From idea to live: how a website actually gets online

Most people only see the finished website. Behind it are a handful of pieces that all have to line up. Once you understand them, conversations with your developer, and your invoices, make a lot more sense.

Think of your website as a shop.

1. 1

   Planning and design: deciding what the shop is for

   Before anything is built, someone decides what the site needs to do, who it's for, and what goes on each page. Then it's designed: layout, colours, type, how it feels on a phone.

2. 2

   Development: building the shop

   This is where the site is actually made, written in code so it works in every browser and on every screen. Forms, member areas, galleries and anything else the site needs get built here.

3. 3

   The domain: your address

   Your domain (like ikon.ke) is the address people type to find you. You don't buy it forever. You register it, usually for a year at a time, and renew it. If you forget to renew, the address can lapse, and your site and email stop working.

4. 4

   Hosting: the plot of land

   Your website's files have to live on a computer that's switched on and connected to the internet all day, every day. That's a server, and renting space on one is hosting. Good hosting is fast, reliable, and backed up.

5. 5

   DNS: the directory

   The domain and the hosting are separate things. DNS is the directory that connects them. When someone types your address, DNS tells their browser which server to go to. It also tells email where to go. After a change, DNS updates can take from a few minutes to a day or two to reach everyone.

6. 6

   SSL: the padlock

   SSL encrypts the connection between your visitor and your site, so nothing sent in between, like a password or a form, can be read by anyone else. It's the padlock in the browser bar. Without it, browsers warn visitors that your site isn't secure. Certificates need renewing regularly, and that's usually automated.

7. 7

   Launch and after

   Once everything is connected, the site goes live. Then the real work starts: updates, backups, monitoring, and fixing things when they come up. A website is closer to a car than a painting. It needs looking after.

Who does what depends on how it's built

With an AI tool or website builder, the platform handles hosting and SSL for you. You connect a domain, pick a template, and fill it in. It's quick, but you're limited to what the platform allows, and your site lives on their system.

With WordPress, you usually pay for hosting separately, install WordPress, pick a theme, add plugins, and point your domain at it. It's flexible, but you (or someone you pay) are responsible for keeping WordPress and every plugin updated and secure.

With a custom build, your developer handles the whole chain: design, build, hosting, DNS, SSL, and ongoing care. You get a site made for your needs and one team accountable for all of it.

None of these is wrong. The question is how much the site matters to your work, and who you want responsible when something goes wrong.