Most of us use websites all the time but many of us still don’t know how they actually work. If you’re considering a website but don’t know where to start, it is important to understand the basics of website function to help getting online that little bit easier.
Today we provide a brief overview of how a website works, what websites are made of, where websites are stored and how they get to your computer. So buckle up, here we go…
How do websites work?
Firstly, websites are really not that complicated. It’s true that good websites take time, money and talent to create. However, websites are simply a bunch of files (pictures, graphics, music, video, text etc) just like you have in your home or work computer.
Websites are written in a code called Hypertext Markup Language, or ‘’HTML’’ for short. Imagine the files that make up your website as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and the HTML code as the instructions that fit all the pieces together. Easy, right?
When you access the internet you need something to de-code the HTML and turn it in a website that you can read and use. That’s where your web browser comes in! Your browser stitches together all the code and the files to display a website that you can see and interact with. The most common browsers are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.
If you’re not familiar with HTML code then it won’t look pretty! That’s where our team of talented designers can help. We write the codes that deliver stunning websites to you and your customers. You simply tell us what you want your website to do and how you want it to look – our designers then get to work shaping your site. When you’re happy with the final design we hand everything over for you to manage and you’ll be left with a website that you can access and edit whenever you want, without having to tackle any tricky code. We use some of the most user-friendly platforms available to make things as straightforward as possible for you.
Where are websites stored?
Just like the music and pictures on your home computer, they all take up space. The files and code that make up your website also need somewhere to be stored. That’s why you need a web hosting server to store this data. Simply put, a website hosting server is a super powerful computer with one and only function – to serve as a place for websites to be stored and accessed. These computers are called servers because of what they do, they simply serve data.
How do websites get from a server to your computer?
When you access the internet, you open your browser and enter the address of the website you want to visit. After you hit enter, your computer goes online to find the server where that particular website is stored. It does this by using the domain name system or ‘’DNS’’. Just like your home, a server also has an address. The DNS maintains a list of what websites are stored on what server and then tells your computer where they are. A DNS is just like a phone book for websites. Once your computer finds the server, it connects, gets the website files and the HTML code and then your browser puts all the pieces together and returns to you a website that you can use.
Bravo. You made it through the beginner’s guide about how a website works! You should by now have a very basic understanding of what goes on behind the scenes when you browse online. If you’re considering a website for your business, choose the website design experts at Jarilo Design for your next online project!
