The Benefits of Having a Dedicated IP Address

From the web company’s point of view, the easiest way to provide an affordable service and efficiently manage multiple accounts is to give all of their customers the same IP address. This is a common scenario on a shared server, one that could possibly result in numerous problems for your website. For instance, someone else on the server could be involved in spamming, adult websites, phishing or other questionable activities that may result in everyone on the server being penalized. This is one of several reasons why you should consider a dedicated IP address.

Unique Customers Pose Unique Requirements

Any business owner using shopping carts and making online sales has special needs. They require plenty of resources, secure servers and preferably an IP address dedicated solely to their usage. In most cases, a shared host does not offer private SSL certificates to its customers. Instead, a shared SSL is usually offered. A dedicated IP allows you to utilize a bulletproof SSL certificate to ensure the integrity and security of your online transactions, something that is absolutely critical in e-commerce.

Are Search Engines a Factor Worth of Consideration?

Another reason to consider a dedicated IP address is SEO (search engine optimization). Some experts have stated that search engines are able to better identify a website by this unique address. As we touched on earlier, there has been much speculation about how a single site performing illegal activities could result in the entire IP address being banned. This is primarily related to search engine spamming where individuals attempt to trick their way to the top of the rankings. It is believed that an advanced search engine like Google can pick up on these techniques easily and will program its spiders not to index all the sites on a particular IP address. This could be very detrimental to your cause if you rely on SEO for the bulk of your website traffic.

The issue of shared IP addresses and search engines are based largely on speculation and exaggerated fears. When considering that most of the sites on the web are the product of shared hosting, it is hard to believe that a search engine would penalize every single site on an IP address because of a few bad apples. Depending on the nature of your business however, these may be risks you don’t want to take. This can all be a avoided with a dedicated IP address as you don’t have to worry about the activities of shared users.

In addition to tighter security and preserving your shot at the search engine rankings, a dedicated IP address gives you the ability to use anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol). This feature allows anyone using FTP software to access files in directories on your site. A dedicated IP also allows you to access your site via FTP or web browser when the domain name is technically inaccessible, such as when it is in the propagation period.

There are many benefits to having a dedicated IP address. Although such luxuries normally come at a much steeper price, providers like IX Web Hosting keep things affordable with generous offerings. For only $7.95 per month, you have the ability to comfortably host multiple websites with 8 dedicated IP addresses. This gives you a peace of mind despite all the spooky security and SEO stories associated with shared IP addresses.

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