Lesson 1

Lesson #0: What is Web Hosting?

Last Update: September 19, 2013

This lesson has been prepared for those who are completely new to web hosting and website building, but all can still draw some benefits from it.
 

What is Web Hosting?


It is a type of service that allows companies and individuals to make their websites accessible by the Internet users via the WWW (World Wide Web).


To help you understand the web hosting concept, we have prepared the following illustration:


web hosting concept illustration


You will notice three different labels , no2, and no3.
 


  Imagine that the server shown in the picture is a web hosting provided called Web Host.

The small red box represents your website’s home (website’s file storage). Your website is the one among the thousands of websites hosted by the same Web Host. That’s why it is represented by the small red box.

no2 Imagine that the globe is the Internet and the cord that is plugged into the globe is the web host’s 24/7 fast Internet connection.


no3 The WWW or World Wide Web is the way of accessing websites over the Internet. The World Wide Web utilizes browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari to access web pages. Most likely, you accessed this web page by using one of the four browser we just mentioned. Normally, a website consists of multiple web pages. Some websites such as ebay and amazon have hundreds of thousands of web pages.


Now, we have a clear overview of the labels 1, 2, and 3.


So, how does web hosting work?


If you open your browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari), and type in the address field: www.webhostscout.com, and then press the Enter key, you will access our homepage.


That’s right, when you press the Enter key, you are sending a request to the Internet to access www.webhostscout.com. At that time, our web host (web hosting provider) responds and says “WebHostScout.com is residing on one of my servers go ahead and visit/access it!”


Once again, what is Web Hosting?


It is a type of service that allows companies and individuals to make their websites accessible by the Internet no2 users via the World Wide Web no3.

We hope that this explanation was as easy as 1-2-3 =).


For the web hosting process to run smoothly and fast, you will need to choose a reliable hosting provider with secure and fast servers and the Internet connection. And if you are a beginner you would want this web host to provide an easy-to-use website building tool!


The most affordable type of web hosting is Shared Hosting. Lesson #1 talks about Shared Hosting and if it is the right hosting solution for you.