Web scraping is a technique used to extract large amounts of data from web pages. Sort of like a Google search, but instead of generating links for you to click, it generates data. The tool reads the source code of several pages, one by one. It extracts the data according to your particular interest.
With web scraping, you automate the process of extracting data from websites so that an intelligent script can help you save this data in a structured format.
The extracted data is saved in a local system or in a database, depending on the structure of the extracted data. Most of the sites we visit regularly allow us to view and download the content. But there are also sites that do not allow downloading; in these cases, we need to design a new tool to access data extraction.
If you want to know how Web Scraping can boost your sales? Follow us in this article, and we will demonstrate how effective this practice is!
How Web Scraping Can Increase Your Sales
Before starting this text, we did a search for the keyword “web scraping” in SEMrush, which used its web crawler to extract data and return responses. Among the answers, we obtained results such as the number of words my text should have, which related keywords I should use and even who they are and where my competitors are positioned.
Web scraping is essential for activities that require an analysis of a large number of web pages, such as marketing, where you need to study your competitors. However, you don’t have time to read page by page, and you need web scrapers to deliver only results.
Data extraction on the internet can be done in a number of different ways, including through the Application Programming Interface (API), which allows you to use a web service without going through the user interface, doing this simply by code. The APIs enable interconnections of different tools and the matching of data between them.
Web scraping will allow a developer to use a service to extract data without any limitations, except on very protected sites. However, it is not necessary to program a web crawler completely from scratch. There are some alternatives like Puppeteer, for example.
Thanks to Puppeteer, a developer can automate any viable task in an Internet browser such as:
- Make screenshots and PDFs of the analyzed pages.
- Crawling over pages with Ajax and SPAs;
- Automate the use of User Interfaces (UI) on web pages.
- Make web scraping with high fidelity.
Notions of the languages HMTL, JavaScript and Ajax may be necessary to deal with this tool. But for a better understanding, we have separated a practical example of what you can do with it:
The IMDB website is the largest digital database on cinema. You can program Puppeteer to collect movie posters with scores above 8, or you can view the list of horror movies organized by date. You can even see which movies had the most comments on the site to calculate their engagement.
Web Scraping For E-commerce
Many companies are exploring their competitors’ e-commerce in search of price updates, product descriptions and images, in order to obtain all the data they can use to drive predictive data modeling and analysis.
In the universe of virtual stores, competition is marked. Customized web data extraction solutions can help you get all the data you need to grow and surpass your competitors.
For example, to collect enough data to define your competitors’ SWOT analysis (strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats) or even to track competitive prices with dynamic web scraping.
We know that product prices on the internet are constantly changing, but have you ever thought of tracking these values in an automated way? Identifying what values your competitors are selling your products for is incredibly necessary!
Want to know what is being said on social media about your product? With an analysis made with web scraping, you can see how satisfied your consumers are on social networks.
Find Data From Any Person Or Entity With Web Scraping
Web scraping allows you to collect any data from an individual or a company, especially thanks to social networks. This data is then used for analysis, comparisons, investment decisions, hiring and more.
Just as we can track movies, products and valuable information, we can also track people and find out, for example, how many accounts are related to an email. This can be used to study your target audience.
All of this data can be found manually, but web scraping tools do not read the sites as we do. They go straight to the point. If the subject is email, you will have e-mail-related responses and so on.
Data extraction is also used to understand individuals’ search intent before launching a website, which is extremely useful as information about your target audience can be decisive in the success of e-commerce.
The scraper will get the results and know how the sites in your industry communicate, for example. As a result of this analysis, you can also program your robot to search for content that perfectly matches your consumer’s needs.
Web Scraping To Monitor A Brand’s Reputation
The famous jargon “The best strategy is a satisfied customer” makes a lot of sense in the modern market. Web scraping tools give you the power to study your reputation online. Online reputation is very important as many companies depend on word of mouth, or better, chat to chat for their growth.
Collecting data on social networks helps you understand a defined audience’s current opinion and feelings in relation to your market niche. After listening, you can communicate in the best possible way to meet his needs. All of this based on your true feelings.
Have you thought about monitoring all mentions of your brand on a defined social network? With the basics of the Python language, you can monitor and generate data about every time your brand name was mentioned on Twitter so that you can assess your reputation on the internet. This is true for almost any social network. It also depends on the availability of APIs.
Insight Through Collected Data
Having all this data in hand, you can have insights and strategies for your company—for example, a better designed or specific ad for your target audience.
Finding out if your product is really a solution for your consumer is made much easier by extracting important information about your product, brand, and consumer.
Make your business meet consumer expectations by connecting with them on an emotional level. Indeed, the customer’s vision will be: this brand understands me!
It is evident that insight has the purpose of creating a lasting relationship with the consumer. As a result, your company’s product offerings will be developed in response to consumer problems.
How To Find Useful Insight?
Good relationship insight is discovered by looking through data that reveals consumption patterns. The elaboration of insight mobilizes qualitative studies with real observations. The practice of web scraping should be part of your Growth Hacking strategy.
As already mentioned, the use of the web scraping process is ideal for obtaining data, which reveals consumers’ wishes. In addition, finding out what other web pages are talking about you, your product, or your company is the key to online success.
After obtaining this data, the company will have some insight ideas in the filter of a quantitative study in order to select the most convenient idea for the brand.
