Understanding Domain Names, Emails, and Websites: A Simple Guide for Parish Clerks

As a parish clerk, you may find yourself responsible for managing the parish website or ensuring you have the right tools to communicate efficiently. One of the key areas that often causes confusion is understanding the difference between a domain name, website and email, and how these elements work together. Don’t worry—it’s simpler than it sounds! Let’s break it down.

What Is a Domain Name?

Think of a domain name as your address on the internet. Just like your parish office has a physical address that people use to find you, a domain name is the unique address people use to find your parish council online, either via the web or via email. For example:

• Domain name: yourparishcouncil.gov.uk
• Web address: www.yourparishcouncil.gov.uk
• Email address : [email protected]

A domain name is something you’ll need to secure and register through a domain registrar (we’ll come back to this).

What Is a Website?

A website is the actual content people see when type your web address into a browser. It’s where information about the parish, meeting minutes, events, and any other important notices are displayed. Think of the website as your digital noticeboard—it’s where you place information for the public to access at any time.

Your website is made up of different pages, such as a homepage, contact page, minutes & agendas, finance or news page, all connected under your domain name. Websites are built using special tools and coding language and have to meet very specific requirements for those with disabilities – also known as accessibility regulations. The current standard legally required by councils is a level called WCAG2.2AA. It’s a very specific way a website needs to be built and there are only a few expert companies in the country who can do this – Aubergine is one of them.

What is Email?

Email is the communication tool that allows you to send and receive messages online. When you have a domain name, you can also create email addresses that match your domain, such as “[email protected]”. This looks more official and professional than using a general service like Gmail or Hotmail.

Emails usually use the same domain name as your website, but the two services are typically handled separately. This is where it’s helpful to use an email service provider, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, to manage your email accounts.

Why Should the Domain, Website, and Email Be Managed Separately?

Here’s the key advice: while all three elements—domain, website, and email—are related, it’s often good practice to keep them managed by different providers.

• Domain Name Registration: It’s best to have the company that builds and hosts your website also handle your domain registration – if you use or plan to use a .gov.uk domain, you’ll need to make sure the company is authorised by the Cabinet Office (CDDO) to register and manage .gov.uk domains – Aubergine is authorised. This keeps things simple, as your domain and website will be managed in one place. If anything goes wrong, you only need to contact one company.
• Website Hosting and Building: Website hosting refers to where the content of your site is stored online. Having your website developer also act as your host makes it easier to manage updates and troubleshoot problems. As the accessibility and security requirements for councils are strict, it’s recommended to choose a specialist parish & town council website company, such as Aubergine.
• Email Services: Your emails should ideally be provided by a dedicated email provider like Microsoft 365 and managed by a specialist IT firm. Microsoft offer reliable, secure, and professional email services, including more robust spam protection and better tools for managing large amounts of communication. Email services need setting up on devices, such as the clerk’s laptop and councillor’s mobile devices, and so email provision is best managed by a council sector IT firm – Aubergine work with a number of experts in this regard in a seamless and symbiotic way.

In Summary

To run an efficient and compliant digital presence for your parish, you need three key elements: a domain name, a compliant website, and email services. Your domain name acts as your digital address, your website is where you display important parish information, and your email allows for official communication.

By ensuring that your website developer and domain registrar are the same company, you can streamline the management of your online presence. At the same time, it’s wise to use a dedicated email service provider and IT firm for reliable and professional email setup and management. This balanced approach will help you avoid confusion and keep everything running smoothly.

With these basics in place, you’ll be well on your way to managing your parish’s online presence confidently!