Web content stored on a single server located at a specific physical location takes longer to load for users located away from it. A Content Delivery Network or CDN reduces this latency by storing content at multiple locations and serving it from the fastest server after considering a number of factors like the proximity of and the workload on the servers. A CDN is capable of serving all types of files including JavaScript, audio files, images, and even video clippings.
There are several benefits of using a content delivery network for your website. Here are some of the prominent ones:
1. Increased Speed of Data Transfer
With CDN, a website performs faster due to better transmission of data; there is an average decrease in page load time of almost 50 percent. This gives a better user experience to your website visitors and prevents them from leaving the website midway.
2. Reduction in Hosting Costs
The cost involved in hosting of a website reduces drastically on employing a content delivery network. Using CDN puts lesser load on the primary data center and thus there is a lower cost involved in the use of infrastructure.
3. Supplementary Analytics
At an affordable cost, which is usually charged for every byte used, a CDN allows the client to use analytics for commercial purposes along with the existing ones.
4. Better SEO
A CDN, along with developing the speed of the website, also works on the distribution of its content across various geographical regions. This makes a massive difference when it comes to optimization and a better ranking in search results.
5. Enhanced Website Protection and Security
The nearest or the edge server of the network handles any DDoS attacks, providing extra layer of security to the website. A CDN offers various advanced security tools along with secure tokens and SSL, which gives proper encryption of data and provides a time limit within which you will be able to work with secure links, on expiration of which, the links will no longer be accessible.
6. Stability of Website
Using a content delivery network considerably lowers the amount of risk that arises due to traffic spikes, stabilizing the site further. For websites, traffic spikes arrive unannounced and if the load limit is stretched, the site might completely stop working. To avoid this, CDNs reduce the load by caching the content on its edge servers and boost the scalability of the website.
7. Higher Sales and Conversions
Since CDNs improve the speed of the website, the conversion rates automatically go up. This improves the website performance and ensures that the website provides a proper platform for its clients to engage with the company.
CDNs offer solutions to all types of companies that have websites and applications, web or mobile. For mobile apps, CDNs lower the loading time considerably in every location that the developer wants to target, while for websites that are into media, or technology, the CDN ensures that the information is always updated and the site’s performance does not falter for any of the visitors in any area.
When it comes to finance or ecommerce websites, a CDN provides security and reliability for the customers and also enhances the speed, especially during times that are bound to generate heavy traffic. CDNs are highly useful for government websites as well since they usually contain a higher amount of content that needs to be optimized and made accessible to citizens in no time.