Have you come across slow loading websites? Have you wondered why this happens? A decade ago, most websites were static and had smaller files. Today, the internet has grown a lot with websites hosting more files that include all types of multimedia content such as streaming and online games. This has led many web server management companies to rethink on how quickly they can deliver their content to their users.
Often webmasters lose visitors because of slow loading pages. Most webmasters think that it has got to do with their slow webservers but it is more to do with their content delivery and its proximity to their users.
What is CDN Hosting?
A content delivery network is a global network consisting of many servers from almost all parts of the world. The main role of a CDN is to create a cache, an exact copy of your WebPage, and deliver the same to your visitors faster. This helps the web pages load faster and decreases the bounce rate of the websites. This is particularly one of the many recommendations that you will hear from any SEO company.
So, how does CDN hosting work?
The technology behind CDNs consists of three main points:
- Your website visitors view an exact copy of your website from the closest server to their location.
- Copied webpages will be further optimized by the network for faster delivery
- Concurrent changes in the website will automatically be applied to your website real time which reduces any loss in data.
According to a recent survey, 60% percent of the top ten thousand websites use CDN. Today, CDN hosting is not difficult or inexpensive as there are players like LaunchCDN which allow you to host a large number of websites using popular CDN providers.
CDN Hosting Benefits
CDN Hosting helps your visitors receive content from a server that is closer and optimized according to their location instead of an overloaded and distant single server. The benefits include:
- Low Latency – CDN ensures that users will not have to wait for content to load. This includes images, audio, or video. In tech terms, CDN reduces latency and buffering.
- SEO Advantages – Using an optimal server instead of a single server increases the usability and performance of your website which helps Google to rank you higher in SERPS.
- Load Balancing – CDN eliminates, if not reduces, unwanted traffic spikes as it load-balances your website effectively. This also helps if there are any bot attacks on your website.
- Improves Conversion – CDN improves the conversions of your landing pages as any reduction in load time will make sure that your product/service reaches your customers quickly.
- Provides Extra Security – Data duplication and its distribution across a network of servers offer an added level of security. Thus, if a disaster was to strike a particular network of servers, you could still retrieve your data from other servers in the CDN.
Who should use Content Delivery Networks?
Switch to CDN if your website:
- Needs faster loading times
- Provides high-quality content, with a large amount of video, audio or online gaming
- Depends on speed, traffic, and uptime for income generation
- Experiences peak traffic during select days/seasons
