Understanding How Websites Work: A Non-Technical Guide

When you type a web address and a page appears, what actually happens? Understanding the basics helps you make better decisions about your own website, even if you never write a line of code.

Let me explain it in plain language.

What Happens When You Visit a Website

When you type “google.com” and press Enter:

1. Your browser asks: “Where is google.com?” Your computer contacts a DNS server (like a phone book for the internet) to find the IP address (the actual location) of Google’s server.

2. Your browser connects to that server It sends a request: “Give me the homepage.”

3. The server responds with files It sends back HTML (the content), CSS (the styling), JavaScript (interactivity), and images.

4. Your browser renders the page It assembles all those files into the visual page you see.

This all happens in milliseconds. But there are distinct pieces, and understanding them helps.

The Three Languages of Websites

Every website uses at least HTML and CSS. Most also use JavaScript.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

HTML is the structure and content. It’s like the bones and the words of a page.

<h1>Welcome to My Site</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph of text.</p>
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="A photo">
<a href="/about">About Us</a>

HTML tells the browser: “Here’s a heading. Here’s a paragraph. Here’s an image. Here’s a link.”

Without CSS, an HTML page looks like a plain document with default formatting. Functional, but not pretty.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

CSS is the visual design. Colors, fonts, spacing, layout.

h1 {
  color: blue;
  font-size: 36px;
}

p {
  line-height: 1.6;
  margin-bottom: 20px;
}

CSS tells the browser: “Make headings blue and large. Give paragraphs more line spacing.”

CSS doesn’t change what content exists—it changes how it looks.

JavaScript

JavaScript adds interactivity. Menus that open, forms that validate, content that updates without reloading.

button.addEventListener('click', function() {
  alert('You clicked the button!');
});

JavaScript tells the browser: “When someone clicks this button, show a message.”

A website can work without JavaScript (many do), but interactive features require it.

How They Work Together

Think of building a house:

• HTML is the structure: walls, rooms, doors
• CSS is the decoration: paint, furniture, lighting
• JavaScript is the electronics: lights that switch on, doors that lock

All three work together to create what you see and use.

Domain Names Explained

A domain name is your website’s address—like “google.com” or “myshop.com.”

How Domains Work

Domain names are human-friendly addresses. Computers actually use IP addresses (like 142.250.80.46), but those are hard to remember.

The domain name system (DNS) translates names to IP addresses. When you type a domain, DNS looks up where that website actually lives.

Registrars

You buy domains from registrars like:

• Namecheap
• Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains)
• GoDaddy
• Cloudflare

You don’t own a domain forever—you pay an annual fee (typically $10-20/year for common extensions like .com).

Choosing a Domain

• Short is better than long
• .com is most familiar, but others work too
• Avoid hyphens and numbers unless necessary
• Check trademarks before buying

Your domain name matters for branding and memorability, but has minimal impact on SEO.

Hosting Explained

Hosting is where your website’s files actually live. When someone visits your domain, they’re connected to your hosting server.

Types of Hosting

Shared Hosting ($3-15/month) Your site shares a server with many others. Cheap but can be slow if neighbors use lots of resources. Good for small sites.

Examples: Bluehost, SiteGround, Hostinger

VPS (Virtual Private Server) ($20-80/month) You get a virtual slice of a server with dedicated resources. More consistent performance. Good for growing sites.

Examples: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr

Dedicated Hosting ($100+/month) An entire physical server just for you. Maximum performance and control. For high-traffic sites.

Managed WordPress Hosting ($15-100/month) Optimized specifically for WordPress. Handles updates, security, and performance. Worth it if you’re serious about WordPress.

Examples: WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel

Platform Hosting (varies) Some platforms include hosting in the subscription. Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix all host your site as part of their service.

What Good Hosting Provides

• Uptime: Your site stays online (99.9%+ is standard promise)
• Speed: Fast servers mean fast loading
• Security: Protection against attacks
• Backups: Automatic copies of your data
• Support: Help when things go wrong

Cheap hosting often means slow sites, more downtime, and less support. For a business, it’s usually worth paying more.

Connecting Domain and Hosting

Your domain and hosting are separate things, often from different companies. You connect them by updating DNS settings.

When you set up hosting, you’ll get either:

• Nameservers (like ns1.hostingcompany.com)
• IP address to point to

You enter these in your domain registrar’s settings. This tells the internet: “When someone visits mydomain.com, send them to my hosting server.”

DNS changes take time to spread across the internet—anywhere from minutes to 48 hours.

Static vs Dynamic Websites

Static Websites

Files are pre-built. When someone visits, the server just sends the files directly.

Pros:

• Very fast
• Very secure (no database to hack)
• Cheap or free to host

Cons:

• Content changes require editing files and re-uploading
• No built-in user accounts, comments, etc.

Good for: Portfolios, landing pages, documentation, blogs (with static site generators)

Dynamic Websites

Pages are generated on-demand by a server, often pulling from a database.

Pros:

• Content can update without code changes
• Can have user accounts, e-commerce, etc.
• Content management systems (like WordPress) make editing easy

Cons:

• More complex
• Potentially slower
• More security considerations

Good for: E-commerce, sites with frequent updates, member sites, complex web applications

Many sites mix both: dynamic content management with caching that serves static versions for speed.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

A CMS lets you manage website content without coding. You edit in a visual interface, and the CMS generates the pages.

Popular CMS Options

WordPress Powers 40%+ of websites. Flexible, enormous plugin ecosystem, can be complex.

Shopify E-commerce focused. Easy to use, less flexible for non-store content.

Squarespace Beautiful templates, easy drag-and-drop. Less customizable.

Wix Very beginner-friendly. Good for simple sites, less control for advanced needs.

Webflow More design control than Squarespace. Steeper learning curve.

For most small business websites, a CMS makes sense. You can update content without calling a developer.

SSL Certificates (HTTPS)

That padlock in your browser’s address bar means the connection is encrypted.

SSL certificates verify your site’s identity and encrypt data between visitor and server.

Why it matters:

• Google ranks HTTPS sites higher
• Browsers warn visitors about insecure sites
• Required for any sensitive data (payments, passwords)

Most hosting and platforms provide free SSL through Let’s Encrypt. If yours doesn’t, that’s a red flag.

Speed Matters

Slow websites lose visitors. Every second of delay reduces conversions.

What affects speed:

• Hosting quality
• Image sizes (compress your images!)
• Amount of code (especially JavaScript)
• Too many external resources (fonts, analytics, widgets)
• Caching configuration

You can test your site’s speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.

Summary

Here’s how all the pieces connect:

1. You buy a domain (your address)
2. You set up hosting (where files live)
3. You point domain to hosting (via DNS)
4. Your website files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) are stored on the hosting server
5. When someone visits, their browser downloads these files and displays your site
6. A CMS (optional) lets you edit content without touching code
7. SSL encrypts the connection

Understanding these basics helps you:

• Have informed conversations with developers
• Troubleshoot basic issues
• Make better decisions about your web presence

You don’t need to become technical—but knowing the landscape helps.

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Gustavo has worked in web development and digital marketing for 15 years. He writes these guides to help small business owners understand technology without the jargon.