Despite Heavy Internet Use, More Than Half of Americans Don’t Know What Web Hosting Is

More than 33,000 new domains are registered daily across the internet. Given that staggering number, and the fact that hundreds of millions of people visit websites every day, you would think most people would know what web hosting is.

They don’t.

Our latest HostingAdvice survey of 1,000 U.S. adults reveals that 54% of people have no idea what web hosting is, and only 17.5% have ever purchased it. When people do purchase hosting and build websites, nearly half, 44.4%, are doing it for business purposes.

Just in the U.S., around 15,000 businesses are started every day. That disconnect between ambition and digital readiness is a red flag for both entrepreneurs and the companies trying to serve them. This is not a branding problem for web hosts, but a category problem where marketing dollars should not just be spent on customer acquisition but on awareness and education.

Let’s break this down.

Starting a business? You’re more likely to focus on creating your website before social media profiles. If forced to choose just one, respondents were 2x more likely to say they would build a website for their business over social profiles.

The intent is there. The follow-through? Not always.

Among respondents who have bought web hosting, 31% never finished their websites. Over a third (42%) of those abandoners said they just lost interest. The rest pointed to common culprits: not understanding how to design the site (19.4%), or being unable to make it function the way they envisioned (19.4%). Only a small fraction (3.1%) blamed their hosting provider directly.

The kicker? 58% of people believe building a website requires technical skills they don’t have. And that’s despite today’s sea of drag-and-drop builders and beginner-friendly platforms. It’s not a lack of desire — it’s a lack of confidence and clarity. The real competitor isn’t another hosting provider, it’s friction and confusion. You win the next million customers NOT by offering faster servers — but by being the company that makes people feel like they can do it.

If you work for a hosting company, this survey should hit you like a bounced DNS lookup.

The demand is very real. Approximately 27% of respondents plan to create a new website within the next year. But they’re confused, intimidated, or just overwhelmed by the process. It’s an educational issue and a business opportunity.

Here’s what you should be thinking about:

• Speak human. Assume your audience doesn’t know what hosting is… because most of them don’t. Drop the jargon and rewrite your onboarding flow like you’re explaining it to a first-time DIYer.
  
• Make support easy, not frustrating. One poor interaction can kill momentum. You’ve got one shot to keep a builder from joining the 22% abandonment club.
  
• Create more educational touchpoints. 71% of people said they would search Google or ChatGPT for web hosting companies or how to purchase web hosting. Only 21% said they would go directly to a company they’ve heard of before, like GoDaddy or Wix.
  
• Capture the almost-lost. Think retargeting campaigns aimed at abandoned carts or stalled sites. Offer live setup help. “Need a hand finishing your site?” could be your best-performing subject line this quarter.
  

If you’re starting a business, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone — but don’t let that stop you.

Here’s what our data says about where to begin:

• Most people (51.6%) start with a Google search like “how to purchase web hosting.” That’s a great first step, but be sure to look for reputable review and comparison sites too — they’re designed to help you make sense of your options.
  
• Start small and expect to iterate. If you’re launching a business website, perfection is not required on day one. A live website is better than not having one.
  
• You don’t need to hire someone — unless you want to. Nearly 75% of people say they’d try to build the site themselves, often with website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress. Many offer free trials and templates designed for your exact use case.
  
• Don’t get discouraged by the details. The most confusing parts of website setup, according to our survey, include security (27.5%), design (22.5%), and choosing a hosting plan (21.3%). All of these can be simplified with a bit of research or by picking a provider that does more of the heavy lifting for you.
  

One stat we couldn’t ignore: the gender gap in web hosting awareness. Men are significantly more likely to know what hosting is (63% vs 37%), more likely to have purchased it, and more likely to anticipate building a site within the next year.

Women, meanwhile, are more likely to outsource their builds. There’s no right or wrong approach, but the disparity suggests companies still have a long way to go in reaching and supporting all types of users equally.

The appetite for websites is strong. The tools have never been more accessible. And yet, confusion is killing momentum before many sites ever go live.

For hosting providers: It’s time to rethink the first-time user experience. Because if more than half the population doesn’t know what you do, you’re not just losing sales. You’re missing the moment.

For entrepreneurs: Don’t wait for the perfect plan. Build, iterate, and launch.

This survey was conducted online in May 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Respondents were selected from a third-party research panel, and the data were weighted to align with U.S. Census benchmarks. To ensure the integrity of data collection, the researcher employed an array of data quality methods. Alongside conventional measures such as digital fingerprinting, bot checks, geo-verification, and speeding detection, each response underwent a thorough review by a dedicated team member to ensure quality and contextual accuracy. The overall margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.Margins of error increase for subgroups such as age or gender.

For media inquiries, please reach out to adam.blacker@hostingadvice.com.