A site that sits on a builder's own address can be enough for practice or a club. A real business or NGO usually wants its own address, a site that loads fast on mobile data, and a way for people to find it. Web roles in Ghana mention hosting control panels, accessibility and keeping sites maintained. This lesson explains the pieces in plain terms so you can set them up, or at least advise clients well.
Domains and hosting
A domain name is the human friendly address, such as an imagined savannahshea.com.gh. You rent it from a registrar, usually for a year at a time, and you must renew it or lose it. Choose something short, easy to spell when said aloud, and close to the business name.
Hosting is the web server where the site's files live. With builders such as Google Sites or Wix, hosting is included. With WordPress software, you rent hosting, often managed through a control panel.
DNS (the Domain Name System) is the directory that connects the name to the server. When you connect a domain to a site, you change DNS settings at the registrar, following the builder's or host's instructions. Changes can take some time to spread.
Who owns the accounts?
This is where many small organisations get hurt. If the domain is registered in a freelancer's personal account and that person disappears, the business can lose its own address. So: