What Is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is really much less mysterious than you may think. Here it is in a nutshell. Let's start with what you are reading right now. This is a web page - a "document" that lives on a computer just like documents you create live on your computer. A website is simply one or more of these documents that reside together on a web server. Typically they will be related, and will be linked together by a menu or links on each page.

A web server is a computer, much like the one you are using now. It is probably more powerful in terms of hardware. There is a software running on the computer that waits for other computers to ask it for documents or web pages. When they do, it sends those documents out over the net to the computer that requested them.

Grant it, this is a very simplified explanation. All the little thing that go on in the background to make this happen are very complex. But the likelihood you need to know all that is at about the same level as you needing to know how an automatic transmission works before you can drive a car. This is the "put car in gear, press peddle" level of explanation.

But if you are going to put your business on the internet, there are a few more details you will need to know in order to do so economically and practically. You can spend a few dollars a month, or many thousands a month. Going back to the automotive analogy, there are go carts, race cars, family wagons, luxury cars, Mac trucks, and C4 transport vehicles. Which one you choose depends on your needs and your budget. There are do it yourself options, as well as professionally built options. So let's look at a few terms and concepts that will help you choose wisely. What type of web hosting should you choose for your particular purpose?