You may have heard of a CDN, but what in the world is it, and do you need to be using one for your blog?
In short, a CDN (or content delivery network) is a way to deliver content from your website to your visitors more quickly and efficiently.
Now, we don’t want to overwhelm you with too much of the technical side of things, which is why we’re just going to skim the surface of what a CDN is, why you should be using one, and how to set it up on your blog.
What is a CDN?
A CDN is made up of a network of servers all throughout the world. The server closest to your visitor’s location will be the one to deliver the content to that visitor.
Source: DigitalOcean
For example, if you live in San Francisco, CA and pull up a website, the server in San Jose, CA will be the one delivering that content to you instead of a server on the other side of the world (i.e. London.)
Essentially, using a CDN on your site results in a faster load time and better online experience.
Is a CDN the same as a web host?
There is one main thing that sets a CDN apart from a web host. A web host delivers your website content to visitors from one server in a single location, whereas a CDN uses a network of servers in various locations to deliver content.
One thing to note is that a CDN does not host content and it cannot replace the need for traditional web hosting. But when it is used in addition to your web host it will improve your website’s performance and load time.
What are the benefits of using a CDN on my blog?
1. It improves your website load times
Since a CDN delivers content to website visitors by using the closest CDN server, visitors experience faster loading times. Faster loading time means lower bounce rates and more traffic (that’s a win in our book!)
2. It can handle more users
A traditional web host can only handle so much traffic to a site before it starts experiencing delays. However, a CDN will allow people from all over the world to access the website without slowing down speed or performance. This means your website will be able to handle large spikes in traffic without any downtime.
3. It increases content availability
CDN servers are always running, which means even if your hosting server goes down your website and content are still accessible.
4. It improves website security
A CDN can help minimize and prevent the damage caused by a security attack. A secure website is crucial for your SEO and maintaining your visitors’ trust.
How do I set up a CDN?
Now that you have a feel for what a CDN is, you may be wondering how you set one up for your blog.
There are many CDN options to choose from, but Cloudflare offers a great free plan if you want to give one a try! And setting it up is easy.
1. You’ll first want to create an account.
2. Add your domain.
3. Choose your plan. We recommend starting out with the free plan.
4. Replace the current nameservers on your hosting account with the Cloudflare nameservers.
That wasn’t so hard, right? You'll be a CDN expert in no time! ?
