Bandwidth usage is nothing but the total number of information that has been flowing to your website every month. You have various files on your website and those files are of specific sizes. So whenever a visitor is downloading those files, your bandwidth usage gets escalated by the amount of the file that is being downloaded.

The math is simple here, the larger the file, the larger will be the usage of the bandwidth. And also, if you are expecting more traffic to your website, the usage of the bandwidth is going to be more.

So basically, if you are planning to bake a small cake, you need a small tin. And if you are planning to bake a big size cake, you obviously need a big tin. The bandwidth is the cake here.

So how can you calculate how much bandwidth do you need?

in order to do that you need to know the file size of each web page. Once you know the file size of each page, then multiply it by total pages that are there on your website. Once you get the figure, multiply it with the total number of page views you are expecting per month from your website. To determine how much bandwidth you need, estimate the file size of each web page, and then multiply by the number of pages on your website.

How to check the bandwidth usage

In order to find out how much bandwidth your website has been using, you just need to login to the cPanel of your website. Once you log in, on the dashboard itself you will find the Bandwidth option. You can see that in the above screenshot. Once you click on it, you will be able to see the bandwidth usage of past 24 hours, past week, past month  You can see the data up to last 3 months here.

How to reduce bandwidth usage

1. Watch the images

Images are, of course, an important part of your website. But have you thought that if you are uploading too many images on your web page, it is going to take longer time than usual to load faster. And also it will consume a larger volume of bandwidth when the visitors are downloading it. But then you need to add a few images and that should be of higher quality.

So in that case, you can make use of online tools like Kraken.io. This tool reduces the image size and then you can upload it on your web page.

If your website is on HTML and has small images, then the bandwidth usage is going to be very less. But if you are having a website on WordPress, then you will have to reduce the size of the images.

2. Enabling HTTP Compression

It is not just about the images, but you need to decrease the file size of your content as well. And for that, you need to enable the HTTP compression. HTTP compresses the bulky data in the to lighter format and then sends it to the user. You can experience more than a 50% reduction in the file size. This also includes JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

3. Optimizing CSS and JavaScript

The text is the most important factor on any website. Also, it is important to reduce the size of the text. So if you want to do that, you need to start with the CSS and JavaScript. You can also use online CSS compressor to reduce the size. Similarly, in the case of the JavaScript, you can compress it with online tools like JavaScript compressor. Though optimizing CSS and JavaScript are just going to put a micro impression, but still, it will make a difference.

4. Embedding videos

If you are looking to save on your bandwidth usage, then instead of uploading a video on your website, you can simply embed the video. So when you are embedding say YouTube video on your website, so when the user is playing the video, the bandwidth of the original host, that is the YouTube is getting pulled in. So this is a smart way to save on your bandwidth.

5. Caching the website

If you are planning to caching your website, then do not forget to set an expiry date in the HTTP header. Setting up a date will keep refreshing the content on the visitors’ browser from time to time. So what will happen is that the browser with saving a copy of your website. And whenever a visitor is visiting your website, the pages are getting copied directly from the browser and not from your web server.

Online tools to monitor bandwidth

You will find a handful of tools on the web if you are looking to monitor the bandwidth. There are some tools which come for free and a few are paid. You can try your hands on tools like Cacti, Splunk, OpManager, BandwidthD to name a few.

When you are choosing a hosting service, you must have seen many times that these hosting providers say that they provide unlimited bandwidth. So before saying yes to any of the services, you must first check the hidden things. Some companies say that bandwidth is free only up to 16 GB. In this case, you are trapped.

If you are seeing that a hosting company offers unmetered bandwidth, which seems more logical than unlimited one. Here you need to pay an agreed amount and the hosting company will not measure the bandwidth at all.

So the next time when you are planning to update your website, then again you have to calculate the complete file size of all the web pages. Estimate the monthly visits and then you will come to know how much bandwidth is getting used in web hosting.

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After scrutinizing everything, you will arrive at the final decision. So the whole point of saying all of this is when you are all set to start a website, you definitely need a web hosting provider which will give you the best of both the world. So how to choose a web host?

Do not worry at all, it is not a dire strait and you can do much better when it comes to the decision making process. All you need to do is just consider few factors and research well with your resources. So now just sit back, and read the rest of the blog to get a clarity of what you can do while choosing a web hosting.

1. Performance and speed

You changed your mobile phone because it was performing really slow. And now that you are an owner of a brand new iPhone 8, you realize the speed as fast is good. And you surely need a web hosting service that is as fast as your new phone. You need happy customers and for that, you would obviously want your website to load faster before the visitor gets irritated and closes the window.

And for this, you need to make sure that your WordPress website is loading fast. And for that, you can make use of plugins like Super Cache, Fastest Cache, and Autoptime. Because if your website is loading slow then it affects your SERP rankings. While you are choosing a web hosting provider for your website, it is directly proportional to the speed of your website and the SERP rankings.

2. Security and Reliability

Maintaining a website is a devil’s task for sure. Because the web world is literally so much tangled that you would not find the path if you lose it. So in that case, if your website is down, you are surely going to upset your visitors and customers. And when your website is down there are high chances of hacking attacks. And of your website is hacked with a malware then the Google displays a very embarrassing message on your web page.

You yourself are responsible for protecting your website. But also at same time, you need a hosting provider who is actively involved in keeping your software updated in order to avoid these mishaps. Also, additional steps should be taken to secure the website completely.

3. Checklist for a backup

A backup is always a necessity, be it a website or food. If you burn your pizza, you need to have another option to curb the hunger. Therefore, if anything happens to your website, you need to have a back up of everything. So in this case, you need to make a backup checklist that the hosting provider should have in its bucket for you.

Therefore ask the hosting provider whether they provide any backup or not, ideally, they should. The reliable hosting providers usually have the backup every 30 days. Ask them about their restoration processes. You have to understand the fact that when it comes to technical stuff, things are going to go wrong at some point. Your website will be down or your computer may crash. And this impact should be minimized by the hosting provider.

A hosting company should have a good monitoring system and to check it, you can read their blogs and talk to their sales representatives as well.

4. After sale service

You went to a shoe store and you liked a pair of shoes and you immediately bought it because it was having a good deal. But after going home, you realized that it is torned from a corner. So you go shopping again to get it to repair or replace. But the store is refusing to provide you with any kind of services. Similarly, if you are purchasing a service from a web hosting provider, you would expect a good customer support and after sale service.

if you are working on your website at night and you are stuck somewhere in the process, then you would expect help from your hosting provider. Look for a provider who is having a customer support 24×7. Ask for what kind of support channels are available with them. This includes chats, calls, live support, raising a ticket etc. Also, ask for which of these support channels are active all the time. Look for the response time of the provider when it comes to fixing the issues.

5. Space provided by them

If you have a business, you ought to expand it in the future. And when it comes to the website, it does not use a space more than 10 to 15 megabytes. But when you have a long-term plan of expansion, it would be wise if you are having some extra space at your end. Therefore, for that, you need to buy that extra space from your hosting provider.

also, make sure that a sufficient enough bandwidth. There are many hosting providers who have a restriction on bandwidth. Suppose, you are offering any e-books or whitepapers or any software, then these large files should not create a problem if you are having a good bandwidth so that your customers can download data they want.

So now all you have to do is choose a hosting provider who offers unlimited bandwidth and disk space. This will give you an uninterrupted experience along with a good amount of traffic.

6. Pricing

Now choosing a good hosting provider depends on the type of your business as well. It is not always sensible to think that if you are choosing an expensive hosting provider you are all set. But at times, the providers who have a low price provide a seamless experience. So if you are having an e-commerce website, then it is okay if you go for a bit higher price tag.

But if you are having a small or medium sized business, think logically and go for an affordable hosting plan. You need to find out what your website needs and based on that decide which hosting provider you want to approach. Also, you need to look for the customer reviews in order to get a more clear idea.

7. Features

Even when you are buying a laptop you look for every type of feature that can come in the price that you are paying. You should look for the features that include 100% uptime, easy to use control panel, webmail access, premium support, AWStats systems to name a few. And for that, you will need to talk to the sales representatives of the company. You will find the features on the website, but a sales representative will help you in knowing more of it.

8. Say no to long-term contracts

You should always avoid signing the long-term contracts that these hosting companies offer. This is because, if you are into a long-term contract, you would miss many perks that are available in the market. What if you find a better hosting provider after 6 months of signing a contract, then you are stuck. So go for a short-term contract. Look for hosting providers who offer short-term contracts and can set you free without any hassle.

9. The reputation of the provider

It is very important to understand what reputation a vendor holds in the market. And you will surely opt for the one who has a good face value. Therefore, in this case, you can go through the customer reviews and get in touch with them personally for more clarity. If a hosting provider is in the business for quite a long time, it has surely built a good reputation in the market. Do not go for the number of years that the hosting company has been working. Instead look for the numbers like the number of clients, domains, websites etc.

10. Administration should be web-based

If you are going to a reputable web hosting company then it definitely has web-based administration and operations. This includes things like cPanel and you can manage everything with the help of the internet. Even if you are not good at the technical end, you can operate it without any problem.

So if you are looking for a fast, reliable, affordable and reputable hosting provider, do consider the above checklist before making any decision. It is just like to are taking up the admission of your child in a school. Make sure of everything and all the best!

Need a good web hosting provider, contact us at YOCOHOST, we are always ready to serve you!