Your business. Keep the registrar login in a password manager that more than one trusted person can reach.