Statistics indicate that the average Web site is 5 megabytes (MB) or smaller. But how much room you need depends on what kind of site you want. How many kilobytes (KB) will that graphic really use? How big are your database files? What happens if all these files exceed the limit of your Web host? These are all essential questions to ask early on in the Web-building process.

Judging Your Storage Needs

Web sites contain many different kinds of files and all of them need room. Text files tend to be small in comparison to images, but still they take up space. The amount of text in an average print page takes up between 1 KB and 3 KB of storage when it's converted into a Web page. On the other hand, a picture is literally worth a thousand words on the Web button-sized images can be 1 KB to 5 KB in size, and larger images can be 30 KB to 60 KB or more.

Video and audio can be very large, from 500 KB to 10 MB or more. If you intend to use streaming media, be sure you know how large your streaming media files will be. Downloadable files such as MP3s vary in size from 2 MB to 5 MB. Programs and drivers can be that size or greater. Adobe portable document format (PDF) files can vary from under 100 KB to 800 KB or more. Be sure you know how large your database files will be, too, before you shop for a Web host they can be very large.

Exploring Every Plan

Most Web hosts offer a variety of plans, ranging from small amounts of storage space (5 MB to 20 MB) to vast amounts (50 MB to 500 MB+) at a higher cost. Some Web hosts offer "unlimited" storage space, but it is rarely truly unlimited. Read the Web host's agreement closely to see if a limit is mentioned in the text. Also, e-mail the Web host directly and ask for an exact storage space limit. Sometimes, it's surprisingly small.

Exceeding Your Limit

Sometimes even the best-planned site can go over the storage space limit, and Web hosts' policies vary with regard to customers who exceed their limits. Some hosts will charge extra for each MB over the limit, some will contact you to see if you wish to move up to another plan, and others will terminate your service without warning. Check with the host to learn what charges might be applied to your account should you exceed their storage space limits.

Careful estimates for your site and research on your Web host's plans and policies can allow you not only to find satisfaction with a Web host, but also to find the most cost-efficient plan for your needs.

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Roy Harper

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