Does the Server Location of My Website Matter? Yes, Here’s Why

Website Server Location: The Top 4 Considerations for Geo-Location

Yes, the server location matters if you want to ensure the website runs great, maximizes SEO, and delivers a great experience. Here are the reasons why.

You’ve thought about the differences between shared hosting and a virtual private server. You and your team have worked hard to come up with the perfect domain name and domain extension.

You know what you’re looking for in a web hosting provider, and you’re ready to find the right one for your website.

One thing you might be forgetting about?

The server location.

But does your website server location really make that much of a difference?

In a word: yes.

Read on to find out why.

1. Loading Speed

The closer the visitor accessing your website is to the web server location, the faster your website will load for them.

Since about 50% of consumers say a website should load fully in two seconds or less, you run the risk of losing a lot of business if yours is too slow.

Remember that the data from your site has to travel to the visitor’s consumer. The shorter the distance it has to go, the better off you’ll be.

2. Website Security

Over 30,000 websites are hacked into each day.

We know you don’t want yours to be one of them — which is one more reason why your server location is so important.

You need to ensure that you’ve chosen a server that’s both physically and digitally secure. You need to protect your data’s privacy.

So, be sure you ask about things like security cameras, scanners, controlled access, and more when discussing the physical server location with a potential hosting company.

Also, ask about power backups and how they handle security breaches.

Even if your website does run into a security issue, having a server that’s at least somewhat nearby can help you to get the assistance you need as quickly as possible.

3. Search Engine Results

About 75% of consumers say they never bother to look past the first page of search engine results.

That’s why it’s so important to consider how your server location could impact your overall SEO score.

If your site is slow to load, people will click away from it — bringing your website down in the search engine rankings. Remember too, that many search engines prioritize local results.

Having a server that’s in the same space as the majority of your site visitors will help you to outrank your competitors.

4. Convenience and Pricing

Finally, remember that working with local hosting companies — or hosting companies that also have physical servers in your desired location — is convenient for your company.

You’ll make payments in your local currency, you’ll be able to get help in your own time zone, and you’ll likely even be able to save a bit of money in the process.

Getting Server Location Right

This post has certainly made it clear that your server location matters not just for site speed, but also for a variety of other reasons.

When you’re shopping for a hosting service, you need to find one with a content delivery network that works to ensure that visitors from all over the world can easily access your site.

You should also consider looking for a hosting platform that has physical server locations in the area where most of your traffic comes from.

Get in touch with us to learn more about our high-performance web hosting services — and how we’ll make sure that your website runs smoothly no matter who is accessing it.