What does web hosting do?

The code, images, videos, and text that make up a website must be stored somewhere. Without a stable digital repository, none of us would be able to constantly access content on the web. Simply put, web hosting is the process of renting or buying space to host a website on the World Wide Web. Website content, such as HTML, CSS and images, must be hosted on a server so that it can be viewed online.

For a website to be accessible to everyone, it must be stored on a server that is connected to the Internet. When someone wants to view your website, they'll type your URL into their browser and their computer will connect to your server. Once this happens, the server will send them the files that make up your website. When you use web hosting services, your web host is responsible for ensuring that your server is up and running.

Not only that, but it's also a host's job to avoid any security breach and store all your files, assets, and databases on the server. Reliability is extremely important for both free and paid services, but you should only expect real reliability with a paid hosting plan. You can design your own hosting packages for your websites, or customers provide the resources allocated to the reseller's hosting account. Many novice website owners have used the cheaper option or anything included with the purchase of their domain name with the mistaken belief that all hosting options are essentially the same.

This tool allows website owners to easily control their site and hosting service, manage domain names, install applications, and upload website files. When a hosting provider allocates space on a web server for a website to store its files, they are hosting a website. Once the website files are uploaded to a hosting company's web server, the host is responsible for delivering the files to users. Self-hosting involves configuring and configuring a web server from scratch, including equipment, infrastructure, hardware and software.

Free web servers often don't have the same level of security as paid servers because they can't afford to invest in them. Creating a new website involves a lot of decisions, including how and where to host it. For example, many web hosting companies offer website creation services, which allow you to create a website without needing programming or design experience. VPS web hosting is a great option for medium-sized sites, e-commerce stores, and large blogs with rapidly growing numbers of visitors.

In addition, using a web hosting service can improve a site's search engine optimization (SEO (opens in a new tab)). For example, a large online store with thousands of visitors per month has different hosting needs than a portfolio website with less than a hundred views.

Camden Boucher Jones
Camden Boucher Jones

Freelance music maven. Avid gamer. Travel junkie. Incurable food guru. Hipster-friendly tv practitioner.