What is bandwidth?
Let’s start with the beginning: what is the bandwidth? Bandwidth is the space allocated to data transfer, allowing your page to be displayed to visitors. The higher the bandwidth, the more visitors you can welcome to your site.
In other words, each time an element is downloaded on your site, it takes data. A precise amount of data is allocated to your website. For example, when an image downloads, a video or a music track starts, it takes data. Of course, a video will need more data transfer than a simple picture. The heavier an element is, the more data it will need to be displayed.
How much bandwidth do I need?
There are different ways to know how much bandwidth you need for your site. You can check your statistics and adapt progressively; however, a few calculations can help you understand your needs better.
TopHébergement.net suggests a calculation. Start by estimating the average size of your website (you can use tools like Pingdom to know the weight of your web pages). Multiply this number by the average number of visitors you have per month. Then, multiply your result by the average number of pages visited per visitor. You can find this data on your WebSelf dashboard under the statistics tab or with the help of tools like Google Analytics. Do not forget to convert Ko into Go to have the correct order of magnitude.
The included bandwidth with WebSelf
All WebSelf’s plans include bandwidth. Therefore, you do not need to think about it even if you decide to create a free website. Indeed, you will have access to 500 Mo of bandwidth per month with our free plan. When you choose our Basic plan, you have access to 2 Go. With our Pro plan, you have 20 Go. Finally, our eCommerce plan allows you to have 50 Go of bandwidth per month.
If you wish to monitor your site bandwidth use, you can check it on your WebSelf dashboard. You have two choices if you exceed your bandwidth limit. First, you can choose to take a superior plan to have access to more bandwidth. This is relevant if your number of visitors is increasing. You can also decide to wait until next month. Each month, your bandwidth use is reset; however, we need to mention that your site will be unavailable until that moment.
The best practices about your site bandwidth
Since a website’s bandwidth is limited, you must keep this in mind during the creation process. The more there will be heavy elements to download, or if you have thousands of visitors each month, it will take an important quantity of bandwidth. Here are some suggestions of actions you can take to maximize the use of bandwidth on your site.
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Are all the elements of my website necessary?
You might be tempted to add many elements when you create a website. It is not something wrong; however, keep in mind that every element you add has a weight regarding data transfer, disk space and visual space. Keep it simple. You might also notice that one of the biggest trends about websites right now is minimalism. Let your site breathe!
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Optimize your images
We often talked about the importance of using beautiful pictures on your website. It is still essential; however, they must not be heavy. Indeed, the heavier an image is, the more data it will need. Try to use JPG pictures since they are often lighter, or use image compressors to make sure that they do not require too much bandwidth. Regarding this, we like TinyPNG since it is very easy to use. Our pictures are lighter in only a few seconds, and it is also a free tool to use.
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Know your visitors
This is our third tip: take the time to know your visitors. First, do you know how many visitors you have every month? Is it increasing or decreasing? Consequently, you can see how much bandwidth is used with this number of people. Then, if you know your target clientele well, it will be easier to add only relevant elements to your website. For example, instead of adding a dozen videos that only 2 or 3 will be watched, keep only the interesting ones.
In conclusion, bandwidth is one of the key elements of your website. It is like the fuel for a car. The more you have power, the more distance you can do. Moreover, there are many similarities between a website’s bandwidth and loading speed. In both cases, if you optimize your pictures and only keep the relevant elements, it will positively affect your website.