Website hosting, explained simply
Every website has to live somewhere. That somewhere is called a server — a computer that’s always on and connected to the internet, storing your website’s files and sending them to anyone who visits.
Website hosting is the service of renting space on one of those servers so your website can exist online.
Your domain and your hosting are different things
Your domain name (e.g. yourbusiness.com.au) is your address — what people type to find you. Your hosting is the space where your actual website files live. The two are connected by a setting in your domain’s DNS, which points the domain at the right server.
You can have your domain registered with one company and your hosting with another, though it’s simpler to keep both in the same place.
Types of hosting
Shared hosting
Your website shares a server with other websites. It’s the most affordable option and suits most small business sites. Resources (processing power, memory) are shared, so if another site on the server gets a sudden surge of traffic it can occasionally affect yours — though reputable hosts minimise this.
Managed WordPress hosting
A server set up specifically for WordPress, with automatic updates, security monitoring, and backups handled for you. This is what Jezweb uses for client websites — it means less to worry about on your end.
Dedicated hosting
Your website has an entire server to itself. Faster and more flexible, but significantly more expensive and requires someone to manage the server. Suited to large or high-traffic sites.
Cloud hosting
Instead of one physical server, your site runs across many servers simultaneously. This gives it resilience — if one server has a problem, another takes over. Most modern managed hosting platforms use cloud infrastructure behind the scenes.
What good hosting includes
When you host with Jezweb, your plan includes:
- A server configured for your site
- An SSL certificate (the padlock in the browser bar)
- Business email accounts at your domain
- Security and software updates
- Backups
For a full list of what’s covered and what gets quoted separately, see What’s included in your Jezweb hosting.
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