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Who needs a CDN?
The use of a CDN makes sense for many websites with heavy traffic and international users. If a website is responding to requests from all over the world without using a CDN, these requests and the requested data are being delivered to their destination via a number of nodes, meaning that it will take some time to load the website. However, by using a Content Delivery Network, webmasters can minimize loading times, which has a positive effect on both the usability of the site and search engine optimization. The following companies and organizations, among others, benefit from the use of a Content Delivery Network:
E-Commerce
Online merchants improve their conversion rate through faster loading times and better performance.
Streaming
Streaming services for video and audio use CDNs for fast and reliable delivery of their digital content. The same applies to live gaming platforms.
Public Sector
Government agencies do this to protect themselves from outages and malfunctions to be able to carry out their duty to provide information even under exceptional circumstances.
Software Provider
Providers of software downloads and updates use CDNs to ensure the reliability of their services.
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How can companies benefit from a CDN?
Companies benefit from the following advantages when using a Content Delivery Network:
Fail-safe performance
CDNs handle unforeseen peak loads that would completely overwhelm the origin server.
Reduced data volume
CDNs compress web content. Smaller volumes of data are sent much faster.
Bundled requests
In addition, Content Delivery Networks combine multiple objects into data packets, making delivery faster.
Caching
Copies of the data are cached as close as possible to the user. When a request is made, the CDN transfers copies of data from the cache server located geographically closest to the user.
Lower operating costs
Reducing the load on the original server via caching also helps to avoid costly traffic, lowering the bandwidth required.
Provision of web content even before the request
A CDN analyzes user behavior on the website, enabling it to predict the next click with a high degree of probability. This means that it can load the appropriate content before the click happens, improving the performance of the website even more.
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Criteria for choosing the right CDN provider
When looking for a suitable CDN provider, companies are confronted with a wide range of services. The following criteria will help you choose the right partner:
Traffic Management
CDN providers handle global traffic management for their customers. Load balancing ensures efficient distribution of traffic. Many providers also offer an origin shield, an additional caching layer that protects the origin server from traffic spikes.
Network security
When choosing a CDN provider, it is crucial to ensure that the provider offers network security services and, for example, provides protection from distributed denial of service attacks. Secure bot management is also essential.
Geographical requirements
Not all CDN providers operate globally, so companies should ensure that the provider they choose operates in the relevant geographical areas. Particular attention must be paid to compliance with the provisions in the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data storage. Companies offering services in China must take special requirements into account.