A fast website is no longer an option, it is a must. It is possible to improve the speed of almost any website, regardless of its condition, but the best way to achieve a fast website is through proper planning and wise infrastructure choices. Choosing the right web hosting service is the first and most critical step on the way to a fast and high-quality website. Another very important tool that enables fast and good website performance is CDN.
What is a CDN?
CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. You may not be aware of it, but almost every website you visit uses a CDN. It is a network of servers spread across the globe, all of which contain copies of the same website. This means that even if the website is hosted in Israel, a copy of it can be stored on a server in Canada, a server in Australia, a server in England, and so on. When a user from a certain country (e.g., France) visits your website, they will receive the latest version of the website from the server closest to them—most likely a European server—instead of receiving the website from an Israeli server. In this way, the CDN effectively solves the latency problem that occurs when we try to access a website that is stored on a server that is physically far away from us. This means that the user sees the website much faster and does not have to wait for it to load.
Advantages of CDN
- Improved website speed: Since the CDN serves the user a cached copy of the website from the server closest to them, the website's loading times are reduced and the user can view the website's content quickly without having to wait.
- Improved server availability: CDN distributes traffic from the central server to a large number of servers around the world, reducing the load on your storage server. Less load = less chance of the site crashing or being slow.
- Improved SEO: A website's ranking in search engines is also determined by its speed and the user experience. If users spend more time on the website (and they will prefer to do so on a fast website rather than a slow one), the website's ranking in search engines will improve.
- Save money: CDN reduces the possibility of malfunctions, saves bandwidth, and allows you to speed up your website without investing in development or special tools.
Who needs a CDN for their website?
In general, almost any website can benefit from a CDN, and it doesn't have to be a large or complex website. However, a CDN is a must for large websites with significant traffic, websites with a large amount of heavy content, and websites with visitors from different parts of the world (bilingual websites, websites with information relevant to visitors from all over the world, online stores that ship worldwide, etc.).
How do you install a CDN on a website?
There are a variety of services that offer CDN as part of your website hosting service, such as Cloudflare, G-Core CDN, Jetpack, and more. However, it is important to configure the CDN correctly to avoid problems with the website. Want a CDN for your website? Contact us and we will be happy to help.