What is web hosting and how does it work?

What web hosting actually is

Every website is a set of files: text, images, styling and sometimes a database. Those files have to sit somewhere that is always switched on and always connected to the internet. That somewhere is a web server, and paying for space on one is what people mean by web hosting.

Think of it like renting a shop unit. The domain name is the sign above the door that people read and remember. The hosting is the floor space inside where you keep everything you sell.

How it works, step by step

The whole journey happens in well under a second, and it always follows the same four steps:

• A visitor types your domain name into their browser.
• The domain name system looks up which server your domain points at.
• The browser asks that server for your page.
• The server sends the files back and the browser draws your website on screen.

What you need to put a website online

Three things, and nothing more: a domain name, a hosting plan and the website itself. You can register the domain and hosting together in one order, then build the site with WordPress or a website builder.

• A domain name — your address, renewed once a year.
• A hosting plan — the space and resources your site runs on.
• A website — built with WordPress, a builder, or by a developer.
• An SSL certificate so the address shows https and visitors see the padlock.

Which hosting plan suits a first website

Most first websites run comfortably on shared web hosting: a brochure site, a portfolio, a blog or a small shop. If the site runs WordPress and you would rather not think about updates, managed WordPress hosting handles that for you. You can move up to business, cloud or VPS hosting later without rebuilding anything.