Tech
Top 5 Industries That Need to Scrape Data
In today’s world of fast connections and online communications, everything a business needs to grow is on the other side of data. The one ingredient that differentiates between a thriving brand and a struggling brand is data and its abundance.
From real estate to e-commerce and retailing, every known industry today needs a regular supply of a large amount of user data to make informed decisions, keep the profits coming in, and keep their doors open for a long time.
The best way to get this data is to perform regular web scraping, which is the same as harvesting different data types from different sources in real time. All industries use this, and today we will consider 5 of the biggest industries that need web scraping and the resulting data the most.
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What is Web Scraping?
Web scraping, also called data scraping, can be defined as the methods used to gather a large amount of user data from multiple sources. It is a process that combines intelligent methods with sophisticated tools to interact with and collect data from sources such as websites, social media platforms, and relevant marketplaces.
This is usually to collect enough data to support important business decisions. Because the process can easily get overwhelming when done manually, the best way to perform web scraping is to run it automatically. This does not only take most of the work out of it, but it also helps to ensure that the data is collected quickly and in real-time, which, in turn, makes it more accurate and relevant.
The data is extracted in a raw HTML file and later parsed and transformed before storing it in a readable format such as a JSON or CSV. The scraped data can then be applied in a number of ways, as we will see shortly.
Why Web Scraping is Important in The Modern Business Market
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For Brand Protection
Brand protection spans from activities that prevent theft of brand assets to those that prevent damage to a company’s reputation.
Businesses need to collect a large amount of data to detect when theft of intellectual property is about to occur. They also need to collect customer reviews to stay on top of the protection of brand reputation, and this can only be achieved by scraping the web consistently.
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For Better Services
Knowing what the market and customers are saying is arguably the best way to deliver optimal services. Providing customer-oriented services can include making minor changes or manufacturing a new product that customers are demanding. Altogether, it is necessary to help a brand relate better with the market and stay ahead of its competitors.
Achieving these requires listening and observing the market and buyers through web scraping.
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For Making Informed Decisions
Perhaps we can all agree that data can set the pace for how a business decision is made and that data-backed decisions are well known for fostering prosperity and inducing continuous growth. Carelessly made decisions, on the other hand, can limit sales, growth, and expansion.
Collecting data through web scraping is, therefore, a requirement for brands that seek to make progress.
5 Industries Where Web Scraping Can Be Useful
The following are 5 of the biggest industries that require a large dose of user data constantly:
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E-commerce Industry
This industry will hit about $6.54 trillion by 2022, and it is safe to assume that one factor that inspires this much growth is the availability of user data. The data required in this industry include market data, user reviews, SEO rankings, market forecasts, and even competitor data. They all sum up to provide a brand with the required edge.
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Recruitment Industry
In the face of better networking and increasing connectivity, recruitment is also booming and making employment easier for many internet users. This industry also provides an important database for companies and agencies looking to hire. The data collected in this case include employers and employees’ information, job vacancies and openings, etc.
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Automotive Industry
Vehicle manufacturers collect data from across the many parts of the internet to manufacture better customer-oriented products. The data also helps them to forecast growth and trends and make necessary adjustments.
The type of data collected in this case includes buying patterns, customer reviews, competitors’ pricing, customers’ preferences, and general information about auto parts and accessories.
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Social Media Industry
Most people do not know this, but social media is becoming an industry on its own. The data contained on social media platforms alone is enough to determine the overall health of small and large businesses. It can also be used to provide insights about customers and the best markets for a brand.
The data collected and analyzed in this industry often include user information, reviews, keywords, and general information about the competition.
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Real Estate Industry
This industry covers everything from properties to locations and buying patterns. And web scraping real estate data is important to help buyers and sellers understand what they are doing. Sellers can know the best time to sell a property, and buyers can know the best properties to invest in.
Web scraping real estate data involves collecting property location, property prices, and measurements of the property, competitors’ pricing, and property listings. Learn more about web scraping real estate data.
Conclusion
Web scraping is a process aimed at providing a large amount of data for different industries and users. These data can be the bedrock of all intelligent decisions, and while several industries need web scraping and the data it provides, the 5 industries above are the most common.
Read more: Data Science Outsourcing: Key Risks and Benefits