At 4BIS, we value a good user experience highly. One of the most important aspects of this is page load time. Generally, long load times make websites less user-friendly, which can lead to a higher bounce rate. Therefore, it is crucial to keep load times as short as possible.
There are many ways to improve page load times, but in this article, we focus on the technique of proxy caching.
What is a Proxy Cache?
To understand what a proxy cache does, we first need to look at how a webpage is loaded. We can compare this to writing a card. Imagine we want to send the same card to multiple people – we would have to write the same text over and over again. This is similar to how webpages are usually generated: every time someone requests a page, it is generated from scratch.
As you may have noticed, writing the same text repeatedly is very time-consuming. It would be much more efficient to write the card once and then duplicate it. This is exactly what a proxy cache does: once a webpage is loaded for the first time, a copy is made. When the same page is requested again, the cache simply serves the stored copy to the user.
What are the Benefits of Proxy Caching?
Now that we understand what a proxy cache does, let’s take a look at the benefits.
The main benefit is the significant reduction in load times. Pages can load up to 80% faster in some cases, thanks to caching. This leads to a massive improvement in user experience. Additionally, this can improve the discoverability of your website, as search engines like Google tend to rank faster websites higher in search results.
Another benefit is that the server is less burdened, especially during peak traffic. Since only a copy of the page needs to be served, the server can handle more requests simultaneously without delay.
Lastly, proxy caching contributes to the stability of a website. If something goes wrong when generating a page, the server can always fall back on an older version of the page, allowing the user to still view the content.
Are there any Disadvantages of Proxy Caching?
When used correctly, there are virtually no disadvantages to using a proxy cache, though there are a few things to keep in mind.
A potential issue arises when the content of a webpage is updated. Because the cache stores a copy of the previously generated content, users might end up seeing an outdated version of the page. This can be easily solved by manually clearing the cache so the server can generate a new copy of the page.
For customers using our WordPress hosting, we provide a button to clear the cache, which removes all cached copies on the site. This ensures that users always see the most up-to-date version of the page.
Conclusion: Proxy Caching for an Optimal User Experience
In conclusion, proxy caching offers significant benefits for websites that aim to provide an optimal user experience. By utilizing proxy caching, you can drastically shorten page load times, resulting in faster access and a more enjoyable experience for visitors. Not only does this have a positive effect on the user experience, but it also boosts the discoverability of your website, as search engines tend to rank faster websites higher.
Additionally, proxy caching offloads the server, especially during busy periods, as copies of previously loaded pages are used. This increases the server’s capacity to handle more requests simultaneously without speed loss. Lastly, proxy caching contributes to the stability of your website, as it allows you to fall back on previously stored versions of pages in case of technical issues.
Although it’s important to note that the cache may show an older version of a page, this can easily be resolved by removing outdated copies. Proxy caching is a valuable technique for improving the speed, reliability, and stability of your website, ensuring that users always get the best experience.
Want to enjoy faster load times and an enhanced user experience for your website? Choose our reliable and fast WordPress hosting with built-in proxy caching. Our hosting ensures your website always performs at its best, even during peak times. Get in touch with us today and discover how we can help make your website faster, more stable, and user-friendly!
