A website (also spelled web site), is a collection of pages available on the Internet linked together by one address, or URL.http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/compound.htm#internet These pages are generally all related to a certain topic, and have several elements that are common to all websites: navigation, content or articles, and the ability to contact the creator. Websites are hosted on web servers and can be accessed via an internet connection or on a local network depending how they are set up. Websites are generally composed of documents written in a various web programming language such as HTML, PHP, JavaScript or XML. These languages can be combined to make dynamic pages. All web pages are accessed through the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (also known as HTTP) and some can be secure.http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2616

All websites that are available on the Internet comprise what is referred to as the World Wide Web. Most websites will have multiple pages, interlinked together and then displayed in a navigation menu or site map. Some websites will link to other sites on the Internet. Websites require an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox in order to access them. These sites are accessed by their URL or domain name, or the IP address of the web server that is hosting the website.http://www.w3.org/2004/Talks/w3c10-HowItAllStarted/?n=15

Websites come in many different types. There are government websites (the URL will generally end in .gov), education websites (.edu), business websites (.com), military websites (.mil), and a variety of .com style websites.

Websites are created to promote business or products, as personal spaces on the web, as blogs or web journals, as search engines, social networks such as Facebook, local information sites, social media sites, review sites, forums and online message boards, humor sites, comic or author sites, etc. Almost any business or organization will have a place on the web, such as libraries, post offices, clothing stores and products. Online shopping has become an extremely popular way for consumers to purchase products, and websites such as Amazon.com have profited from this market.http://www.rocketface.com/analyze_website/types_of_websites.html

Website creation is done by either using a web hosting service or paying someone to host the website for you. Depending on how large scale the website is intended to be, it may involve web developers, system administrators, graphic designers, and content developers to create large successful websites.

In order for a website to be publicly viewable, it needs to be available to web traffic by being hosted on a server. This server sends the website information to any computer that requests it so that people visiting the site can view it in a web browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer. All websites contain information that instruct the browser on exactly how to properly display the site, and hosting usually comes with email service as well. Web hosting companies may also provide other services, including internet service provider or ISP services, to provide and maintain an internet connection for customers.http://www.w3schools.com/hosting/host_intro.asp