Market research relies mainly on the information that you get on web scraping to make decisions that lead to the creation of successful business plans. But, securing relevant data for use is not easy because you risk getting blocked or banned hence the need to leverage proxies. Here is how you can use proxies to your advantage:

Residential proxies: What are they and how do they work

Residential proxies are intermediaries that use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which are offered by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). These proxies have a geographical location that allows their IP addresses to pinpoint any device’s location at any time. This means that each time you use the internet, you share information about your cookies, the type of browser that you are using, and most importantly, you log in with your real IP address. Since the internet is a global community, the problem is that certain service providers will lock content so that it is only accessible to people in certain regions. So, suppose you attempt to use bots for social media, scripts for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or scrape data, your IP address will get blocked instantly. The good thing is that a residential proxy can help you get around these issues with ease. 

How do they work?

Often, residential proxies are confused with datacenter proxies but they differ in the sense that the latter is traced back to a corporation associated with it while the former is traced to a home address that is not your own. Also, datacenter proxies are easier to block while residential proxies are more reliable. Residential proxies are also more affordable which gets you to value for your money. The way they work is by routing your internet traffic using an intermediary server which changes the IP address when you make a request.  In the end, your real IP address remains masked so that you appear with a different one. Lastly, residential proxies are unique because they leverage real desktop and mobile devices as intermediaries making your connections secure.

Rotating residential proxies

As opposed to residential proxies that work by hiding your real IP address with another, rotating proxies function by concealing you behind numerous proxies. These proxies are also known as backconnect proxies and are exceptional because they switch themselves regularly while you browse. When you use such Rotating Residential Proxies, your IP address will continually change meaning that you will make a ton of requests without getting noticed.  Lastly, each search that you make is directed to a different connection in that you will not get blocked for making many requests.

Static Proxies

This proxy enables you to access the internet using one IP address which is often uniquely assigned to you. The static IP address is also known as the sticky IP address. While it enhances anonymity, it compliments your internet by ensuring that you have a strong bandwidth. However, you need to set it in a manner that it rotates to avoid your IP address from being banned. A majority of static proxies provide datacenter IPs but some have a rotating feature such as datacenter proxies with a proxy rotator feature. For this reason, you need to identify the one that you require before adopting any.

Static vs. Rotating Proxies: Which is Better?

Most eCommerce companies are familiar with scrapping and are performing it for their own gain. Scrapping affects customer experience by creating a lot of unnecessary traffic within a short duration. Such an amount of traffic can slow down a website and in severe cases make it crash. Owing to this, most eCommerce companies employ anti-scraping tools which work to spot unusual behavior or requests and block targets.  Therefore, when you are performing large-scale scrapping, you require numerous rotating proxies or static proxies. This is because there are targets that will need you to maintain the same IP address for a while there are others that will need you to perform several switches. In cases when you are not sure how you will get blocked, you may require to adopt rotating proxies as opposed to static ones.

The benefits of choosing rotating proxies

The beauty of rotating proxies is that they provide you with many IP addresses in that you can visit different websites numerous times a day without appearing suspicious.  They also enhance conversion rates providing you with lots of information about your competitor so that you implement fruitful strategies. They also enhance your performance especially when you choose the paid ones because they have great customer support in case you need it.

Conclusion

Performing market research is necessary for you to remain competitive in the business arena. Using some of the proxies above, you can secure the relevant data that you need for your business without being blocked. But, be sure to pick the right proxy based on your needs!