Why All SMEs Should Add Cloudflare
Cloudflare is a US-based platform designed to enhance your website’s performance and security. Easy to set up and growing in popularity among businesses globally, it’s supported by industry giants like Microsoft and Google.
Cloudflare operates as a Content Delivery Network (CDN), a system that optimises how your website reaches users. It ensures your site loads efficiently for visitors, no matter where they are located.
Why All SMEs Should Add Cloudflare
Cloudflare offers much more than just improved performance, incorporating robust security measures and tools that enhance SEO.
It achieves this by:
- Reducing unnecessary content such as white space, which allows pages to download faster. For example, Cloudflare’s Polish feature can optimise image file sizes, speeding up loading times.
- Employing the new HTTP/2 protocol, which is twice as fast as its predecessor.
- Providing SSL certification for enhanced security across all sites, along with DNS security features.
- Protecting against vulnerabilities with a cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF).
- Utilising browser caching, which speeds up repeat visits by reducing the need for server requests.
- Load balancing, distributing your website across various servers to minimise downtime and improve overall speed.
For businesses, this translates to several significant advantages in an increasingly competitive, online-focused marketplace.
The Benefits of Using Cloudflare
- Improved Speed: Websites that use Cloudflare load at least twice as fast. Savvy business owners understand that site speed is crucial. Visitors expect instant content; a delay of even a few seconds can lead to frustration and potential customers leaving your site. Cloudflare also helps reduce bandwidth usage, manage 60% fewer server requests and add an extra layer of security.
- Cost-Effective Performance and Security: Many SMEs worry that these kinds of benefits come with a hefty price tag. Fortunately, Cloudflare offers a free service that covers the essential needs of most small and medium-sized enterprises.
Cloudflare’s Four Core Solutions:
- Performance
- Cloudflare boasts a global CDN, web optimisation and rapid DNS services. Features like Argo help route traffic through the most efficient paths, enhancing speed and performance.
- Website Security
- Security is critical for all businesses, especially when defending against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Cloudflare’s protection measures do not compromise site performance, ensuring a smooth user experience while keeping threats at bay.
- Reliability
- Cloudflare’s infrastructure is designed for reliability, handling an impressive 60 billion DNS queries daily and continuing to expand. For businesses, this means reduced downtime and dependable service.
- Insights
- Unlike many other CDNs, Cloudflare provides detailed insights into threats and web activity. You can access analytics and audit logs that allow you to monitor and act on data through a user-friendly central console.
Is Cloudflare Worth It?
Absolutely! Cloudflare’s features sound impressive and you might assume they come at a steep cost. However, for most SMEs, the free version of Cloudflare is more than adequate. It offers site protection, enhanced performance, and improved security—all without any hidden fees.
Here at The Last Hurdle, we have used Cloudflare for both our website and those of select clients for the past two years, and we highly recommend it as an invaluable tool for any SME looking to optimise their online presence.
Why All SMEs Should Add Cloudflare
If you need assistance integrating Cloudflare into your site or would like to know more about how it can benefit your business, get in touch with The Last Hurdle. Call us on 01604 654545 or email hello@thelasthurdle.co.uk.
