what is cdn
Tips and Tricks

Using a CDN to Supplement your Web Hosting Services

These days more and more people have started using a CDN because of the numerous benefits it offers when it comes to web hosting. If you have your own WordPress blog, you will definitely want to take the time to look into this option before making a final decision.

what is cdn

What is a CDN?

A CDN is basically something that you can use in addition to a web hosting account. It can help speed things up, though it doesn’t function in place of a web hosting account. You will still need to look for a web host that can make your needs.

CDN stands for Content Delivery Network, which is a network of servers that are capable delivering cached static content directly from websites to users based on where the user is on the planet. While this might seem a little bit confusing, it’s actually fairly simple. Let’s take a closer look.

When a user normally visits your blog, they are redirected to the server of the web host you use. Your web host’s server has a central location, so every person who visits your blog is accessing the exact same server each time they go there. If you have enough traffic going to your website, the server can easily get overloaded and crash altogether. Because a CDN is an entire network of servers that are spread all over the planet, it doesn’t get overloaded as easily as a single server in one geographic location. Those who use a CDN will find that all static content is cached and stored on each server in the network. Some of the different types of cached content include JavaScript’s, images, Flash, and many others.

Load time depends on a number of things, including how geographically close the user is to the web server. When you make your content available across numerous servers in many different areas, it becomes much easier to speed up load times for the benefit of the people who visit your site.

Why use a CDN for your Blog?

There are many different reasons to at least consider using a CDN in conjunction with your web hosting services, including:

  • Faster load times: When you start using a CDN, your website and all of the internal pages on it will load faster. If you want the people who visit your blog to have the smoothest possible experience, this is certainly an option worth looking into.
  • Reduced chance of crashing: Another great reason that you should use a CDN is because doing so will significantly reduce the chances of your website crashing. Unless you are getting a ridiculous amount of traffic to your blog, you won’t have to worry about this happening. Those who rely on just one server for hosting their site will be taking a big risk, especially if they expect to get lots of traffic at some point.
  • Better overall user experience: A CDN can also provide the people who visit your blog with a better overall experience. Using a CDN is closely associated with a decreased bounce rate and an increase in visitors. If you want to make your blog as popular as possible, a CDN will almost certainly be able to help.
  • Better SEO: When it comes to stepping up your SEO game, a CDN might be exactly what you need. Google has stated that pages that load faster tend to rank higher, so you will certainly want to keep that in mind as well.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to web hosting for your blog, using a CDN can make a huge difference when it comes to speeding up load times and enhancing your users’ overall experience. Anyone who runs a blog and wants it to be as successful as possible will find that the rate at which their page loads is crucial. A CDN is a far better option than a single server, because you won’t be taking the risk of having your site crash if there is a surge in traffic. All in all, using a CDN can benefit you in a lot of ways and it’s something to carefully consider.