Short definition

Web hosting — the infrastructure and services that store website files, run server processes, and make a website available online.

Also known as: hosting, website hosting.

Web hosting is the infrastructure and service that keep your website online. Servers store files or run the software that generates pages, while DNS maps your domain name to the address that serves the site. The quality of that foundation affects speed, availability, and recovery.

How does web hosting work?

A hosting provider connects servers to the internet and keeps the underlying infrastructure running. When a visitor requests a page, a server returns stored files or generates the page on demand. Managed hosting adds updates, monitoring, backups, and support, so you do not have to maintain the server stack yourself.

What does this mean for a small business?

For most small businesses, managed hosting is a practical choice: predictable costs, no server administration, and a clear recovery process when something breaks. Look beyond the package name and check what is actually included, such as backups, email, SSL certificates, support response times, and how easy it is to move elsewhere later.

What should you watch for in web hosting?

  • check what backups are included, where they are stored and how restoration works;
  • verify that SSL/TLS certificates are included and renew automatically;
  • ask what happens to email, domains and data when you cancel;
  • measure real speed from the regions where your visitors are located;

How it relates to other website choices

Hosting works with a CDN to deliver content closer to visitors and with an SSL certificate to provide a secure connection. Day-to-day care is part of website maintenance.