Email domain hosting - what is it for?

Email domain hosting is hosting which is specifically designed to host a domain name, but to redirect all traffic which the domain receives to a web address of the customer’s choice. 

Typically, the traffic to the domain (which is then redirected) is the result of an email campaign, which could be legitimate, or an email 'spam' campaign, which for most recipients of the spam emails is simply annoying.

Some of the domain email hosting services which are available now have special cloaking arrangements which continue to show the original domain name in the URL address field of the user's browser, even when it is actually the forwarded page which is being displayed below.

Why would anyone need a service like this?  The fact that email domain hosting services will often guarantee to 'never shut you down, however many complaints we receive' gives us a clue.  These services are used by spammers who need protection from the wrath of the general public. Complaints about the domain which the surfer thinks is sending out the spam are received by the email domain hosting service, which simply ignores them.  The address or domain of the true destination site, which contains the offer the spammer wants the user to see, is not revealed at all.

Spammers (or legitimate internet marketers, or clever web entrepreneurs, depending on your point of view) are able to continue with their marketing campaigns over long periods, with no fear of being terminated by their web host. 

The spammers (or email marketers) who use domain email services like this do pay a price: hosting charges for email domain hosting are a lot higher than they are for standard sites.  Many of them obviously find the charges are worth it.