Web hosting is when you rent space from a hosting company. This space is generally used to store all files related to your website. These files include html, javascript, gif, jpg, png, audio or video files, etc.

A hosting company will normally give you a limited amount of space, measured either in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). You will also receive a certain amount of bandwidth, usually measured in GB, which accounts for how many times all your files are served to visitors. For instance, someone downloading a 1MB ebook will count for 1MB of bandwidth.

They will also generally provide you with support for your hosting account and ensure uptime. Often, more expensive hosting accounts have better support, such as telephone support (as opposed to strictly online or email support) with 24 hour support available.

You can either purchase a domain name through a domain reseller (GoDaddy is definitely the most popular place to purchase a domain name). You can often purchase your domain name when you set up your hosting account, but you are often purchasing the domains through a host at a premium price.

When choosing a domain name, it is important to choose one that reflects your business and is memorable (especially if you plan to market offline).