Did you know that where your website is hosted can have a significant impact on your business?
It’s true. When you choose a server to host your site, you will also be deciding where you’ll be storing your website’s data. This is important because your server’s location can affect your site’s performance, it’s ranking on search engines, the security and privacy of your data, and the cost of hosting.
Here are some reasons why you should choose to host your website on a Canadian server:
● Site Performance and SEO
The distance between your server and your customer’s computer affects how that customer views your site. If your customer base resides primarily in Canada, then a Canadian based server will decrease your website’s load time. This, in turn, will improve your customer’s experience. After all, it’s a well-known fact that people have no patience when it comes to page load times. The longer someone has to wait for your site to load, the likelier it is that they will leave your site and never return. For this reason, you should look for a hosting provider with data centers in Canada, such as GreenGeeks.
Page load time also affects your SEO. Page speed is a ranking factor in most search engine algorithms, especially Google. Therefore if your site is slow to load, it will affect your search ranking.
The location of your server also affects your search relevancy. If you’re targeting Canadian customers, you will want to use a Canadian server because this will give you a Canadian IP address. This is important because most search engines tend to return the most relevant results to each user based on their location. Therefore, if you have a Canadian IP address and have a Canadian searcher searching for your keyword, you will be more likely to come up with their results.
● Privacy and Security
A server is responsible for storing your websites, databases, and emails. It is governed by the country’s laws where it is located. Under the Canadian legal system, private information stored on servers is regulated by laws designed to protect sensitive and personal data. These laws are known as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). In the U.S., by contrast, servers fall under the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act allows the U.S. government to access and block you from your data. Furthermore, if they believe your activity is suspicious, they can monitor your communications. Even Canadian citizens are subject to the Patriot Act if they have a server in the United States.
Choosing to use a Canadian server also mitigates the risk of having your data seized by the FBI. Under the DMCA legislation, the FBI can takedown servers if they believe they are hosting illegal websites. As servers often host more than one website, legitimate sites often get taken down in the process. Canadian servers, however, aren’t required to comply with DMCA takedown requests immediately. Instead, they can review the claim and isolate the potentially illegal site from other clients. Furthermore, Canadian courts have a history of denying overly broad search and seizure requests brought about by the DMCA, decreasing the likelihood that your site gets caught up in an FBI seizure.
● Cost
Pricing is often a crucial factor when it comes to choosing a web host provider. Previously, many Canadians chose U.S. hosts because they were slightly less expensive. However, data center space in Canada has expanded recently, bringing the cost of hosting down considerably. Furthermore, many hosts who use Canadian data centers will also bill in Canadian dollars, saving Canadian customers currency conversion costs. Additionally, if you go with a Canadian web hosting provider, you don’t have to pay tax on that service as HST can be claimed as an input tax credit.
Conclusion
Hosting your website on a Canadian server offers many benefits. It is particularly advantageous if your site will be catering to mainly Canadian customers, as the proximity to the server will improve your page load time and your search engine ranking. Additionally, Canadian servers offer better privacy protection than U.S. servers and can better secure your data against FBI seizures. Lastly, Canadian servers are a cost-effective option, especially if you are a Canadian citizen.
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