The Difference Between Web Design and Web Hosting

If you want to build a website, you’re going to need two things: a web designer and a web host. Each is essential when you want to have a website up and running for everyone to see; but they are very different. And before you hire either, you need to know what each of them does.

A web designer will be responsible for the layout and the design of your entire site. This will include things such as where ads are placed (if you’re having ads at all,) what images you’ll use and where they’ll be placed, and the overall look and feel of your website. A web designer will fully create your website, page by page, and use different templates, text, graphics, and font sizes. Their job will be to create each individual page, yet still make sure that the look of the entire website blends together nicely.

Web hosting on the other hand, is entirely different. Typically, unless otherwise has been stated in the contract, a web host will have nothing to do with the actual creation of the website. Instead, web hosts simply store the content of the site on their servers. There are many different types of web hosting and many different types of web hosts. But in most cases, the web host will own the server on which your website resides and you will pay a monthly or yearly fee in order for their storage services. Without a web host, your website will never be able to be viewed online. Without a web design, it can; even if it’s not the high-quality site you were hoping for.

Even though the two are extremely different from each other, many people still confuse web hosting for web design. The confusion is easy to understand. Many web hosts offer web design as part of their service packages; although web designers will not typically offer web hosting services as part of their service. The web hosts that do offer both services usually hire full-time web designers that will manage the creation aspects of the website. Some web hosts offer such good web design services that people choose to use them more for their web design experience than their web hosting capabilities.

Of course, choosing not to tie your web design and your web hosting services together also holds advantages. If you choose to leave your web host, they could hold the rights to certain parts of your website (such as images or templates.) If that’s the case, you could have to leave those behind should you ever switch web hosts. When you use a separate company for web design services though, this will never be a problem.

The choice to include web design as part of your web hosting package is entirely yours; and it will take a lot of research before you decide which one is best for you. But it is important to know that web design and web hosting are two very different things. And each of them makes a huge impact on your website.