Hopefully, the popularity of your website will grow over time. As is the case with any business venture, growth is something that must be managed. Managing websites requires the owners to keep an eye on the amount of site visitors, the bandwidth they consume and the disc space available for their site files.

As your site grows in popularity, it’s likely that your site will also grow in size and complexity. Keep a close eye on your disc space usage on the server. With shared hosting, you’ll have less room for growth but it’s generally very easy and inexpensive to move up in disc space. It’s best to do this before it becomes an emergency. Some administrators follow the 70% rule: If you’re using 70% of your available disc space, it’s a good idea to upgrade so there’s more room for expansion.

Your bandwidth usage must be closely monitored. Your webhost will likely either charge you for overage or deny access to your site if you go over on bandwidth. If your usage is over 80%, you definitely need to upgrade your account. This needs to be done before overages become a genuine threat.

As your site grows, your server space and bandwidth will both increase proportionally. Remember to mind your account size before launching any large expansions to your web site. Every business wants to grow, but it’s important to be prepared to deal with the consequences of that growth as much as the benefits.