Difference between Web Design and Web Hosting

Web design and web hosting are two services that anyone needs if they want to have a website. And the fact that they’re often offered by both the same company leads many to thinking that these two are one and the same. However, the two are distinctly different.

Web design refers to the creation of the website and the actual pages on that website. A web designer will reach into their toolbox and will be able to use things such as different texts, graphics, images, fonts, colors, and more to set up a dynamic web page or website for you or your company. In order to be able to do this, web designers must have a vast knowledge of many different technical aspects of the website including coding and templates, and they will also need to have an extensive knowledge on things such as widgets and plugins that can be installed onto a site. A web designer must also be able to effectively and creatively design individual pages, while pulling the entire look together to create one cohesive site.

A web hosting company on the other hand, allows that website to be viewed by others on the Internet. A web host essentially acts as a gateway between websites and their audience, publishing and displaying websites online. A web hosting company will have a server, or an entire data center filled with servers, that will provide webmasters and website owners bandwidth and storage space for their website. The website will determine how much storage space is needed, because this space only holds information from the website. Bandwidth refers to a frequency, and this is used every time someone visits a site. The more people that visit the site, the more bandwidth is needed.

Web hosting companies often provide web design services, which is one of the reasons so many people use the two terms interchangeably. Sometimes templates will be provided by the web host, and if the customer still doesn’t know how to create their website from those templates, they’ll need to hire an external web designer. Other times, web hosting companies can provide a full range of web design services, including designing an entire site from scratch. When looking at web hosting companies who offer both services, it’s important that customers fully analyze both sides of the service before choosing any one host. Because these are grouped services, web hosts often offer a discount for contracting both services through them.

However, choosing an all-in-one package isn’t best for everyone. When a website needs to be rebuilt from scratch or completely redesigned, it often makes sense for the customer to research and hire out the two services separately. While using one web hosting company may be cheaper, hiring a separate web designer could give the customer a better website. However, this of course, is not always the case, which is why customers need to research what’s right for them.