Starting a business online in Nigeria involves a few key technical components. Two of the most fundamental, yet often confused, are domain names and web hosting. Let's break them down:

What is a Domain Name?

Think of your domain name as your online address. It's what people type into their browser to find your website (e.g., mybusiness.ng, yourshop.com.ng). It's a unique identifier that points to where your website "lives" on the internet.

• Analogy: Your domain name is like the street address of your physical shop.
• Examples: google.com, ngdomain.io, jumia.com.ng
• NG Domain helps you: Search for, register, and manage your .ng domain names and other popular extensions.

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is the space and technology that makes your website accessible on the internet. It's where all your website files (text, images, videos, code) are stored on a powerful computer called a server. When someone types your domain name into their browser, the domain points them to these files on your hosting server.

• Analogy: Web hosting is like the physical land and building where your shop is located and where you keep your products.
• NG Domain helps you: Provide reliable and secure web hosting plans (shared, VPS, dedicated) suitable for Nigerian businesses of all sizes.

Why Do You Need Both?

You need both a domain name and web hosting to have a functioning website:

• Without a domain name, people wouldn't have an easy-to-remember address to find your website. They'd have to use a complex IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
• Without web hosting, you would have a domain name (an address) but no actual website (no building or content) for people to see when they arrive.

In simple terms:

1. You register a domain name (your address) with a registrar like NG Domain.
2. You sign up for a web hosting plan (your online space) with a provider like NG Domain.
3. You then "point" your domain name to your web hosting server, so when someone types your domain, they see your website.

NG Domain offers affordable packages that often bundle domain registration with web hosting, making it easier for Nigerian entrepreneurs and SMEs to get online quickly and efficiently.