| More and more visitors to the internet demand | | | | unlimited bandwidth is cost prohibitive. Nonetheless, |
| speed. There are so many sites out there that they | | | | you do see these promises. So how do they do it? |
| just don't have the time to wait for a slow site to | | | | They restrict the number of data bytes that your |
| load. Your site will be compared to your competitors' | | | | site is able to load per second. This effectively |
| by its content of course, but increasing it will also be | | | | controls bandwidth use by reducing your sites overall |
| judged by its speed. No one wants to sit and wait, | | | | speed in real time. They claim unlimited bandwidth but |
| especially if there is an alternative provider that's | | | | restrict your ability to access it. Instead, if you need |
| faster. If you already have a website, this is very | | | | speed, look for a web host that likely does restrict |
| likely to be already clear to you. So what do you do? | | | | your total bandwidth availability but not your actual |
| It used to be that the slowest part of the entire | | | | transfer rate. |
| connection chain was your customers' internet speed | | | | Also, be aware that other websites on the same |
| and sometimes their computers' processing speed. | | | | web host server can affect your speed and |
| This is not universally true any longer, and is | | | | throughput. If the server you are on is full of |
| becoming even less so all the time. This is due to the | | | | websites that seem very intense in traffic terms, |
| ever increasing computer speeds, and the rapid | | | | such as continuous large file download sites, and the |
| increase means higher and higher connection speed | | | | web host's equipment used isn't up to the task, it will |
| options available to the consumer nowadays. | | | | slow all websites on the server. |
| Therefore, the speed of your site, meaning mostly | | | | If your website needs speed and has heavy traffic, |
| the speed of your web host provider, is going to | | | | you had better be prepared to spend a lot more for |
| play a more important role. | | | | it. Bandwidth and data transfer rates are functions of |
| Ok, but how fast is fast? First, look at your site. Is it | | | | cost. If your competition has squeezed you into a |
| text heavy or is it graphics heavy? To load quickly, | | | | speed corner and the only way to compete is to |
| pictures take many times over more bandwidth than | | | | acquire more space and speed, then you will need to |
| does text. | | | | be sure of the success it will bring so you can afford |
| If you know you need speed, look for a web host | | | | the additional cost. |
| company that offers so called "un-metered" transfers | | | | The ultimate move is to pay for a dedicated server |
| rather than "unlimited bandwidth." Generally speaking, | | | | of the latest type available. This is where you don't |
| web hosts can't really live up to promises of unlimited | | | | share the server with any other websites. Your |
| bandwidth unless they are small and just starting up. | | | | bandwidth and throughput speed is then determined |
| As their customer base (that's you and those like | | | | by the equipment you are on, not the usage of |
| you) gets larger the expense of providing true | | | | others. |