How a website works? How to make a website work? Like a living thing, a website works well when all parts work well with one another. When one part of the website is not working, it negatively affects all other parts and the website fails to work at its full potential.
How to make a website work
A website is made up from web pages. All website pages are linked together. The website has a lot of files like images, graphics, texts, and more content. A web page is an HTML file coded by web programmers and viewed by a web browser. The web server is a computer dedicated specifically to host websites, so the website files are stored there. The website folder has an internet address (URL) and when you type in the website domain name, a browser finds the website on the server and displays the site on your screen.
Knowing how websites work and how things are done is helpful for everyone looking to build a website. It expands your understanding of the web design and development process a lot clearer. Below, we shortly explain how website works and point out the fundamentals that make a website work.
Domain Name
Domain name is an online identity of the website. A website’s domain is a website identification on the web, such as woweb.com, about.com, wikipedia.org, etc. The domain name is a unique alphanumeric name that consists of English letters, numbers 0-9, and hyphens (-). Every domain name has a suffix or extension that indicates which type of organization or country it belongs. You can buy a domain name and server space from different companies or from the same company. A domain is not the same as URL. The domain name is part of website url that provides much more information, including the specific page address, folder name, machine name, and protocol language. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a web address or a specific character string that constitutes a reference to a web resource. A domain name is actually a memorable "name" of the website, and it is not the same as IP Address.
Web Browser
Web browser is a software program that retrieves and displays information resources on the web. A web browser translates the coding into a user-friendly form. Browsers access information provided by web servers and display the web page on the screen of your PC. The today’s most used web browsers are Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari.
Web Server
Web server is a remote computer developed to deliver web content that can be accessed through the Internet. When the user enters the domain in the browser, the Web server responds to a browser’s request for a web page. To host your website on the server you have to buy a server space. Domain Name Server (DNS) translates domain names into IP addresses. Every time you use a domain, the DNS translates the domain into the related IP.
Web Hosting
Web hosting stores the website files and makes the site accessible on the internet. Web hosts are companies providing internet connectivity and space on a server. When a user enters the domain name into the browser, the website is loaded from its web host. There are different types of web hosting services that offer domain names, e-mail, databases, SSL encryption, and automated website backup in the event of a server outage.
HTML/PHP/CSS
PHP is a reliable web programming technology used in modern website development to write dynamic websites. Websites like Wikipedia, Yahoo!, Delicious, Facebook are powered by PHP. A style sheet language CSS is used to style web pages written in HTML and XHTML. An HTML file can be uploaded to a web server, where any computer with a web browser and an Internet connection can access it. Most modern websites use PHP and CSS.
Web Page Content
Web page content is any information you see and use on a web page and website, including graphics, images, texts, etc. The primary reason why people come to the website is the content. Web pages content should be unique, reliable, useful, well-organized, link-wise, keyword-smart, and fresh. Good website content builds user trust and boosts website prominence on search engines.
CMS
Content Management System (CMS) is a software equipped with options for website content administration. CMS allows updating website content according to the website users’ needs and expectations. Having the right CMS gives an absolute control over the website content. Modern CMS are easy to manage and feature many add-ons for administration of various types of web page content.
Now you know how websites work in general, what you need to make a website work and how your own future website will be working!
