Difference between transferring a domain name and transferring hosting
Question:
I need to transfer my domain name from yahoo to either goDaddy or Justhost. What is the difference between these two? Can I just park a domain until I figure out what I want to do with it? Would Justhost be the best way to do that, or would Godaddy?
Answer:
There is a huge difference. Your website (or blog) consists of two things, a domain name and some web hosting to host your website’s files.
Transfer Domain Name
A domain name is registered to you at a domain name registrar. Some registrars are expensive (GoDaddy) and some are super cheap (NameCheap). The main reason for transferring from one registrar to another is price. Why stay with an expensive registrar when you can have the same domain name for less at a cheaper registrar? Also, some registrars may have easier to use control panels or offer better services. So when you transfer a domain name, you’re transferring from one registrar to another.
Transfer Web Hosting
By itself, a domain name doesn’t give you a website. You also need web hosting. Then you need to link your domain name to your hosting account by changing the DNS nameservers on your domain name so your domain name resolves to where ever your website is hosted. You make a site by using some type of website building software on your computer, an online site builder, or by installing blogging software. Which ever method you choose, those files have to be hosted on a computer (web server) on the internet so they can be served up in a visitor’s browser.
Because you can change those nameservers, you can transfer your website to any web hosting company simply by changing the nameservers and then putting your website files on the new hosting account. So when you transfer web hosting to another host, your site will be on a different web server. However, your domain name remains untouched and still registered at the registrar.
Parking Domain Name
To park a domain name simply means you do not have it linked via the nameservers to a hosting account. You just use the default nameservers at the registrar in place. You can buy domain names all the ding dong day and not do anything with them. They are parked.
What’s Your Choice?
That being said, when you say you’re going to transfer from Yahoo to GoDaddy or JustHost, will you only be transferring the web hosting? Between GD or JH, I’d say pick JustHost. They are way cheaper and you’ll get more for your money. They use the cPanel control panel, the best, and the SimpleScripts 1-click script installer for things like WordPress, photo galleries, forums and more.
Use JustHost Coupon Code JHSL20 for a 20% discount.
