What is a website host?
A website, which is composed of Web pages, images, text and other files, must be located on a Web server for people to access it. However, it can be technically complex to set up and manage a Web server. Therefore, individuals, organizations and companies often choose not to run their own Web server. Instead, they pay for space on a Web server run by an external company that specializes in running Web servers. These companies are referred to as website hosting companies, and the Web servers they operate are referred to as website hosts. The term host is often used to refer to a company that runs Web servers in general or to the Web server hardware and software in particular. Function The main job of a website host is to connect a website to the Internet. A website host is typically connected to the Internet through a high-speed, high-bandwidth connection so that the websites on the Web server are served to Internet visitors without inconvenient delays. A Web server may be specialized s
In order for a website to be accessed on the Internet, its files must reside on a special computer called a web server. Website hosts, or hosting companies, rent space on their servers from which websites are ‘broadcast’. Very large organizations may have their own servers but most small and medium-sized businesses rely on hosting companies to provide this service.