When you buy or rent a house, it usually seems like there’s enough space. It’s only when you start putting in your essentials and items that you realise — you've run out of storage!
The same happens when one signs up for a web hosting package. It's very important to have a web host that’s credible and dependable because, in the long run, it takes care of your site speed to accommodate traffic and the general functioning.
Of course, there are some tricks you can use for the short run, but it's recommended to upgrade your hosting when needed. Here are 10 ways you can optimise your hosting disk space in the short run.
There’s no point in keeping memories of the past that aren’t relevant or useful anymore. Similarly, it doesn't make sense to preserve such files on your web hosting server. Ghost files from deleted installations take up disk quota and don't accentuate the website needs. Thus, it’s better to get rid of them.
When you install an application, you get a script installed manually or through a pre-configured installer of your existing web host, and a folder containing a user guide.
While these contain useful information, you can safely remove it to free up some web space on your hosting disk space.
Remember: Keep the README.txt and License.txt files in case they are required for the legitimate use of the script.
A good motto to go by while removing files, documents, etc. on your hosting disk space is to delete what you’re no longer using.
Scripts like WordPress leave on-server backup files after every upgrade in a compressed format like .zip or .tar.gz. These files are useful only if anything gets lost in an upgrade or you want to revert to an old version.
If that isn't the case, feel free to remove them! Of course, you don't have to resort to these measures if you can upgrade to a web host that has more disk space.
You can save several kilobytes of your hosting disk space and increase your website efficiency by using external stylesheets.
You can make CSS files lighter by removing indentations and non-essential spaces. While understandably, one-line stylesheets may not be easy to manage, you could keep a human-readable version on your computer and leave a minimised version on the server. The perks include a better loading speed and extra space on your hosting disk space. It's a win-win!
READ: 7 Foolproof Tips to Reduce Your Website Loading Time
Flash elements aren't in demand anymore so it’s best to remove them. They’re heavy for your server and take up too much of your hosting disk space.
If you want to include video, audio, or animation on your site, HTML5 is your new best friend. HTML5 includes the latest themes. It’s also lightweight and a lot more efficient.
Media consumes much of the quota on your hosting disk space. But, of course, media is integral to websites because they create interest in your readers.
The solution would be to upload media files on external sources like Dropbox or YouTube. If this isn't an option for you, you may need a web hosting upgrade.
While you’re away, it’s your log files that enable you to monitor activity in your hosting account. Otherwise, there isn't any reason for them to remain on the server. Once checked, you can remove the log files to free up disk space!
Like at home, if you don't clean, junk can accumulate. Similarly, your website accumulates a lot of junk files over time. These may include old spam comments, emails that are no longer required, unneeded themes, pending comments, drafts, and posts with no purpose. They may even include media files, like videos and images — uploaded but never used.
To delete junk files, you may install a database cleaner plugin to scan unused files and remove them from your website to optimise your hosting disk space.
If you follow tip #6, it will only make sense to restrict your users from uploading media files like photos and videos, without your approval. Your hosting disk space and bandwidth are limited and valuable. Don't allow blog readers or forum users to upload media!
If the abovementioned ways don't work, you can always take more radical measures like Backup and Reinstall. This frees up your hosting disk space by completely wiping out your database, but with a backup. You don't have to worry about losing your data. You can store the backup on cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox.
READ: Data Backup vs Disaster Recovery (+Terms You Need to Know)
While you can declutter your house to make more space, it’s only natural to run out of space again. These solutions might work splendidly for you in the short term, but it’s only intuitive to upgrade to a virtual server hosting that offers scalable resources to keep up with your business’s needs.
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