Most of us who are familiar with content delivery networks (CDN) know that a CDN enables ecommerce sites to deliver content in a fast manner, especially images and files no matter what the traffic is or where users’ are located. 

To recapitulate, a content delivery network is an assortment of distributed servers positioned across the world that deliver web pages and web content to website visitors. 

The underlying benefit of CDN is it speeds the delivery of content of websites having heavy traffic and global reach. 

CDNs are used by ecommerce sites, including large, medium and small enterprises for business transactions. 

But we must remember, for years content delivery networks were popular for B2C (business to consumer) transactions. Online businesses used CDN to accelerate static web content chiefly with a view to keep hold of site visitors so that they do not navigate away to their sites. 

“CDN is essential for us because it is an excellent web acceleration tool”, says an SME owner. It is no wonder numerous businesses these days are relying on content delivery networks to speed up their static and dynamic content, ecommerce transactions and other features to boost their business. 

But is CDN making everything sunny for entrepreneurs? Or are there caveats?

According to certain experts CDNs are not necessarily consumed by businesses in the best possible manner. 

Most consumers sign up with a single host for long term. 

The vendor however may have limitations with regard to coverage and performance that may have been overlooked by clients. Businesses tend to overprovision with the result they compromise on their ability to develop top performing and flexible content delivery sites which is so essential for their businesses. 

“The enterprises must develop a well-honed CDN strategy if they want to compete effectively”, says an experienced entrepreneur.
Consumers must comprehensively evaluate colocation, hosting and service providers to start with. 

This aspect is important because Cloud Deliver Networks must be delivered on an as-needed or a customized basis in the best interest of the clients. 

It is not uncommon for clients to experience less than satisfactory latency on CDNs. 

Such issues can only be addressed if entrepreneurs choose vendors that provide them access and interconnections to several content delivery networks that offer different performance capabilities. 

Here are some of the things businesses must consider.

Is Video a Vital Component of Your Content?

Video certainly poses a challenge. This is because in video, format matters a great deal. IPad, desktops and laptops follow different protocols so caching a video can present issues. 

How Good is Vendor’s Customer Support?

In CDNs networks are not straightforward and can present complex problems. Therefore it is imperative that clients must thoroughly vet the level of customer service the vendor offers. 

“Good customer support does not come cheap. If you want to distribute on-demand rich media and dynamic content, there is no alternative but to get top quality individualized support”.

Is CDN Affordable for Startups?

Many startup entrepreneurs feel they do not have the budget to spend on expensive CDN services. But in a competitive business scenario ensuring high quality voice streams can be critical. 

Luckily, in the Indian market it is possible to choose affordable yet highly scalable and secured CDN solutions from select vendors. All that you need to do is do some research. 

Remember CDNs makes things fast. It is a myth that CDNs are only for static content. Companies stand to gain considerably by routing dynamic content through a content delivery network. 

Yes, there are region specific issues, but these can be effectively sorted out.
 
Typically, dynamic site acceleration or DSA is considered an expensive option. Fortunately, many companies have addressed this issue by leveraging vendors’ new technologies very well. 

Vendors are doing their best to position and promote their DSA advantage as well as their innovative technologies. 

The vital role of a content delivery network is to make the web faster and a more enjoyable experience for consumers. It is pertinent therefore that a company must analyze challenges and solutions thoroughly before choosing a CDN vendor. 

Yes, it is possible to have a reasonably fast website without a CDN, but it would be faster with one. 

For more information on various web hosting plans call 1800-122-022 (Toll Free). 

Interesting Topic:

How Do I Choose The Right CDN For My Site/Business?

Are CDNs Effective For Mobile Users?