What is Bandwidth?
When selecting a web hosting service one of the many options you will be required to settle is the question, “How much bandwidth do I need?” To answer that question you will need to know a bit about how bandwidth relates to web hosting.
Basically, your web host sets a monthly bandwidth allotment for different hosting plans. This allotment serves as a limit for the maximum amount of traffic that can occur between your website and your site visitors on the world wide web.
Since we often discuss website visitors using the analogy of traffic, let’s continue with that thought to explain how your site traffic depletes your monthly bandwidth allotment. Bottom line, each time a visitor drives up to your site, you’ve got traffic - and that traffic uses your bandwidth the whole time its there.
How does my site traffic deplete my bandwidth? This is how –> In order for your visitor to view your site pages, the pages have to download into temporary files on their computer. Their computer ‘translates’ your site pages for them using their choice of browser software (Firefox, IE, Opera, Netscape, etc…).
The download that occurs between your website and your visitor’s computer draws on your allotment of bandwidth.
Depending on the size/weight of the web page(s) downloaded (measured in the text or number of images used in that page’s design), the bandwidth draw can be large or small. The point, of course, is to try and create a less ‘weighty’ website page - y’know, sort of like putting your web pages on a diet.
So How Do I Figure How Much Bandwidth I’ll Need?
Well, you’ll need as much as you’ll use - and a bit more. Good answer, eh? If you already have a website, then of course it is much easier to figure. You simply have a look-see at what you are currently using in monthly bandwidth before purchasing or renewing a web hosting plan. However, if you are starting out fresh, it really is a guessing game for how much traffic you’ll generate. The best approach is to try and limit the expanse of your bandwidth, because of course you do NOT want to limit your traffic - below are some tips for reducing your bandwidth.
Tips for Reducing Bandwidth:
- If you remember that a single user will likely view multiple pages at your site (in fact, you want them to)… consider reducing the weight of your pages.
- When we talk page size, we aren’t talking dimensions, but instead, kilobytes (KB). If you’ve already had a designer put together your site, this will be easy to figure. However, if you haven’t, be sure to select a designer that agrees to optimize each and every image and perhaps, work within .css for a cleaner, more lightweight sight.
- Do you offer a service, product, or informational download? If so, check the weight of it and consider that each time it will be downloaded, it will draw on your bandwidth.
- Reduce the amount of images and/or graphics OR better yet, reduce the size of each image or graphic. We find that as the internet gets faster and individuals can view pages with High Speed DSL, for example, they become less concerned about the weight of their images and graphics. However, there is more to images and graphics than how fast a page uploads - consider how much it draws on your bandwidth. Each image and/or graphic should be optimized (smallerized) before being uploaded to your site to save bandwidth.
We have found that MOST personal and small business sites do fine with our Economy package, which allows for 5GB of bandwidth/data transfer.
