How does using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) affect website performance?

Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) significantly improves website performance by distributing content across multiple servers strategically located around the globe. This geographical distribution allows users to access the content from a server that is physically closer to them, which minimizes latency. As a result, the time it takes to retrieve data is reduced, leading to faster load times for webpages and a smoother overall user experience.

When a user initiates a request, the CDN automatically serves the content from the nearest available server, efficiently handling traffic and maintaining a quick response time even during periods of high demand. This distributed architecture not only enhances performance by optimizing data travel times but also helps mitigate the risk of server overload and ensures high availability.

In contrast, alternatives like increasing the size of web files or relying on a single server would not provide the same benefits. A focus solely on visual design without addressing performance would not result in a better user experience either. Thus, the key advantage of using a CDN lies in its ability to efficiently deliver content, ultimately leading to improved performance metrics and user satisfaction.