A load balancer in web hosting functions to distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers, enhancing performance and reliability. This component ensures that no single server becomes overwhelmed, which could lead to slower response times or outages. Load balancers can route traffic based on various criteria, such as server health, current load, or specific application needs. By managing traffic efficiently, they improve resource utilization and provide a seamless user experience. Additionally, load balancers contribute to redundancy, ensuring that if one server fails, others can continue to handle requests, maintaining service availability.