In this pretty fast-paced world, we all know that speed is everything.
We are witnessing an era where technology has turned 5G and videos have turned to shorts and reels.
People hate to wait for things anymore.
And if it’s about marketing, even a single second delay can affect a buying decision.
From site loading time to order placement to delivery- consumers need everything within a certain time frame, and if you can’t deliver that, you are out of the race.
Having said that, we’re half the way already in understanding the use and purpose of CDNs (SPEED) but let’s discuss that in more details and with examples.
In this article, we will be talking about what CDN is, how it works, and the benefits that comes with it, without overwhelming you with technical jargon so that you get a gentle introduction to CDN.
WHAT IS A CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK (CDN)?
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a widely distributed system of servers that works together to help reduce the distance between the server and the user to provide high-quality, speedy, and secure loading of web page content.
How does a CDN work?
Remember clearing your browser’s cache to troubleshoot it?
What exactly happens when you clear cache data of your browser?
It removes all the bits of information and data that have been stored from your search history and browsing.
This is the exact formula on which CDNs work.
Caching algorithms are at the core of CDNs.
In a prototypical process of browsing, when a user types a query, a request is raised to the origin server which may or may not be in the geographical vicinity of the user.
For example, a user from the south coast of India may search for a product or service whose origin server is on the north coast of India. This automatically will make the page loading time slow due to the physical distance.
This is where a CDN comes into play.
In this scenario, when a user types a query, a request is raised to the CDN server, and then CDN takes the request to the origin server.
CDN caches or stores your website data such as content, images, and videos.
This data is stored in strategic data centers called CDN PoP (Point of Presence) which then provides a faster search result every time you search for something in your geographical vicinity.
In simple terms, a CDN works by cutting down the physical distance between a user and the origin server by providing information stored in the nearest CDN server of the user.
This results in fast page loading time and a happy user who is ready to convert.
Why Does Your Business Website Need CDNs & How Can It Assist Your SEO?
1. 24/7 Accessibility & Availability
Well, the most significant work of a CDN for your website is to boost your site accessibility and availability.
CDNs naturally improve your site loading time.
It also assists your website in hard-pressed situations like high traffic and server outages by serving data stored in its cache.
The best part is, as long as the data is stored in CDNs cache, it will continue to serve content even if your actual server is down.
This way, you get more time to fix your site issues without affecting your users.
2. Protection From DDoS
DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack has been a critical matter of concern for business websites.
Any site that has a payment-based process needs high-end security to maintain trust and reliability.
CDNs have substantial cloud-based solutions that are formulated to stop the attack before it can reach your database.
Thus maintaining your website’s security and authenticity.
3.Valuable Data Insights
CDNs not only have the capability of distributing your content without hiccups but also provide you with some valuable data and analytics of the end-user experience and engagement.
This can help you work on your weaknesses and strengths and optimize your website accordingly.
4.Assitance For Your SEO
With all the points we have mentioned above, we can see that CDNs are no less than a holy grail for your website.
Improved site loading time, security, trustability, authenticity, data insights are all that contribute to your SEO and help Google index your site better.
Final Thoughts
You may or may not be familiar with the concept of CDN and its various benefits but we hope that we contributed a little more to help you understand it better with examples.
Investing in quality CDNs can notably help you boost your business website and improve your user experience.
If you would like to know more about CDNs and how to select the right one for your business or any other queries related to your website, please feel free to drop us an ? at hello@claruz.com