A website (also written "web site") is a group of related web pages that live under one domain name, such as example.com, and can be opened by anyone with a browser and an internet connection. A business website might have a homepage, a services page, an about page and a contact form, all linked together and sharing the same look.
The parts that make a website work
Every website depends on three pieces:
- A domain name, the address people type. You rent it yearly from a registrar.
- Hosting, a server that stores the files and sends them out on request.
- The files themselves: HTML for structure and content, CSS for appearance, JavaScript for interaction, plus images and fonts.
When someone visits, DNS turns the domain into the server's IP address, the browser requests the page over HTTPS, and the server returns the files for the browser to assemble on screen.
Website, web page and web app
A web page is one document with its own URL; the website is the whole collection. A web app is a site built around doing tasks, like logging in and managing data, rather than mainly reading. The line is blurry: an online shop is a website with app-like parts such as a cart and checkout.
Static and dynamic sites
A static site serves the same prebuilt files to everyone, which makes it fast, cheap to host and hard to break. A dynamic site builds pages on request, often from a database, so it can show account details, search results or stock levels. Many small-business sites are mostly static with a few dynamic pieces, such as a booking widget or contact form.
A plumber's five-page website
A plumber's website at smithplumbing.com might contain five pages: a homepage with a phone number and service area, a page per service, reviews, and a contact form that emails the owner. The domain costs a small yearly fee, the hosting serves the pages, and Google indexes them so local searchers can find the business.
Why a small business still needs one
Social profiles and marketplace listings belong to the platform, which can change its rules or reach. A website is the one place you control: your own address, your own words, and a page Google can show for searches about your services. If customers can already find and book you easily elsewhere, a simple one-page site is often enough.
Common mistakes with a first website
- Registering the domain in someone else's name, such as a former web designer, so you cannot move it later.
- Ignoring phones. Most local searches happen on mobile, so the site must be responsive.
- Hiding the basics. Visitors want what you do, where, and how to contact you within seconds.
- Launching and forgetting. Old prices and opening hours cost trust.
Related terms
- Web page: a single document within a site.
- Homepage: the site's front door.
- Domain name: the address a site lives at.
- Web hosting: where the files are stored and served.