No, you don’t need a domain before building a website, because we can design and build everything on a private staging URL and connect your domain when you’re ready to launch.
That said, buying your domain name early is usually smart if you already know what you want to call the site, because it prevents someone else from registering it and it lets you set up branded email sooner. If you’re planning a new build with our web design services, we can start the project immediately while you secure the domain in your own name.
When you actually need the domain
You only truly need the domain at two moments: (1) when you want the public to reach the new site at that address, and (2) when you want email addresses like [email protected] running on that domain. Everything else, layout, copy, pages, forms, booking, tracking, can be built and tested without the domain connected.
| Situation | What we can do right now | What you should do | When the domain matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| You don’t own a domain yet | Build the full site on staging, collect content, set up analytics, and test on mobile | Choose and register the domain when you’re confident in the name | Only at launch, or earlier if you want branded email |
| You own the domain, no current site/email | Build on staging, then point DNS to the new host on launch day | Share registrar access or DNS records, turn on auto-renew and 2FA | At launch |
| You own the domain with an existing site or email | Build the replacement site on staging without touching your live setup | Avoid changing DNS until we map what’s connected (email, subdomains, old site) | At launch, with careful DNS changes to avoid email downtime |
The most common mistake we see in Orlando is someone changing DNS too early and knocking out email, or sending the domain to the wrong place and taking the current site offline. If your team uses Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, we treat email records as a protected asset during the switch.
If you’re not sure how to pick the right name, our FAQ on what a domain name is and how to choose one can help you avoid naming traps that cause confusion later.
Practical tips that keep things clean: register the domain under a company-controlled email, keep ownership in your business name (not a vendor’s), enable auto-renew, and use 2-factor login at the registrar. When it’s time to launch, we update DNS in a controlled way, verify SSL and redirects, and confirm forms and tracking are working end to end. If you want your hosting handled by the same team supporting the build, our WordPress hosting setup makes launch day simpler.
And if you’ve ever wondered who should legally and practically own what, our FAQ on who owns the domain, hosting account, and website files lays out the cleanest arrangement for long-term control.
If you tell us whether you already have a domain and whether you use branded email, we’ll tell you the safest order of steps so nothing goes down while the new site goes up.
