Web Hosting
A service that stores website files on a server and makes them accessible to visitors via the internet.
Definition
Web hosting is a service that provides server space for storing a website's files, databases, and applications, making them accessible to users worldwide via the internet. Hosting providers maintain the physical or virtual servers, network connectivity, security infrastructure, and technical support needed to keep websites online.
Hosting options range from shared hosting (multiple sites on one server) and VPS (virtual private server) to dedicated servers and cloud hosting platforms. Modern options also include serverless architectures, managed hosting, and platform-specific solutions like Netlify, Vercel, and Railway.
Why It Matters
Web hosting quality directly affects website performance, reliability, and security. Slow hosting increases page load times, costing businesses conversions and search rankings. Unreliable hosting means downtime — and every minute a website is down is lost revenue and damaged trust.
Choosing the right hosting solution is a critical technical decision that balances performance needs, traffic expectations, budget, and technical expertise. Over-provisioning wastes money, while under-provisioning creates performance problems during traffic spikes.
Examples in Practice
An e-commerce site migrates from shared hosting to cloud hosting before a holiday sale, handling a 10x traffic spike that would have crashed their previous server.
A media company's website goes viral, and their auto-scaling cloud hosting automatically provisions additional servers to handle the surge, preventing downtime during their biggest moment.
A startup chooses a managed hosting platform that handles server updates and security patches automatically, freeing their small development team to focus on building features.