What is web hosting?
Domains, hosting and email, and how they fit together.
A website needs three things:
- A domain name, your address on the internet, such as
yourcompany.com. You rent it yearly from a registrar. - Hosting, a computer (server) that's always on and connected, where your website's files and database live.
- DNS, which connects the two, so typing your domain reaches your hosting. See DNS explained simply.
Most businesses also want email on their domain, such as info@yourcompany.com. It looks professional and stays yours even if staff change.
An everyday comparison
The domain is your shop's address, the hosting is the shop itself, and DNS is the map that leads customers from the address to the door.
Ready to start? See Which hosting do I need?, or take the free Web hosting fundamentals course.