Jump To:
When it comes to building a website, you’ve probably heard terms like domain, web host, and CMS thrown around.
But what do they actually mean, and how do they work together to get your site online?
If you’re like most small business owners, you just want to focus on creating content and running your business; you’re not as interested in the tech details.
But, understanding how these parts fit together, and making smart decisions from the start, can save you headaches down the road.
To get started, there are three key components you need to build the foundation for your website:
- A web hosting provider: Think of it as the landlord that owns the plot of land where your digital home (–> your website) resides.
- A domain: It’s like your address. It’s what people type into their browser to find your website.
- A CMS (and Website Builder): These are your construction crew, helping you design, build, and manage your website.
And once you’ve got these foundational elements in place, your web browser comes into play, retrieving and displaying your site to users, and your website effectively becomes your digital home where you lay out your virtual welcome mat for visitors.
While these last two elements aren’t ones you’ll manipulate as you build your site, we’ll talk about them so you understand how websites work from scratch to screen.
Let’s break down each of these components in more detail so you have a solid understand of how websites work, and the confidence to build one that’s easy to manage and primed to get found online.
1) A user types a web address (URL) into their browser. The URL contains the website’s domain, which is essentially its name. 2) The browser sends a request to the Domain Name System (DNS), which acts like the internet’s phonebook. DNS looks up the user-friendly domain name and translates it into a numerical IP address, similar to finding a phone number for a business. 3) The DNS sends the IP address (the location of the website on the hosting server). If the website is a digital home, the hosting server is like the plot of land where the house sits. 4) The web browser connects to the hosting server, which sends the website files back. 5) Finally, the user’s browser displays the web page.
1. Your Web HostIng Provider
Your web hosting provider is your landlord.
It owns a server, where you rent space to store your website’s data, making it accessible to the public.
Companies like Bluehost, DreamHost, or Rocket.net offer hosting services to keep your site running smoothly.
If you’re using an all-in-one platform like Squarespace, ShowIt or Kajabi, hosting is included.
However, if you’re on WordPress, you’ll need to pick your own host.
Think of it as choosing the right neighborhood for your website- hosting affects your site’s speed, performance, and even your SEO.
For more guidance on how to choose the hosting that is best for you, check out:
How To Choose The Best WordPress Hosting For Your Small Business
2. The Domain
Every home needs an address, and your website is no different. Your website’s address is your domain name, like ‘yourfitbiz.com.’
Your domain is unique to your website and helps people find you online. You can purchase domains through domain registrars like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
While some all-in-one platforms include domain registrar services, you can mix and match where you buy your domain and hosting if you’re using WordPress.
For example, you could get your domain from GoDaddy and host your website with Rocket.net or DreamHost.
3. Content Management Systems (CMS) and Website Builders
To build and manage your digital home, you need both a content management system (CMS) and a website builder.
The CMS handles the organization and storage of your content, blog posts, images, and videos (kind of like a filing cabinet), while the website builder helps you design and structure the layout.
Platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and ShowIt bundle a CMS with a website builder, offering an all-in-one solution where you can manage your content and design your site in one place. They’re popular because of their user-friendliness, drag-and-drop functionality, and built-in hosting services.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a standalone CMS. It offers more flexibility and control, but it doesn’t come with a built-in page builder.
To build your website with WordPress, you’ll want to choose a page builder like Elementor, Divi, or Beaver Builder. These tools provide the same user-friendly drag-and-drop experience as all-in-one platforms, but within the WordPress environment.
To learn more about how WordPress works and how to choose themes, page builders and templates, check out:
How WordPress Works: A Non-Technical Guide to Themes, Page Builders and Templates
Which Platform Is Best For Search Engine Optimziation (SEO)?
When it comes to deciding which platform to use, it’s important to know that Google (and other search engines) don’t care about the specific platform you use to build your website.
What truly matters is that your site meets technical expectations, provides high-quality content, and establishes authority in your niche.
Platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and ShowIt can all perform well in search, as long as your site is optimized properly.
WordPress has long been a favorite among SEOs due to its flexibility and vast plugin options, but other platforms have made strides in their SEO capabilities too.
The key to success is less about the platform and more about how you optimize it.
Whether you’re using WordPress with a page builder like Elementor or an all-in-one solution like Squarespace, the focus should be on ensuring your website is well-structured, fast, and contains the content your audience needs.
The Web Browser
No discussion of how websites work would be complete without talking about the humble web browser.
Web browsers are the bow that ties everything together, seamlessly connecting all the elements when you visit a website.
Here’s how it works:
1) When you type a URL into the browser, it sends a request to the DNS, which provides the IP address needed to connect the browser to the web server. Check out the infographic above for a little more info on this step!
2) Once connected, the web server sends back the website’s files, including HTML code and other resources, along with instructions on how to display the site.
3) The web browser then takes these files and renders them into the web page you expect to see.
This process is what turns a bunch of code into the fully-formed, beautiful website you experience when you browse online.
Your Digital Home: The Website
And finally, here’s the part you REALLY care about.
After your browser connects to the hosting server and retrieves the necessary files, it finally displays your website, your digital home!
While your web presence might extend to social media platforms or other places where you’re mentioned or linked, your website is your terra firma where all roads (or backlinks) point back to.
It’s the space that you own and control, where you control your visitors experience, where they can explore your content, learn about your services, and interact with your brand.
This is where all your technical choices, hosting, domain, and CMS, come together to create a cohesive and functional online home for your business.
Setting Up House
Building a website might seem like a lot of moving parts, but it ultimately comes down to making a few key decisions that will set you up for long-term success.
Choose a host. Secure a domain. Select a user-friendly CMS.
➡️ Your host determines how fast, secure, and reliable your site will be, providing the space where all your data lives.
➡️ Your domain is your website’s address, making it easy for people (and search engines) to find you.
➡️ Your CMS (along with a page builder, if needed) is your basic toolset, helping you organize, design, and maintain your website over time.
While these decisions won’t build the website for you, they provide the solid groundwork that makes creating, managing, and optimizing your website much easier.
By thoughtfully setting up these three key components, you’re laying the foundation for a website that works efficiently today and has the flexibility to grow with your business.
