Domain Registration vs Hosting

You may have heard the MV team talk about how we manage the hosting of your website, but we may not manage the registration of your website.* In this article we'll explain exactly what that means, and answer some related FAQs.
*We have begun offering domain registration services! Enjoy freedom from the confusion of domain registrars, or forgetting to renew your domain. Learning Forte will manage your domain in addition to the hosting we already maintain. There is a one-time $100 transfer fee, then registration is $50/year per domain.

What is website registration?

In order to have an active website that people can search for, visit, and navigate, your domain must be paid for (registered) with a registrar. For many website owners, this registrar might be Google Domains, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Network Solutions, or DreamHost, but there are many registrars to choose from. You pay a yearly fee to the registrar, not to Membership Vision, to give your website a place to live, and that's really the only thing it does. But this is like buying a lot on which you'll build a new home: you bought the address, but you need to build the house and put your stuff in it! Or, think of it like paying your wifi bill: you pay for your access to the internet. Your internet provider doesn't do anything but give you the opportunity to use wifi. It's up to you to decide how you watch Netflix, browse Wikipedia, or post pictures of your pets on Facebook.

What is website hosting?

Domain hosting provides protection to your site and tells it (and other things like email domains or site redirects) how to behave. Membership Vision hosts your website in Cloudflare, where we manage records and get information on your site's health. You pay a yearly fee to Membership Vision, and that fee includes the management of that constant protection, in addition to as many no-prep, no-followup client support sessions as you might need for the duration of your contract with Membership Vision. Cloudflare, your web host, is like the house itself – and your DNS records are the belongings that you keep inside, guiding life, activities, and comfort.

Why do I have to host with Cloudflare – why can't I have the same control over hosting that I have with registration?

It's part of our contracts that we host in Cloudflare. This ensures that as the originator of your website, we have control over a lot of information that will be necessary in the event of troubleshooting or emergency. Cloudflare is a safe and reputable hosting option, and you could even house your domain registration with Cloudflare too!

What if I get a bill from another website hosting service after our MV site goes live?

Don't pay it, and make sure you have made it clear that your hosting has moved! You pay a hosting and support fee to Learning Forte, and we make that switch the moment your MV site goes live. From that date onwards, your hosting is with Cloudflare and Cloudflare only.