Hosting
Hosting is the server service where your website's files and database live, online around the clock. If the domain is the address, hosting is the building at that address.
What is hosting?
Hosting is the server your site runs on. The code, images and database live there, and the server stays connected to the internet day and night. Shared hosting, virtual servers and cloud services such as AWS are different kinds of hosting.
Here is an everyday case. Think of the domain as a street address and hosting as the building. Your domain is yourcompany.com, but hosting is what shows the page when a visitor arrives. If the hosting account expires, the address still exists but the building is closed, and the site does not load.
Why does it matter?
Speed, security and backups depend largely on hosting. Like the domain, the hosting account should be in your name. Otherwise someone else controls access to your site and data. Read more in who should own your domain. Serving the site from locations closer to visitors is explained under CDN.
Frequently asked questions
What types of hosting are there?
The three common types are shared hosting, virtual private servers and cloud servers. Shared hosting puts many sites on one server and is cheap. Virtual and cloud servers give more resources and control.
What should I look for in a hosting provider?
Check the server location, how often backups run, how support works and whether it supports the software versions your site needs. Having the account in your company's name matters just as much.
Will my site go down if I change hosting providers?
Not if the move is planned. The site and database are copied to the new server and tested, then the DNS records are switched. The old hosting stays active until the move is complete.