This month, we begin a series of posts that cover Internet-related concepts that are very often misunderstood, and that could be important for business owners and company decision makers to grasp. Check back over the next few months as we cover subjects such as choosing a web host, website performance, and templated solutions like WordPress, Wix, and SquareSpace.
Many concepts related to technology can be difficult to explain, especially if the person doing the explaining buries the idea under a pile of acronyms and techno-speak. Most business owners don’t need an in-depth explanation of website technology; they just want to know that their site is running and their customers have a good experience when they stop by for a visit.
However, there are a few concepts that are important for any business owner or manager to understand, such as web hosting and domain name registration. Since these are critical components of any company’s Internet presence whether they are located in West Michigan or beyond, it would be a good idea to explain what they are. This month, we’re going to talk about website hosting. To explain web hosting well, we will use some analogies, but absolutely no techno-speak whatsoever.
Probably.
To make this easy, let’s compare a website to an art gallery.
Wes is an artist who works in a gallery that he rents in the city. His gallery is on the ground floor of a skyscraper in the center of town. His paintings have become very popular, so he also rented the space next door to display additional artwork. Now that more and more people are coming to see his art, Wes also put in bigger doorways and brighter lights.
That’s web hosting.
To sell his art, Wes has to have a place to put it on display, so he rents the spaces in the building. As his gallery grows, he has to rent more space in the building to display it. As more people come, he has to improve their ability to get through the gallery and see his art.
A website really is a physical thing. It may be code, but that code still takes up space on a server somewhere in a building that belongs to SiteGround, or Dreamhost, or A2 Hosting*. Or, any other web hosting company. People have to rent that space just like an art gallery has to rent the retail storefront it occupies.
The website is equal to the art gallery. The server space it occupies is the same as the space that the gallery fills up in the building. The hosting server’s performance, or ability to serve visitors, is the same as the improvements Wes does to make it easier for people to see his artwork.
See, no techno-speak.
If you still have questions about web hosting or would like to know more about driving customers to your art gallery, I mean, website, please contact the team at GreenCup Digital and let us build the best possible representation of you, your product, or your company.
Check back next month when we discuss the things that make each web host different and why one might be a better choice for your website than the others.
*Links to hosting companies are affiliate links.
