What is Disk Space?
Disk space is the combined amount of data which you are allowed to store on your server – or in the case of shared hosting, the amount that you can store on your web host’s server. This includes all of the text, audio, video and any other content from your web pages, along with any files which you have made available for download and e-mails. You should also take into account a small amount of extra space, which will be used up by server-generated log files when people visit your site etc. The total amount of disk space required can vary hugely from site to site, and web hosts sell plans with varying amounts because of this. A low-cost plan may include as little as just 10MB of disk space, whereas a more expensive plan can often include several Gigabytes worth, or even an unlimited amount.
If you plan to run a simple, HTML-based site, then you will not require a great amount of disk space. HTML files are plain text files that only require around 10-KB of disk space for every page. An average, basic web page will use around 40KB of space, plus an additional 150-200KB for every full-size image.
As the complexity of the website and its content increases, so does the amount of disk space required. For example, a video clip uses about 1Mb for every eight seconds, whilst an audio clip anything from 200KB upwards. Sites with large amounts of graphics and downloads will see their required disk space skyrocket upwards.
When running a website you should try to keep you disk space as low as possible, and there are several ways of doing this. Firstly, image files can be shrunk without reducing the quality too much – so make sure your graphics are optimized. You can also use cascading style sheets (CSS) instead of formatting tags on your pages. This holds together all of your data, and uses less disk space. You can also use the same image on more than one page (such as a business logo), rather than importing a different one.
By doing a few calculations you can work out how much disk space your site is likely to require when selecting a web hosting package. Firstly, find out the sizes of all of the files which you plan to upload, and then add them together. You also need to allow for log files, e-mail and other extras, so add 20% onto this figure. You should also consider future expansion, so make sure you add in a suitable amount to allow for this.
As the weeks and months go by you are likely to want to add extra pages and content to your site, and the last thing you want to do is underestimate the amount of disk space you will need, and have to change packages a few weeks down the line. Some web hosting companies also apply charges if you exceed your agreed amount of disk space. It is better to calculate it all in advance and make sure you have enough disk space to meet your future needs.