Hosting
What Is Web Hosting?
Understand the role of hosting, website software and domain names before publishing a site.
A hosting service makes your website available from a server. When someone visits, DNS helps their device find the server, HTTPS protects the connection and the server returns the page or runs the application that produces it. A domain registration alone does not publish a website.
Practical steps
- Identify what you are publishing: static pages, WordPress, an online shop or an application. Each has different runtime, storage and maintenance requirements.
- Choose a domain name and arrange hosting that supports the software. Domain registration and hosting may be bought from different providers.
- Upload or install the website, configure the domain records supplied by your host and enable HTTPS. Set up email records separately if you use business email.
- Assign someone to maintain content, software, administrator accounts and backups. Managed infrastructure does not automatically include custom website maintenance.
Check the result
Open the website from another device, check HTTPS, follow its navigation and submit a genuine test enquiry to your own inbox. Confirm that important pages are available to visitors who are not signed in.
Before you proceed
A hosting subscription is not necessarily a website-design contract. Confirm what is included before assuming the provider will build pages, maintain plugins or write content.