If you haven’t heard of the term Internet Protocols or IPs, here’s a short introduction. IP stands for Internet Protocol. It is the address that you use that identifies your device and network. Your online activities can be traced through your IP address. A set of numerical symbols represent your IP address. The two major types of IP addresses are private and public. Most devices connected to your residence have a private IP address.
On the other hand, a public IP address includes your internet provider. They have a large pool of IP addresses which they distribute among their customers. And one of these is the one you are using. So, how does residential IP make a difference in your business?
What are Residential IPs?
Since residential IPs are provided by large ISPs (Internet Service Providers), using them gives many advantages. Residential IP is also known as consumer IP because it is used for residential addresses. Most proxies used the homeowner’s address because of its salient features. By the way, businesses use the proxy address for various specific purposes. Proxies act as a bridge between you and the website you want to visit.
Most businesses commonly use proxies for websites, countries, or areas with prohibited access. For instance, you can use Russian proxies with local IP addresses assigned to them to access some restricted Russian websites from another area.
Why Does Your Business Need Residential IP?
Just like what was mentioned above, residential IPs have more advantages than other kinds of IP. First, it is more secure. Second, it offers more protection. And ultimately, it is legitimate. On top of these, by using residential IP addresses, you can enter websites posing as a customer. It is beneficial, especially if you want to gather relevant information from your competitors without being traced.
Other advantages of residential IP for your business are:
- It allows you to do market analysis, monitor and compare prices.
- It allows you to gather prospective customers through email automation.
- It acts as a tool for web scraping without being detected by competitors’ websites. Web scraping is the process of getting relevant information from other websites. Using residential IP will spare you from being blocked or banned.
- There are good residential proxies, such as a Russian proxy, that get residential or mobile IP for effective ad tracking. This way, you can attract your competitor’s advert partners.
The Common Uses of Residential IPs
Residential IPs have been proven to be effective and cost-efficient in many cases. Here are some of the common uses of residential IPs:
1. Data Collection
Data collection is an indispensable tool to see how your business competes with others. It is now popularly used in the e-commerce industry to get insights and sentiments from customers, track and identify customers’ trends and behaviors.
2. SEO Monitoring
It is a must for your business’ website to use SEO-optimized monitoring. Through web scraping, you will be able to identify various things/keywords that you will use to optimize your SEO.
3. Social Media Monitoring
It is easier to monitor media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook with residential IPs. Media monitoring is one vital instrument in understanding your market.
Bypassing Restrictions
Benchmarking is one of the most effective ways to improve the operation of your business. However, most often than not, some competitor’s websites bar you from visiting their sites. That is why residential IPs prove invaluable—for instance, one of the most restricted countries and with strict censorship laws in Russia. The good news is that you can defeat these geo-restrictions in Russia through the use of an effective residential proxy.
Ethical and Legal Issues
Ethical and legal issues arise if the proxy provider uses the existing IP address of ordinary internet users. There are cases where these addresses are obtained and used illegally. Ensure that your proxy provider abides by the ethical and legal clauses before signing up for their service. By doing so, you will spare yourself and your business for future legal implications.
Conclusion
The internet is a “dog eat dog” in the world of business. Being aggressive enough to penetrate the market is one of the fundamental characteristics one must possess. Getting a proxy for your website is the first step and deciding on a residential proxy is a wise step. Make your website competitive by taking those steps. Only by then can you explore an overwhelming market opportunity.
