Primarily, many of the servers Shopify uses are in the United States. However, Shopify works with a third party that has access to a vast network of servers around the globe, which allows merchants from many countries to promote their business online. These servers are known as Content Delivery Networks—CDNs—which are currently run by Fastly.
Fastly is a popular CDN that offers a variety of services including an edge cloud platform, edge software development kits, content delivery, image optimization, video and streaming, cloud security, and more. Since Shopify uses Fastly, the company ensures that all merchant stores will be loaded immediately, regardless of where the store and the customer are located.
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a growing e-commerce platform that allows merchants to sell a variety of goods and services to customers. The e-commerce platform utilizes servers around the world, becoming a global asset for small and large businesses alike. Merchants only need to have a reliable internet connection to begin selling their products or services through the online platform.
Shopify was created in 2004, and it has since become a leader in the e-commerce world. With its headquarters located in Ottawa, Ontario, the platform offers many different subscription plans, allowing merchants to create a website that aligns with their individual needs. Offering different hosting plans, Shopify works with merchants to create an efficient process where their online store can be based wherever they are around the world.
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How Does Shopify Work?
Shopify “hosts” your website. Although you can access different benefits and features depending on the plan you choose for your business, you will always have the option for Shopify to host your website and domain. You will not need to purchase a web host or install any additional software to access this feature when you sign up with Shopify. A key benefit to Shopify is that you can host your e-commerce store with the Shopify platform, or you can use a different hosting provider and integrate it with the Shopify server.
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What Are CDNs?
Content Delivery Networks are servers that assist with enhancing the speed and delivery of various web content around the world. These CDNs use caching, which records a copy of different files, allowing you to quickly access different files, images, videos, and websites wherever and whenever you want.
In the past, when people searched for a merchant, they ran into issues of the online store taking too long to load. The lagging of the online site would then deter potential customers from purchasing from the seller. Now that CDN’s are worldwide, and Shopify uses Fastly, customers have a better chance of accessing what they want on the web in a timely manner and without any issues.
Since Shopify uses Fastly, the company is working to ensure that you can access stores that use the Shopify platform across the globe. The e-commerce provider has become a detrimental part of the online world and will continue to assist sellers globally with their websites