Understanding SSL, Hosting, and Domains

By: Team WTI | Date: January 15, 2019

Categories: Website Backup & Monitoring,

Tags: Automated Backup and Hosting, Domain, Hosting, SSL, URL,

When it comes to building and maintaining a successful website, understanding the basics of web hosting, domain names, URLs, and SSL certificates is essential. These components work together to ensure your site is accessible, secure, and easy to navigate for your visitors. At Team WTI, we recognize that these terms can sometimes be confusing, so we’ve put together this guide to help clarify what they mean and why they matter for your online presence. Whether you’re launching a new site or looking to enhance your current one, understanding these fundamentals will empower you to make informed decisions. Let’s dive in!

Hosting

Hosting is how and where your website is stored. When a company offers hosting, they’re usually offering their servers to store your website and files on. When people try to access your website, it loads from that server. WTI offers reliable web hosting for your website. We use state-of-the-art server options to allow your website to run quickly and be placed in a secure environment. If a problem arises with your site, we are available to diagnose the problem and keep you updated until resolved.

Domain

Your domain is like the address of your home. It’s the name of where you’re located, and everyone has their own specific “address” (domain) that is unique to that website. For example, Google.com is the only Google.com. No one else can also have the domain Google.com because they can’t share the same “address.” To get a domain name, you will need to buy and register it with a domain registrar. You can register a domain with WTI easily by giving us a call.

URL

A URL is the specific page/location on your website that you want to direct people to. So, in essence, it’s the domain name (ex. www.google.com) plus a location or page (ex. https://www.facebook.com/EvilClownPr0). This is the complete URL that tells you where to find a page. Each page of your website will have a different URL. One might be “yourwebsite.com/about” while another might be “yourwebsite.com/service-area.” But, what is that “https://” at the beginning of the URL? Let’s find out.

SSL

Have you ever noticed the lock on the left side of the address bar on your web browser, right next to your URL? That is the SSL or Secure Sockets Layer. This gives your users assurance that the connection between their computer and your website is secure, and adds trust to interactions like shopping cart purchases and filling out forms. Recently, Google has labeled all pages without an SSL certificate (i.e. just “http://”) as insecure, so it may be a good idea to purchase an SSL certificate to make sure that your site is showing as secure to all visitors. You can call WTI and we can easily set it up for you.

Interested in Purchasing an SSL Certificate, Domain Name or Hosting? Contact WTI!

We hope this clarified these common terms. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Contact us for more information on hosting, purchasing a domain, or SSL certificate.