What is web hosting, exactly?
The short answer
Web hosting is the space on a server where your website's files live, so it is reachable day and night. You rent that space from a hosting provider, usually for a few dollars a month, bundled with things like email, SSL, and backups.
In detail
A website is a collection of files: pages, images, code, and often a database. They have to live on a computer that is always on and always connected. That is what a hosting provider sells. Professional servers in a data center, including power, cooling, security, and maintenance.
For most websites, shared hosting is enough. You share a server with other customers and therefore pay little, typically $3 to $10 a month. As your site grows, you can step up to your own virtual server (VPS) or managed hosting where the provider handles everything.
Good providers bundle the essentials, with a free SSL certificate for the secure connection, email addresses on your own domain, and automatic backups. When comparing, look at the renewal price above all. The first-year promo rate tells you very little.