How does a website actually work?
Domain names, hosting, WordPress, DNS and email can make getting a website sound much more complicated than it really is. Here's what each part does and how they fit together.
When you visit a website, it feels simple: you type an address, click a link and a page appears. Behind that, several different services are working together. The good news is that you don't need to understand all of the technical detail to understand the basics.
Your domain is the address. Hosting is where the website runs. WordPress manages the website itself. Your visitor's browser brings it all together on their screen.
The four main parts of a website
A useful way to understand a website is to separate it into four parts: the domain name, the hosting, the website software and content, and the visitor's browser.
From your domain to your customer's screen
When someone visits your website, these parts work together in a matter of moments.
Domain
The memorable address people use to find you online.
DNS
Directs the visitor to the right place on the internet.
Hosting & website
The server runs your website and sends its pages, images and files.
Visitor
Their browser receives everything and displays the finished website.
1. Your domain name
A domain name is the address people use to reach your website. For example, our domain is ckenterprises.co.uk.
Buying a domain does not create a website. It simply gives you control of that address. You then tell the domain where your website and other services can be found.
Think of the domain as your street address.
Knowing someone's address tells you where to find them, but the address itself isn't the building.
2. DNS: the directions behind the scenes
DNS stands for Domain Name System. You normally don't need to interact with it, but it plays an important role.
Computers communicate using numerical addresses. DNS lets us use memorable names such as yourbusiness.co.uk instead.
When someone visits your domain, DNS effectively tells their device:
DNS can also direct email and other services to the correct provider.
3. Website hosting
Your website needs somewhere to run. That service is normally called web hosting.
Hosting provides the computing resources that store and deliver your website. When somebody requests a page, the hosting platform processes the request and sends the necessary information back to their browser.
This is why website hosting is an ongoing service rather than part of the one-off cost of designing a website. Servers need to remain online, maintained, secured and connected to the internet every day.
4. The website itself
The website is the part most people think of: your pages, text, photographs, navigation, enquiry forms and other functionality.
At CK Enterprises UK, our Professional Website Package is built using WordPress.
What does WordPress do?
WordPress is the system used to manage the website. It stores your content and provides the administration area used to edit pages, upload images and manage other parts of the site.
It means your website isn't simply a collection of static files that require a developer every time a sentence needs changing.
WordPress is separate from the domain and hosting. You can think of it as the system running inside your hosting account.
A simple analogy
So what happens when somebody visits your website?
A lot happens very quickly after somebody enters your website address.
They enter your domain
Their browser asks the internet where that domain can be found.
DNS points them towards your hosting
The domain's DNS records identify the service responsible for the website.
The server receives the request
Your hosting platform receives the visitor's request for the page.
WordPress prepares the page
WordPress retrieves the appropriate content and generates what the visitor should see.
Their browser displays it
The page, styles, images and other resources are downloaded and assembled on their screen.
Where does HTTPS fit in?
Modern websites should normally use HTTPS. This encrypts information travelling between a visitor's browser and the website.
The padlock shown by many browsers is associated with an SSL/TLS certificate installed for the domain. It helps protect information while it travels across the internet, particularly when somebody submits a form or logs into a service.
HTTPS is important, but it does not by itself mean that a website is trustworthy or completely secure. It protects the connection; good website security involves several other measures too.
Is professional email part of the website?
Technically, no. Your website and email are separate services.
They can, however, use the same domain. That means your website could be:
while your email might be [email protected].
DNS records tell the internet where both services live. Your website might be hosted by one system while your email is handled by another.
From a customer's perspective, the important thing is that both use your organisation's identity consistently.
Why are some website costs one-off and others ongoing?
This becomes much easier to understand once the different components are separated.
Can the different parts be moved?
Usually, yes.
A domain can normally be transferred between registrars. A WordPress website can normally be moved to another compatible hosting provider. Email can also be migrated between services.
That's one reason we prefer established technologies such as WordPress rather than locking a customer's website into a platform that only one supplier can operate.
Common questions
Do I own my domain name?
Your domain should be registered for your organisation and kept under appropriate control. The provider manages the registration, but it should not become a mechanism for unnecessarily locking you to a supplier.
Do I need to buy WordPress?
WordPress itself is open-source software. Costs normally relate to designing the website, hosting it and any paid extensions or services a particular site requires.
Can my website and email be with different companies?
Yes. DNS allows different services associated with the same domain to be handled by different providers.
What happens if my hosting goes offline?
Visitors may be unable to reach the website until the hosting service is restored. This is why reliable hosting, maintenance and backups matter.
Does owning a domain mean I have a website?
No. Registering a domain gives you the address. You still need a website and somewhere to host it.
We'd rather explain it than hide it behind jargon.
CK Enterprises UK can bring the website, domain, hosting and professional email together for you. Tell us what you're trying to achieve and we'll explain the options clearly.
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