Yes, you need web hosting for a website to be reachable online, unless you’re using a platform that includes hosting in the plan.
Web hosting is rented server space that stores your site files and delivers them to visitors 24/7. A domain is just your address (like yourbusiness.com), and DNS is what points that address to the server where your website lives. For most Orlando and Florida service businesses, the “starter kit” is simple: a domain, hosting, and a site (WordPress, a builder, or custom code) sitting on top of it.
When you might not buy hosting separately
If you use an all-in-one website builder or ecommerce platform, hosting is bundled. You still pay for it, but it’s wrapped into the subscription and handled for you. The trade-off is portability: moving away later often means rebuilding, because you don’t fully control the hosting environment.
Common website setups and whether you need hosting
| Website setup | Do you buy hosting separately? | Good fit for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-one builder (Wix, Squarespace) or ecommerce (Shopify) | No | Fast launch with built-in features | Less flexibility; harder to move later |
| WordPress.com hosted plan | No | WordPress with fewer moving parts | Theme and plugin limits depend on plan |
| Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) | Yes | Most local businesses that want control and SEO room | Updates, backups, and security need ongoing care unless managed |
| Custom-coded site or web app | Yes | Unique features, integrations, portals | More technical upkeep and monitoring |
What your hosting should cover for a business site: SSL (so your site loads on https), automated backups, malware scanning, and support that can help when something breaks. Speed matters too, especially with mobile-heavy traffic around Central Florida, so solid hosting plus caching (and often a CDN) can keep pages quick for visitors.
If your site runs on WordPress, our WordPress hosting covers the updates, backups, and security tasks most business owners don’t want to deal with.
If you’re still deciding between a builder and WordPress, we can plan the cleanest setup as part of a web design project so your domain, hosting, and site line up from day one.
If the terms are starting to blur together, what a CMS is breaks down what “WordPress” actually means in plain language.
For trust and visibility, it also helps to understand HTTPS and SEO, since SSL is typically handled through your host or platform.
If you tell us what your website needs to do (calls, bookings, payments, intake forms, patient requests), we’ll point you to the simplest hosting route that fits and explain what you can safely skip.
