| Do you know what kind of things use up your | | | | |
| Bandwidth? In this article I will explain bandwidth | | | | With the above knowledge you should be thinking |
| and what kind of things use it up. | | | | more about bandwidth distribution. For example. |
| Bandwidth is the amount of Data, measured in | | | | Many people, when they first build a website or |
| GigaBytes, that can be transferred (downloaded) | | | | have one built, make the mistake of creating their |
| from your web space each month. | | | | whole website in one go with a mentality/view of |
| This means if one visitor downloads a 4MB Music | | | | When the website is finished it will make me, and |
| File, for example, from your website (public_html | | | | my product/service, look Professional and |
| folder) it will cost you 4MB in bandwidth. So if ten | | | | Established. This is great if you can afford the |
| visitors download the 4MB Music File, or one | | | | bandwidth associated with the features found on |
| visitor downloads the 4MB Music File ten times, | | | | a professional, established, website but not so |
| either way it will cost you 40MB of bandwidth in | | | | great if your website only looks professional and |
| total. However. It is not that simple because each | | | | established with no features on it due to lack of |
| web page viewed also costs bandwidth. For | | | | bandwidth. I am talking about professional |
| example. If you have a Music Product Web Page | | | | features such as Product Demonstration Videos |
| that consists of 1MB of Introduction Text and | | | | or Video Tutorials that are viewed/downloaded |
| 1MB of Music Pictures it will cost you 2MB of | | | | by hundreds of curious visitors whereby you can |
| bandwidth each time that Music Product Web | | | | afford them bandwidth in the hope of making |
| Page is viewed (downloaded into one visitor's web | | | | some of them buying visitors; A Helpline that |
| browser, from your public_html folder into their | | | | allows your visitors to download helpful .pdf files; |
| computer). And each time a visitor views | | | | And web pages that are full of images, presented |
| (downloads) the 2MB Music Product Web Page | | | | in a slideshow, for example. All of which can be |
| and then downloads the 4MB Music File it will cost | | | | bandwidth heavy when you have hundreds of |
| you, another, 6MB of bandwidth. Times that by | | | | visitors only, never mind thousands of visitors. |
| ten visitors and it will cost you 60MB of bandwidth | | | | So what is a good way to distribute your |
| in total. | | | | bandwidth? Answer? One way is to distribute |
| So when choosing a Web Hosting Package you | | | | your bandwidth in stages by paying for it in |
| should first calculate how many visitors you | | | | stages. For example. Do not build your website |
| expect to visit your website per month (i.e. 1,000). | | | | with professional features on it at first, until you |
| Then you assume each visitor will view every | | | | know how many people will be visiting your |
| web page at least once. Let's say you have ten | | | | website, therefore saving yourself a certain |
| web pages making up your website that use 1MB | | | | percentage of bandwidth (both in terms of |
| of bandwidth each. So 10MB of bandwidth usage. | | | | bandwidth usage and money costs). Or put |
| That means 1,000 visitors viewing 10 web pages | | | | another way. Why pay for 100% of your |
| each (using 10MB of bandwidth each), which is the | | | | bandwidth needs, which includes professional |
| equivalent of 10,000 web pages being viewed | | | | features, when you are only just starting to get |
| (downloaded), would require 10,000MB of | | | | traffic (i.e. only 25% of your bandwidth is |
| bandwidth. Or put another way, 10GB of | | | | currently being used because you only have 110 |
| bandwidth. 1,000MB is approximately equivalent to | | | | visitors a month to your website). In other words. |
| 1GB. In reality, unless you have a "Downloads" | | | | Do not pay for 20GB of bandwidth now when |
| website, each web page should not use up 1MB of | | | | you only need 5GB of bandwidth now - In the |
| bandwidth at all. So you should get more like | | | | future you might need 20GB of bandwidth, but |
| 1,000 visitors using only 1GB of bandwidth, which | | | | that is in the future. Many web hosting providers |
| is the equivalent of 1 visitor using 1MB of | | | | allow you to upgrade your package. |
| bandwidth to view (download) your whole | | | | STAGES TO FOLLOW: |
| website. In turn, 5GB (5,000MB) of bandwidth | | | | Build up your website content with well written |
| should be able to accommodate approximately | | | | articles at first, without any downloads, so that |
| 5,000 visitors. Remember. This is based on each | | | | eventually you get other websites (Website |
| visitor viewing your whole website (every single | | | | Linkers) linking back to your website or well |
| web page). If your average visitor only views five | | | | written article web pages. Each time one of their |
| web pages then you will accommodate twice | | | | visitors click on their recommended link to your |
| more visitors of course. | | | | website, or well written article web pages, they |
| So far you have calculated 1MB of bandwidth | | | | will cost you bandwidth. This is because they will |
| usage per visitor, per view of your whole website. | | | | be viewing (downloading) the content of your |
| However. You should be aware that it is not only | | | | website or web pages. This is a small bandwidth |
| your visitors who are using your bandwidth. | | | | cost to pay though because those visitor's clicks |
| WHAT / WHO ELSE USES UP MY | | | | will be raising your ranking/position with the search |
| BANDWIDTH? | | | | engines. |
| | | | | Set up a Google Analytics account in order to |
| The Search Engines Search Engines not only | | | | analyse your traffic (visitors, web linkers and so |
| scan your website (public_html folder) looking for | | | | on). The bandwidth cost can be a little heavy |
| words/phrases, email addresses and other | | | | depending on the frequency that Google Analytics |
| information, from within your web pages, in order | | | | scans your website for information/statistics and |
| to list it but they also store (CACHE - pronounced: | | | | the amount of web pages on your website that |
| cash) a copy of your web pages on their server. | | | | need indexing (linking) for search engine results. |
| This is so that the general public can view those | | | | Do you need a Blog and/or Forum.....straight |
| cached (stored) web pages when your Web | | | | away? Although these are good for building |
| Hosting Provider's server (computer) is not | | | | interaction with your visitors they are bandwidth |
| allowing your website to be viewed, perhaps | | | | and web space wasters when they have no |
| because you ran out of bandwidth and/or | | | | visitors. Making a blog and/or forum well known |
| because their server has temporary problems for | | | | takes time. Usually 3 - 6 months but anywhere up |
| example. | | | | to a year. You do not just copy and paste articles |
| The CPanel Your CPanel (Website Control Panel) | | | | posts into your blog and/or forum and then they |
| might not be available to you, depending on the | | | | become well known over night. You have to |
| terms & conditions of your web hosting package | | | | nurture them first by getting to know who your |
| provider, if you run out of bandwidth. This is | | | | visitors are. So ideally you build a good website |
| because certain operations you carry out using | | | | first, get visitor numbers up and then use a blog |
| your CPanel involve bandwidth. Downloading your | | | | or forum as an advice section of your website |
| email, from your web space into Windows Mail or | | | | for example. Many people make the mistake of |
| Outlook Express for example. Downloading files | | | | thinking a blog is a website - It is not. You cannot |
| using the File Manager control panel or a FTP | | | | do with a blog what you can with a website and |
| Account. And so on. | | | | vice versa. They are two different formats. The |
| Website Linkers Websites that make a link to | | | | bandwidth cost for a blog or forum depends on |
| one or more of your web pages will be using | | | | how frequently your blog or forum is scanned and |
| your bandwidth indirectly whenever that link is | | | | indexed by Google Analytics and the search |
| clicked on. For example. If your website is and | | | | engines for example, as well as how often the |
| you have a web page called products.html, any | | | | general public view it/them. A blog and forum |
| website linking to your product web page ( is | | | | tend to use more bandwidth simply because new |
| inviting its users/visitors to click on that link and | | | | posts (articles) are being added to them on a daily |
| therefore directly visit your product web page. | | | | weekly basis that need scanning and indexing. |
| This means those users/visitors will be | | | | |
| downloading the content (text, images, video, | | | | NEVER ATTRACT THE WRONG CROWD |
| music and so on) of your product web page and | | | | |
| more importantly be using your bandwidth. This | | | | One way to get a huge amount of traffic is to |
| may seem fine, because you want other | | | | advertise your website in various internet |
| websites linking to your web page(s) in order to | | | | directories, internet classified ads, link your |
| make your website more well known, but the | | | | website on someone elses website/blog/forum |
| downside of this is too much traffic (too many | | | | and so on. However. When these methods work |
| websites linking to your web pages, bringing too | | | | but do not bring your website enough traffic |
| many visitors who use up your bandwidth). | | | | there is a tendency to get frustrated, which can |
| Too much traffic can become a problem if you | | | | lead to desperate measures. Take the following |
| have a FREE Video Download link in your product | | | | two scenarios for example. |
| web page for example (i.e. that too many | | | | Scenario 1 - Imagine you run a genuine Massage |
| websites are recommending and linking to. For | | | | Services website with products on it (i.e. Massage |
| example. When you get one visitor clicking on | | | | Oils) that is not getting enough traffic. One option |
| your FREE Video Download link, who originally | | | | to improve your traffic might be to buy into a |
| came from a recommended website link or | | | | link-building/link-sharing list whereby you and up to |
| directly from your own website, that free video | | | | 750 other websites agree to link to each others |
| (file) download should not use up too much of | | | | website in order to improve each others search |
| your bandwidth. Especially if the video (.wmv file) | | | | engine rankings/positions and therefore bring in |
| is reasonably small (i.e. 10MB or less - | | | | more traffic and hopefully more paying visitors. |
| Approximately 5 Mins or less). The problem arises | | | | Regardless of the bandwidth costs of more |
| when you get a couple of hundred visitors clicking | | | | traffic, the downside to this idea is that some of |
| on your FREE Video Download link. That is when | | | | the websites in that list could of been blacklisted |
| bandwidth becomes your nightmare and enemy. | | | | by the search engines; Making your website |
| Curious Visitors With too much traffic comes | | | | association (link) to those other websites a future |
| too many "Curious Visitors". These are visitors | | | | possibility for the search engines to blacklist your |
| who are just curious to know "What is your | | | | website. And unless you check all of the websites |
| website all about?", "Who are you?" and "What | | | | in your list for virus infections, spamming, adult |
| can your website do for me?". There is nothing | | | | material and so on you might end up linking to |
| wrong with them, because they are the same | | | | some really bad website(s). |
| visitors who might become "Regular, Buying, | | | | Scenario 2 - Sticking with the above genuine |
| Visitors" one day and/or spread Word-Of-Mouth | | | | Massage Services website with products on it (i.e. |
| about your website, it is just that while they are | | | | Massage Oils). Another option for getting more |
| curious visitors they remain "Bandwidth Users" or | | | | traffic would be to link to genuine Adult Material |
| "Bandwidth Guzzlers!!" as well. In fact, they do help | | | | websites, with you thinking their visitors might |
| to get your ratings up with the Search Engines so | | | | want to buy your products once they visit your |
| they are not all bad!! The only way to effectively | | | | website. The downside to this idea though (even |
| get rid of them though, if you are struggling with | | | | if you were lucky enough to get such a link) is |
| your bandwidth, is to introduce some sort of | | | | that you would get too many visitors, a very |
| membership scheme to your website. | | | | expensive bandwidth cost and some visitors |
| Blogs and Forums Before someone can view a | | | | visiting your website simply because they hope it |
| blog post (article) or forum post (message) in | | | | will be selling something more than just Massage |
| their web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) the | | | | Oils. |
| content (i.e. text) of that post has to be | | | | What the above two scenarios are saying is that |
| downloaded first, from your website (public_html | | | | you should keep your website linked with |
| folder) onto their computer. This means some of | | | | websites you know are clean (trouble free) and |
| your bandwidth is used in the download process. | | | | more importantly with genuine websites that are |
| As explained at the beginning of this section, this | | | | genuinely within the subject matter of your |
| type of bandwidth cost applies to any web page | | | | website. It can be frustrating when first building a |
| that needs to be viewed and any file that needs | | | | website but do not compromise your website's |
| to be downloaded. | | | | bandwidth, potential credibility and reputation by |
| HOW TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR | | | | attracting the wrong audience. |
| BANDWIDTH? | | | | |