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What this service covers
Before a website can go live, several pieces must be connected correctly. The domain name is your address, bought from a registrar. DNS is the set of records telling the internet where your website and email live. Hosting is the server that stores and serves your site. SSL encrypts the connection and shows the padlock in the browser.
Each piece is simple on its own, but mistakes are common and costly: a domain registered in a former developer’s name, DNS changes that break company email, hosting too small for your traffic, or an SSL certificate that silently expires.
Who needs it
- New businesses launching their first website and email.
- Companies whose domain or hosting sits in someone else’s account.
- Businesses outgrowing cheap shared hosting.
- Anyone moving DNS to Cloudflare for better speed and protection.
- Organisations with several domains and subdomains to organise.
What’s included
- Domain registration or transfer into your own registrar account, with auto-renewal and lock enabled.
- DNS configuration: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and other records set correctly.
- Email DNS records such as MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your mail provider.
- Hosting setup sized to your site, from managed platforms to a VPS.
- SSL certificates with automatic renewal.
- Cloudflare for DNS, caching and basic protection where it fits.
- www and non-www redirects so the site has one canonical address.
- Documentation: every account, record and setting written down and handed to you.
How we set it up
- Review. We check what already exists: domains, DNS, hosting and email.
- Choose hosting. We recommend hosting that suits your platform, traffic and budget.
- Create accounts in your name, with you as the owner and us added as a user where needed.
- Configure DNS carefully, recording existing values before changing anything.
- Deploy and secure. Site deployed, SSL installed, redirects configured.
- Verify. Website, email and SSL tested from outside your network.
- Hand over documentation and credentials securely.
Choosing hosting
| Hosting type | Suits |
|---|---|
| Managed platform (e.g. Vercel, Shopify) | Next.js sites and online stores where the platform handles servers. |
| Managed WordPress hosting | WordPress sites where you want updates and caching handled by the host. |
| VPS (cloud server) | Custom applications, several sites, or full control over the server. |
For server-level work, our cloud team offers VPS setup and management, SSL installation and Cloudflare setup. Email authentication is covered in depth by our email authentication service.
The DNS records that matter
DNS is where many website and email problems start, usually because a record was changed without understanding what it did. A short explanation of the main records helps you see why we are careful with them.
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
| A / AAAA | Points a domain or subdomain to a server’s IPv4 or IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Points a subdomain to another hostname, such as a hosting platform. |
| MX | Tells other mail servers where to deliver your company email. |
| TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) | Proves which services may send email for your domain and protects against spoofing. |
| TTL | Controls how long other systems cache a record before checking for changes. |
Before any change, we export the current records so nothing is lost. We lower the TTL ahead of planned moves so switches take effect quickly, and we check both the website and email from outside your network afterwards, because your own computer may cache old answers for a while.
What affects timeline and cost
- Whether domains need transferring from another account or registrar.
- The number of domains, subdomains and email setups.
- Hosting type and any server configuration required.
- Migrating an existing site or email at the same time.
Common mistakes
- Letting a developer or agency register the domain in their own name.
- Replacing all DNS records at once and losing email MX records.
- Ignoring domain renewal emails sent to an old address.
- Choosing hosting on price alone without checking backups and support.
- Deleting a DNS record to take a site down, instead of pointing it elsewhere.
Moving an existing site? See website migration. Browse all web development services, read the web development guide, or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Who will own the domain and hosting?
You will. Accounts are created in your name, and we are added as a user only where we need access to do the work.
Can you move my domain out of my old developer’s account?
Usually, yes. The process depends on the registrar and may need cooperation from the current account holder or proof of ownership. We guide you through it.
Will changing DNS affect my email?
Not if it is done carefully. We record existing email records before changing anything and verify mail flow afterwards.
Do I need Cloudflare?
It is not mandatory, but it offers fast DNS, caching and protection with a useful free tier, so we often recommend it. We explain the trade-offs for your setup.
Can you set up business email on my domain?
Yes. We configure the DNS records your email provider needs, including MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, so mail is delivered reliably and your domain is protected against spoofing.
Talk to us about domain & hosting setup
Domain, DNS, hosting and SSL configured and connected, with everything in your own accounts.