What is Web Hosting? – HostGator Hosted

-Hey everyone. It’s your boy, Scott, your web hosting Brofessional. In this episode of Hosted, we’ll cover one very simple, yet very important topic. Just what the heck is web hosting? And, stick around for some great deets from HostGator’s own Nobel prize for web hosting winner, Josh. What’s that? Oh, I’m being told that’s not a real thing. Well, it should be and Josh should get it. What is web hosting? Do I need it? Do I need to know
complex computer lingo to understand it? How exactly can HostGator help me with all of this stuff? Am I the type of person that makes a point by asking a question then immediately answering it? Yes [laughter]. and, lucky for you, this is the stuff we love to nerd out about and to help other folks understand. We’re here for you. -Thanks, man. -Before we understand what web hosting is and why we need it, we should ask what exactly is a website? All
you need to know is that behind the all-powerful and intimidating curtain that is the internet, all a website really is, is a bunch of fancy files and folders stored on a fancy hard drive, connected to the internet. These are files similar to a Word doc or text file, but are just formatted differently and saved as a different type of file, like PHP, INDEX, Cascading Style Sheet, AKA CSS files, and HTML files. I know HTML, How To Meet Ladies.
These files could also be media files like MP4s or JPEGs, but when these files and folders are viewed by someone on a computer using a web browser, like Safari, Chrome or Microsoft Edge, they look like a website, all pretty and fancy with pictures and videos and GIFs. GIFs, right? Is it GIFs? -Yes. -GIFs? What? No. And GIFs all made possible by the magic of web hosting. Oh. So, what exactly is web hosting? Here to pull back the curtain on this
and how it works, my good friend and web hosting bro, Josh. -Josh. -Hey Scott, in the most simple terms, web hosting is renting space on those fancy hard drives that you mentioned to house your website files. These hard drives, AKA servers, are fancy because of their connection to the internet and all their extra complicated technical bells and whistles that allow them to talk to web browsers on people’s phones and computers, and then translate
those files and folders into a pretty version that is your website, the one with all the GIFs. -[laughs] I knew it. [laughter] -GIFs. Thanks, Josh. Continue. -These servers physically live in a data center, which is basically a fancy warehouse. -There. -What? -Their house, their website. -Right. These warehouses are fully decked out with temperature control, 24/7 constant power supply, and the physical security needed to keep your site live and
active. Basically a Fort Knox hospital hybrid, very secure, very sterile. They also manage the resources needed for the amount of traffic your site consumes. -Hmm, secure and sterile, just like my mint condition My Little Pony collection. [laughter] -Thanks Josh. Basically, when you sign up for web hosting with HostGator, you get some rented server space on fancy hard drives to store your website files in a warehouse somewhere, connected to the
internet that your fans, customers, or even your grandma can look at it from anywhere in the world at any time of day. Depending on the type of site you have, how much traffic you expect, or how much server space your website files take up, HostGator offers a variety of levels of web hosting to perfectly suit your needs. Our web hosting also comes with tons of cool features like courtesy backups of your website stuff, easy-to-use assistance with
installing things like WordPress and custom email addresses. This makes it super easy to create a professional online shop, portfolio, blog, image gallery of your super-sweet sneaker collection, your My Little Pony collection. Plus, you get access to our top-notch, 24/7 customer service. 24/7 [chuckles]. When I said we’re here for you, I mean, we’re like, here for you, and we freaking love it. We also handle all of the behind-the-curtain
maintenance stuff to make sure the fancy hard drives that house your website stuff are always working and stuff. We keep the bells and whistles polished and sounding like bells and whistles should [bells ringing]. And that’s basically it. I’d just like to point out that we did successfully reference the Wizard of Oz and Young Frankenstein in this episode. So, you know, keeping things relevant [chuckles]. Oh, what year is it? On our next episode,
we’ll discuss even more relevant topics like the industrial revolution and the invention of the talkie. Okay. Bye. [applause] -Mike, have you [?] ? -I feel like I have. -Thanks again. I trust you. -You’re putting me on the spot. -Yes, it’s roll in the hay? -No. -No? You don’t want to roll in hay? You don’t know what I’m talking about. -Okay, yes, you’re talking to the wrong people. -Oh yeah. Sorry. -You need to talk to me.