Website hosting is like renting a piece of land on the internet. Think of it this way: the domain name is your website’s address, like “www.mywebsite.co.za,” which helps people find you online. The hosting, on the other hand, is the actual space where your website lives – where all the files, images, and content are stored so people can view it anytime. Just like having a physical store needs both a location and a name, a website needs both a domain and hosting. Without hosting, your domain would just be an empty address; and without a domain, no one could find your hosting space. Together, they create a complete website that people can visit and explore.
Shared vs Dedicated hosting
Shared hosting and dedicated server hosting differ in how resources are allocated to your website. With shared hosting, multiple websites share the same server and its resources (like storage and processing power), which keeps costs low but may impact speed or performance if other sites on the server are busy. In dedicated server hosting, your website has an entire server to itself, giving you full control and consistent, high-level performance. This option is more expensive but ideal for larger sites or those needing maximum reliability and customization.