Demystifying Domains

1. Understanding the Basics

What’s the difference between a domain and hosting?

Think of a domain as your website’s street address — it’s the name people type into their browser to visit your site.

Hosting, on the other hand, is the actual building where your website lives. It’s the place where all your site’s content — images, code, and design files — is stored and made accessible online. So while the domain helps people find your website, hosting is what makes sure it shows up when they get there.

Just like a shop needs a physical location to open its doors, your website needs hosting to go live.

Good news: Showit includes hosting in its membership, and they’ll even handle the WordPress integration for you if needed. So now that hosting is sorted, let’s focus on setting up your domain!

2. Registering a Domain for Your Showit Website

Can you purchase a domain directly through Showit?

Yes, you can! But we recommend using a domain registrar — a dedicated service that helps you search for available domains and handle the registration.

Buying your domain through a registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains can save you money and gives you more flexibility in case you ever move away from Showit in the future.

3. Choosing the Right Domain for Your Showit Website

Here’s what to keep in mind when purchasing your domain:

• Hosting: Since Showit handles hosting for you, the domain registrar you choose just needs to let you connect to Showit. Avoid any WordPress hosting add-ons — they’re unnecessary and overpriced.
• Pricing: Domain prices often start low, but increase when it’s time to renew. Compare your options and keep the long-term cost in mind.
• Customer Support: Choose a registrar with solid support — it’s worth it if you ever need help connecting your domain or troubleshooting issues.

Register Your Domain in 3 Simple Steps 🚀

Step 1: Find the perfect domain name — something that represents your brand and is easy to remember.

Step 2: Choose a domain registrar. Platforms like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains let you search and register domains easily. Make sure they work smoothly with Showit. Don’t get upsold on extras — Showit already provides everything you need in their hosting plan.

Yes, you can buy your domain through Showit directly. But using a registrar gives you more flexibility and often a better price.

Step 3: Once your domain is registered, connect it to your Showit website. Showit provides clear instructions and support to help you get set up with minimal effort.

Don’t Forget to Protect Your Visitors' Data

Showit includes a free SSL certificate for all custom domains.

This certificate secures your site and shows visitors that your website is safe — which builds trust in your brand. Once you're ready, just reach out to Showit and they’ll issue the SSL for you, no extra cost.

Bonus Glossary 💥

What is DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is like the internet’s address book. It translates website names (like yourdomain.com) into the IP addresses computers use to find each other.

You don’t need to know all the technical details to use Showit — but if you ever get involved in DNS setup, you’ll have a head start.

DNS Records Explained: CNAME, A, and MX

• CNAME Records link your domain to another domain. For Showit, this helps connect your domain (purchased from Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.) to your Showit website.
• A Records point your domain to a specific IP address. It’s similar to CNAME, but instead of pointing to another domain, it points directly to a numerical address.
• MX Records control where emails sent to your domain are delivered. If you want to use email addresses like hello@yourdomain.com, you’ll need to configure MX records.