What is Web Scraping and Why You Should Use It

Data is one of the most important resources now for businesses. Building a solid business intelligence system will require you to conduct in-depth analysis of your potential customers and the trends in your industry. But it’s not always easy to gather essential business information. To do this, you need a team of data experts as well as a properly defined data collection process. For this, web scraping can come in handy.

What is Web Scraping?

Web scraping is the process of collecting, harvesting, or extracting data from websites. This is usually done with applications or processes designed for various data collection needs. Web scraping involves copying large-scale information across sources available online. Unlike the tedious process of retrieving data manually, web scraping uses automated processes to gather thousands, millions, or billions of data points from the Internet. This is why many businesses rely on the web scraping process support to collect and manage data gathered this way for their business.

How is Web Scraping Done?

To understand how web scraping is done, it’s important to know its individual parts: the web crawler and the web scraper. The crawler, also called a “spider”, works as a guide and leads the scraper through the Internet to find data. The crawler searches for content that the web scraper then extracts from the identified websites. Web scrapers vary depending on the purpose and platform.

What Value Does Web-Based Data Scraping Offer?

With the possibilities that web scraping can offer, many businesses are using it to collect data. Depending on your line of business, you can use web scraping for:

• Web Indexing. The process of indexing the contents of a website for the purpose of adding web pages into Google search.
• Data Mining. Discovering patterns or correlations in large data sets by using various methods such as machine learning, statistics, and database systems.
• Online Market Price Monitoring and Comparison. A cost analysis method usually performed by ecommerce platforms and online businesses to gain insights on how to better price their own products or services and gain an advantage against their competitors.
• Product Review Collection. An online marketing method performed by businesses to gain more presence online and to build a positive brand reputation. The process involves collecting reviews submitted by customers using different review platforms. The business can then use it as a guide for their product improvement or design.
• Real Estate Listing Collection. A data enrichment method done by businesses and professionals in the real estate industry to help them gain a higher ROI.
• General Research. Usually performed to improve or correct hypotheses, make an informed decision, or to help develop a knowledge base.
• Online Presence and Reputation Tracking. A brand management practice performed by companies to understand how customers perceive their brand, monitor their competitors, and predict the market’s performance.
• Web Mashup. A technique performed by most websites to use data or functionality from different sources to create a new service or website. It is also called data integration.\Weather Data Monitoring. Weather forecasting requires monitoring weather conditions from those of the previous days. This helps improve the accuracy of weather forecasts.
• Weather Data Monitoring. Weather forecasting requires monitoring weather conditions from those of the previous days. This helps improve the accuracy of weather forecasts.

Why Use Web Scraping?

Considering the diverse approaches and value of web scraping, companies can experience a variety of benefits when it comes to data collection with these methods.

1. Fast and easy data collection

Thanks to technology, collecting large amounts of data can now be done quickly and easily through web scraping. Whether you are looking for data to innovate, execute, or market better, web scraping can help you accomplish these goals with an automated process.

2. Scale your market analysis

To help you understand the market better, it’s important that you have enough information about the different products, services, and competitors available to your target audiences. Moreover, you should obtain a more in-depth understanding of your potential consumers. With enough market data, you can develop a better analysis of the trends in your business and refine your products and services to be more suitable to your market.

3. On-demand database enrichment

Through web scraping, you can acquire valuable data to use in your business whenever you need it. By working with a reliable team of web scrapers, you can easily request any type of data and begin to quickly receive content for review. Enriching your database is made simpler and more efficient by partnering with an outsourcing provider with on-staff web scraping professionals.

4. Streamlined and technology-based collection process

Data collection is more efficient than ever with the availability of various tools and services provided by data service companies. With the right team of data experts coupled with the most advanced web scraping tools, you can find any data you need across a blend of online resources.

5. Dedicated professional web scraping teams

To perform web-based data scraping properly and efficiently, you need to have it done by a team of professional data scrapers. If you don’t have the tools and manpower available in-house, then outsourcing it will be the best solution. These teams have optimized processes, systems, and tools in place to quickly identify, collect, and organize data based on your defined business needs. Often, they are quick to implement and fast to start seeing results.

Not sure how to go about outsourcing your web scraping needs? Talk to us here at Assivo. Our team is established, experienced, and ready to provide you with data and support for your web scraping projects. No matter what data you need, we are ready to work and collect it for you.