A Control Panel is a web-based user interface where you can manage different aspects of your presence online. As an example, you could set up or change site files, set up and check email messages, manage databases, check visitor statistics etc. These things are executed through buttons and menus within a web browser and the Control Panel can also be called ‘back office’, i.e. the administrative area associated with your hosting account. Most of the Control Panels available on the market will allow you to control all hosting-related matters, but you shall often require a different system to take care of payments or to get a new domain name if the company offers domain registrations. Depending on the platform they utilize, you may be able to use the billing account to open a support ticket to ask a question or to troubleshoot an issue also, or you may need to use a third system.