To build a website, you need a domain and a server. Whether you’re using WordPress, Wix, Peraichi, etc. you’re working with a domain (your site’s address) and a server (the computer your code lives on).
At Goat Design, we work almost exclusively with WordPress. That means we and our customers register their own domains and install WordPress on their own servers.
Keep your domain and server separate
Getting to the point here — when you sign up for your domain and server, it’s a good idea to keep these two accounts separate.
It’s a little more effort than just using one account, but there are some good reasons to separate these services:
- DNS settings – if you don’t tie yourself to the server account for your domain, then you’re free to find a domain service that gives you full control of the DNS settings. Some server companies do not provide good options for this!
- Easy to change servers – if there is ever a problem with your server, you can keep your domain right where it is and just change some settings, for a smooth move. Changing your domain registrar can be very painful!
If you read #2 there and thought, “why would I ever want to migrate to a new server?” <– then check out this post!
