IP addresses are important if you want to work on the internet. To launch a site on the internet you need to have a domain name which works on IP address, that works as an actual address for your site. Generally, we consider using a domain name as ‘www.domainname.com’ instead of long numbers like ‘ 192.168.25.4’. When you perform any activity on the internet, the web sends you back the information by identifying your IP address.
But, when we talk about IP address, we have two options available – Shared IP and Dedicated IP. Let’s see what they both are individually.
What is a Shared IP address?
A shared IP address is used to host multiple websites on a single server. It acts like a common string that is attached to hundreds of websites instead of assigning a unique IP address to each website. In this case, an action performed by the owner of a single website can also affect other websites. And, if that IP address gets blacklisted or banned for spamming, then the other mail servers will also suffer the consequences.
What is a Dedicated IP address?
From the name you might have understood that dedicated IP address is a unique address that is dedicated to each website connected with the internet. It allows each website to be hosted on its IP address that is assigned to your domain name. So, when you type the dedicated IP address in the browser, you will get redirected to the website domain name.
Using a dedicated IP address boosts your website’s performance even during the time of heavy traffic load. You can easily access your accounts via FTP or web, during domain propagation time. Mostly e-commerce websites or websites getting heavy traffic use dedicated IP address. You are allowed to use an SSL certificate on the web and hosting account only with the dedicated address.
It is mandatory to have a dedicated address for the websites that are handling the payment process independently and not via the third party.
Related: Selecting the Right Type of Web Hosting for Your Website
Which IP address type is best choice for website security and performance?
Both shared and dedicated IP addresses are great choices for website performance. But in case of security issues, before buying shared IP, first you need to ask the provider if he will be assigning separate resources to you. There are some providers that allow you to have dedicated resources for shared IP address. If it is not the case, then we will recommend you to choose the dedicated IP address considering the point of website security.
Impact of IP address on SEO
IP address doesn’t hamper your SEO as long as the website is not affected by other spam. But if you are using shared IP address which is affected by some spam or virus due to other website then it will hamper your site too.
To avoid IP address’s effects on SEO, always use unique content that can’t be matched with other websites.
Advantages of Shared address are :
(i) If you are a seasonal mailer, who sends mail to your clients, customers very occasionally then for you Shared IP address can be a good choice. As in shared address, you don’t need to warm up IP address every year like a dedicated IP address.
(ii) If you have a low budget then you can go for the shared IP addresses as they are cheap and inexpensive.
(iii) Low volume mailers can establish a reputation and history with Mailbox Providers using shared address.
Advantages of Dedicated IP address are :
(i) High Stability –
The dedicated address doesn’t get influenced by other’s action and thus, can control the reputation of your website. On the other hand, shared address can easily get affected by malicious activities performed on another website but sharing the same address. In such a case, you have to suffer and the website faces downtime in search engine results that hampers your reputation and also incurs a business loss.
(ii) Less Downtime –
Downtime depends on the server and the dedicated IP address that allows accessing the server without changing the DNS setting. Even when your IP address gets refreshed there is a possibility of downtime for some time from the server, but in the dedicated address as the same address is used every time so you get rid of such unwanted downtime. Due to the sharing feature, the websites uses server’s memory, thus few users using shared address can face slow website loading. But using dedicated address offers constant and speedy website loading.
Related: How Website Downtime Hurts Your Business?
(iii) SSL Security –
As seen above, e-commerce websites must have an SSL certificate and dedicated IP address to avoid any miss-happenings of online security and slow website loading. SSL certificate secures the information that is transmitted between a website and a server. When a website is incorporated with SSL protocol, users can enter their login details without the fear of data leakage. The dedicated IP address also allows you to handle high traffic websites while serving customers and visitors.
(iv) No risk of Email Blocking –
When a shared address gets banned due to spamming actions carried on an IP address, then the emails associated with that address get blocked. Whereas, dedicated address saves email service from getting blacklisted and thus, your email doesn’t get counted as spam mail.
Conclusion –
From the comparison of shared and dedicated IP address, it is always better to choose the dedicated address as it is more beneficial than shared address. The dedicated address also provides a unique business identity by separating your business from the crowd. For low budget initially you can try shared address, but as your business grows, make sure you up-bring it to a dedicated address.
