You’ve coded a beautiful and responsive website; now it’s time to launch it! But where do you start? Your web development program was focused on development, and you may have assumed that someone else would handle the launch. If you assumed that, you were not wrong: traditionally, a system administrator manages the various components that bring projects to life on the Internet. However, with the evolution of platforms that streamline the process of getting a web project live, it’s becoming increasingly common for developers to take on this role, especially at small to medium-sized companies.

While system administrators or more experienced developers usually handle these tasks, having a good grasp of the basics will set you apart. It will give you the independence to launch your web products with scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness considerations. This knowledge will also help you understand and seek help when facing bugs related to these services, whether from your seniors or the support teams of these platforms.

In this article, we’ll break down what a domain registrar, server, and email host are, provide examples of each, and explain how to use them effectively. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of these essential services and how they interact to support your website.

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1. What is a Domain Registrar?

A domain registrar is like your website’s address book entry on the internet. It allows you to purchase and register a domain name (e.g., yourwebsite.com), which serves as your unique web address. Imagine the frustration of finding that perfect domain name, only to discover it’s already taken!

Registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains offer various features to help you manage your domain efficiently.

Choosing a Domain Registrar:

• GoDaddy: Known for its extensive features and customer support.
• Namecheap: Offers competitive pricing and a straightforward interface.
• Squarespace Domains: now offers domain registration services, as recommended by Google after they discontinued their own domain services.

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2. What is a Server?

A server is the backbone of your website. It stores all your files and delivers them to users when they visit your domain. The magic happens when someone types your website address into their browser—your server sends the right files to display your web pages.

Static vs. Dynamic websites:

• Static websites: Display the same content to every visitor. Platforms like Netlify and Vercel are great for hosting static sites, offering simplicity and speed.
• Dynamic websites: Generate content on the fly based on user interactions or other factors. AWS and DigitalOcean are well-suited for dynamic sites that require scalability and real-time data processing.

Choosing a Server:

• Netlify and Vercel: Ideal for static websites, offering free tiers and easy deployment.
• AWS: Scalable for projects of any size, great for dynamic websites.
• DigitalOcean: Affordable and developer-friendly for both static and dynamic sites.

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3. What is an Email Host?

An email host provides the infrastructure to send, receive, and store emails associated with your domain (e.g., hello@yourwebsite.com). The magic behind email routing lies in MX (Mail Exchange) records, which you configure in your domain’s DNS settings to direct emails to the correct servers.

Choosing an Email Host:

• Zoho Mail: Starts at CAD 1.25 per user per month, making it a great, cheap option for getting started.
• Google Workspace: Starts at CAD 8 per user per month and includes a suite of productivity tools.
• ProtonMail: Known for its strong security and privacy features.
• Mailgun: Focuses on transactional emails but can handle regular email hosting.
• MXRoute: Offers affordable plans with generous email storage.

Understanding Email Host priorities

When configuring MX records, the priority number determines which server is contacted first. Let’s say you have two MX records for yourwebsite.com:

• Primary Server: mx1.yourwebsite.com with a priority of 10.
• Backup Server: mx2.yourwebsite.com with a priority of 20.

This setup directs emails to the primary server (mx1.yourwebsite.com). If that server is unavailable, the email automatically routes to the backup server (mx2.yourwebsite.com). This redundancy ensures your emails are reliably delivered, even if one server goes down. This setup is particularly valuable for businesses that need to ensure high availability and minimize downtime in their email communications. By properly configuring and prioritizing MX records, you can maintain consistent email service and reduce the risk of lost or delayed messages.

When to use a platform like SendGrid?

Sometimes, your website needs to send a large volume of transactional emails (like password resets, confirmations, etc.), which is where platforms like SendGrid come in handy. These services ensure your emails are delivered reliably and help manage large-scale email distribution. On the other hand, services like MailGun can act as both an email host and a transactional email service, combining both benefits in one package.

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Common pitfalls to avoid when launching a web product

1. DNS propagation delays: After making changes to DNS settings, it can take up to 48 hours for those changes to propagate across the internet. Don’t panic if your site isn’t live immediately—this is normal.
2. Incorrect MX Record configuration: Misconfiguring your MX records can lead to email delivery issues. Always double-check that the priority settings and server addresses are correct.
3. Overlooking SSL certificates: Ensure your website is secure by setting up an SSL certificate, especially if you’re handling sensitive data. Platforms like Netlify often provide easy ways to enable HTTPS.
4. Ignoring backup servers: Not configuring backup servers for your email or web hosting can leave you vulnerable to downtime. Always set up redundancy where possible.

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Using tools to test DNS propagation

As mentioned above, changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. During this period, it's important to check whether your DNS changes are taking effect. Tools like DNS Checker allow you to monitor this process in real time by checking the DNS records from multiple servers worldwide. This can help ensure your domain is correctly pointing to your new server or email host and troubleshoot any propagation issues early on.

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Putting it all together to launch your web product

Register your Domain:

• Choose a domain registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
• Purchase your domain and configure DNS settings to point to your server and email host.

Set up your Server:

• Choose a hosting provider (e.g., Netlify).
• Deploy your website’s files to the server. Here's how to deploy your project from GitHub with Netlify. You’re using version control at this point, right?
• Ensure your domain’s DNS settings point to your server’s IP address. Learn how to do that on GoDaddy.

Configure your Email Host:

• Choose an email hosting service (e.g., Zoho Mail).
• Set up your email addresses (e.g., hello@yourwebsite.com).
• Update your domain’s MX records to point to your email host’s servers. Here is how to do that on GoDaddy.

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Conclusion

Launching a web product is more than just coding a beautiful website—it’s about understanding the infrastructure that supports it. By mastering the basics of domain registration, server hosting, and email management, you’re building confidence in navigating the entire web development process from start to finish.