Websites are an important part of everyday life. People use websites to do their grocery shopping, buy their clothes and run their businesses, but how much do most people know about how websites work?

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What is web hosting?

This term simply refers to the practice of providing web space on which users can publish their websites. For a website to be accessible from anywhere in the world at any time, it needs to be saved on a server that is constantly connected to the internet. This enables users to visit your website and view its contents at any time.

Most providers will include a database, SSL (secure socket layer) certificate and PHP (hypertext preprocessor) installation as part of their basic service packages. These core technologies are now required for most websites to operate on the internet.

Why does a website need a host?

From business websites to personal blogs, online shops and video streaming services, everything published on the internet needs to be hosted. If you are setting up a business website, you may be able to afford to set up a private server for your site.

If you are running a website as a private individual, it might be too expensive to run a server of your own; instead, you have the option of renting web space from a dedicated service provider. This might also turn out to be the most affordable option for some companies, so it is worth checking all your options.

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If you are looking for more information on how to host a website, companies such as https://www.names.co.uk/web-hosting can answer a range of questions you may have about this topic.

Why are domain names important?

Choosing the right domain name for your site is a crucially important part of having your site hosted. To create your site, you must first register its domain name. A domain name is an important part of your brand. Like addresses in the physical world, domain names must be unique and cannot easily be changed, so it is important to choose the right one.

After registering your domain name, you will be able to upload your website’s content to the host’s server. Domain names and servers communicate via the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS monitors the correspondence between IP addresses and domain names; if all goes correctly, your website opens.