I just had to explain this to a client. I figure you may need to know this too if you have a domain name and website hosting and don’t want to be confused when dealing with your technical vendors of your varied website services.
There are several key things required to keep current to keep a website online:
1) The domain in it’s registrar account (in your case, GoDaddy, from 2016, which you must have set up)
2) The website hosting itself. Your registrar “name servers” point to your hosting server’s Cpanel or builder. Your hosting company (and therefore server) could be the same, or different from, your registrar company. Diversifying can be wise.
3) The website configuration, design, themes, and content (the words, images, SEO, navigation structure, and sometimes technical functions) that makes your site appealing to customers, b2b partners, and search engines. This is what helps you have something to track — the home of STATS. Your particular website is built using WordPress, an open source platform, which may also require updating and tech maintenance as well. 3rd Party plugins and themes may also require maintenance. Sometimes they fail or just stop getting maintained. If you want “managed hosting” you can pay through the nose for it.
So, What’s most important? Your domain name (kind of). But a domain name without a good website on it that helps people find you is not especially useful. Domains and hosting go hand in hand to help you sell your brand….
You’re welcome.