Introduction
CDNs are often recommended to website owners. Many hosting providers include a CDN in their offer, while others recommend the use of specialized CDN providers which have wide-reaching and robust networks. In this article, we will look at the benefits they can bring to website owners, as well as at the potential drawbacks of using a CDN (if any).
The main use of CDNs is to offload large files (usually media files) and deliver them from the CDN’s servers, which are strategically placed. By delivering content from servers closer to the user, CDNs minimize the time required for data transmission, resulting in faster load times. This, in turn, leads to reduced bounce rates, increased engagement, and higher user satisfaction.
Table of Contents
The basics - what actually is a CDN?
CDN can mean the actual content delivery network used by a network provider, but more often CDNs are the providers/operators of the CDN service - operators of a network of servers strategically placed in different geographic locations in order to serve web content.
CDNs work by caching content on their network of servers, so that when a user accesses a website or some other web service, the CDN serves the content from the server closest to their location, minimizing the distance the data needs to travel and reducing latency.
CDN operators place caching servers in data centers around the world, and at key internet providers. This allows them to be much closer to a significant part of the internet user base. The standard way of operating a website is having all the resources hosted on a server, located in a data center. When a user, regardless of their location, requests access to a website, the server responsible for the website responds with the resources needed for the display of the website.
CDNs inject themselves in the middle of this process - requests for media items and other cacheable content are sent to the CDN, which usually has a server located much closer to the user. This server then retrieves the cached content and delivers it to the user's device. The CDN continuously updates and refreshes its cache to ensure the content remains current and up-to-date.
By distributing the content across multiple servers worldwide, CDNs effectively optimize the delivery process, resulting in faster load times and improved website performance.
Benefits of CDNs for Website Owners
The benefits of CDNs don’t end with access speed optimization only. While CDNs significantly contribute to improved website performance by reducing latency and thus enhancing the user experience, they can also improve other aspects of website hosting.
Improved Reliability and Scalability
The use of CDNs usually brings higher scalability and optimizations for high traffic situations.
Websites that experience high traffic volumes or sudden spikes in user activity may face performance issues or even downtime if the induced load is more than what their web hosting server can handle.
CDNs offer a scalable solution to this problem by distributing the traffic across multiple servers and locations. When a website has integrated a CDN, the network automatically routes incoming requests to the most suitable server based on the user's location and server availability. This load balancing capability ensures that websites can handle increased traffic without sacrificing performance or reliability.
Improved Latency
One of the key advantages of utilizing a CDN is the reduction in latency, which refers to the delay in data transmission over a network.
When a user visits a website, the content needs to travel from the website's origin server to the user's device. Without a CDN, this journey can be hindered by network congestion, long distances, and other factors that contribute to increased latency.
However, by leveraging a CDN, the content is distributed across multiple servers worldwide, ensuring that users receive the data from the server closest to their location. This proximity significantly reduces the distance the content needs to travel, resulting in faster load times and reduced latency.
Positive Impact on SEO
CDNs assist with SEO in two main ways. First, they improve the overall website performance by using their network of caching servers. By reducing latency and enhancing the website speed, CDNs contribute to a positive user experience, which can ultimately lead to improved SEO rankings. Search engines consider page load times as a ranking factor, and faster websites are more likely to appear higher in search results.
Second - by enabling efficient content delivery to users across different regions, regardless of their geographic location. When a website is hosted on a single server, users located far away from that server may experience slower load times due to the physical distance the data needs to travel. CDNs alleviate this issue by caching and delivering content from servers that are geographically closer to the user, resulting in faster load times and improved user experience. This has the power to reduce the bounce rate of a website, which in turn improves its SEO ranking.
Enhanced Reliability and Availability
By providing a robust infrastructure that enhances the overall reliability of websites, CDNs mitigate the risk of downtime.
Website downtime can have severe consequences for businesses, leading to lost revenue, damaged reputation, and poor user experience. CDNs enhance website reliability and availability by employing redundant servers across multiple data centers.
Depending on the configuration of the website, it may even be entirely hosted/cached on the CDN provider's network. In such a case, in the event of a server failure or a network disruption, the CDN ensures uninterrupted access to the website.
Some CDNs also have a feature that will keep your site online, even if it isn't available on the origin server anymore:

Potential Drawbacks of Using a CDN
Cost Considerations
While CDNs offer numerous benefits, one potential drawback is the cost associated with implementing and maintaining them. Most CDN providers charge fees for their services, which could impact the overall website budget.
Additionally, CDN providers separate many of the features they offer into different products, which can increase the overall bill. However, it's essential to consider the potential ROI and the value that CDNs bring in terms of improved website performance and user experience.
Finally, most CDN providers use complex billing systems, which makes predicting the overall pricing quite hard. Here is a sample screenshot from the billing screen of a large CDN provider, showing just a few of the factors considered in calculating the overall price:

It must be noted that there are providers, like Cloudflare, which offer a very good free CDN product.
Setup and Configuration Complexity
Setting up and configuring a CDN can be complex, especially for website owners without technical expertise. The process may involve modifying DNS settings, integrating the CDN with the website's content management system, and ensuring proper caching and content delivery configurations.
Even though the interfaces of CDN providers are user friendly, there are many complicated options, which may make the task overwhelming if you are not familiar with all the terms used.

Dependency on a CDN Provider
Website owners need to consider the potential dependency on a CDN provider for their website availability. Most CDN providers require that your website uses the DNS servers they provide. This increases your dependency on the CDN network, as in case of a problem with them, you won’t have access to your DNS records.
While most CDN providers are large and reliable companies, the support you can get from them usually depends on the fees you pay to them. If you are using a low-tier or a free plan, your options to contact a real support person at the CDN provider are very limited.
Thus, it's crucial to evaluate the reliability and reputation of the chosen CDN provider and ensure they have robust infrastructure and support systems in place.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How does a CDN work?
CDNs work by caching website content on a network of distributed servers worldwide. When a user requests access to a website, the CDN injects itself between the user and the hosting server and serves the cached content from the caching server closest to the user, reducing latency and improving website performance.
Can CDNs handle dynamic content?
Yes, CDNs can handle both static and dynamic content, although this depends on the website configuration as well. Advanced CDNs employ intelligent caching mechanisms that ensure dynamic content remains up-to-date while still benefiting from the performance optimizations offered by the network.
Do I need a CDN for my website?
Implementing a CDN is beneficial for most websites, especially those with a global audience or high traffic volumes. CDNs improve website performance, enhance user experience, and contribute to better SEO rankings. In general, we recommend using а CDN solution to every website owner.
Are CDNs only suitable for large-scale websites?
CDNs are beneficial for websites of all sizes. While large-scale websites with high traffic volumes may experience more significant improvements in performance, smaller websites can still benefit from reduced latency and enhanced reliability provided by CDNs.
Are CDNs expensive to implement?
The cost of a CDN depends on various factors, including the size of the website, traffic volume, and the chosen CDN provider. Many small website owners choose the free services offered by Cloudflare, but this free version lacks some key features that may be required even by small websites. For example - using a CNAME pointing method, instead of switching the DNS servers is available only in paid plans.
Some CDN providers also make estimating the cost really difficult, due to the complex pricing structure they have. You need to use complex pricing calculators to estimate your pricing , like Google's CDN Pricing Calculator.
Conclusion
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) play a crucial role in optimizing website performance by reducing latency, improving scalability, enhancing reliability, and positively impacting search engine rankings.
They are now an indispensable core infrastructure of the Internet.
By caching website content on distributed servers worldwide, CDNs ensure faster load times, better user experience, and increased availability. As businesses strive to deliver high-quality online experiences to their users, leveraging CDNs has become an essential practice. By adopting a CDN, websites can unlock the full potential of their online presence, ensuring optimal performance and user satisfaction.
By distributing the incoming requests across multiple servers, CDNs effectively balance the load and prevent individual servers from becoming overwhelmed.
This load balancing capability ensures that websites remain accessible and responsive, even during periods of increased traffic, providing a seamless user experience.
If you are looking into implementing a CDN into your website, do not forget that even the best CDNs won't be able to fix problems caused by an unreliable hosting provider. Thus, choosing the right CDN should come after selecting a reliable hosting provider. In addition to the reliable hosting services we have been offering since 2001, our support team can help you implement a CDN on your website in the most efficient way.
