What is a website, in one sentence?
A website is the pages, files and optional database published under one domain name. A visitor types that name and a browser shows the result. The name, the files and the server are different parts of that same site. How the request moves through DNS and HTTP is covered in how DNS, HTTP and the server deliver a page.
What are the parts of a website (domain, hosting, files, database)?
Four parts make a website reachable. The domain is the name you register. Hosting stores the files and answers requests, which is the job described as what web hosting is. The files are HTML, CSS, images and code. A database holds records when a page is built from stored data instead of one fixed file.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Domain | The name people type. You register it and you renew it. |
| Hosting | The service that stores the files and answers the visit. |
| Files | HTML, CSS, images, scripts and other documents that make the pages. |
| Database | Stored records used when a page is built on request, not from one fixed file. |
What are the types of websites?
Websites are grouped by the job they do, not by the colour of the template. A brochure site explains a business. A blog publishes articles over time. A shop takes orders and payments. A web application is a tool people log into and use. One domain can mix these jobs, but one job should lead the home page.
| Type | The job it does |
|---|---|
| Brochure | Explains a business and how to contact it. |
| Blog | Publishes articles on one domain over time. |
| Shop | Lists products and takes an order. |
| Web application | A tool people log into, such as bookings or accounts. |
Website vs webpage vs web app: what is the difference?
A webpage is one document at one address. A website is the collection of those documents under one domain. A web app is built so people finish a task, such as a booking or an account, rather than only read. The full website and web application comparison is separate, as is the URL versus domain name split.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Webpage | One document at one address. |
| Website | The collection of documents under one domain. |
| Web app | A site built so someone finishes a task, not only reads. |
What is the difference between a static and a dynamic website?
A static website serves files that stay the same until someone edits them. A dynamic website builds the page when it is requested, usually from a database and a program such as PHP. Most small business sites are dynamic because the owner edits them in a panel. The decision rule sits on static versus dynamic website.
| Static website | Dynamic website | |
|---|---|---|
| What the server sends | A file saved earlier | A page built for that request |
| How you edit | Change the file and upload it | Edit in a panel or a program |
Cost, caching and which kind to pick are on the static-versus-dynamic page linked above.
What do you need to own a website in India?
To own a website in India you register a domain, point it at hosting, and publish the pages. You renew the domain for a new term or the name can expire. Hosting is a separate bill from the name. The order of those jobs, from the name to a live page, is how to build a website in India.
- Register a domain name for a term, in INR.
- Point that name at hosting, which is a separate service from the name.
- Publish the pages: files, and a database if the site builds pages from records.
- Renew the domain before the term ends, or the name can expire.
18% GST is added on the invoice when you pay WebJi®. This page does not set a package price, because the name and the hosting are billed apart.