The internet contains data, billions of data, all scattered across websites and webpages in an unstructured form. This data, however, presents a breakthrough for companies who can lay their hands on it. Companies that are able to access the data that has been scattered across the internet in an unstructured form may be able to make informed business decisions after they have collected, extracted, managed, and processed the data.
The process whereby companies gain access to this desirable data is facilitated by web scraping. Web scraping applications like Zenserp can help businesses aggregate the needed data into a more accessible form, whether in a spreadsheet format or any other format that allows for easy data processing.
The data generated from web scraping can be used in a wide range of industries including the sports betting industry, e-commerce platforms, real estate businesses, hedge funds, recruitments, marketing, and even in sales to mention a few. While web scraping presents enormous advantages, there is a need to understand that these advantages can only be unlocked by choosing the best or perhaps the right web scraping service provider.
There are hundreds of web scraping service providers like Zenserp who promise top quality services and data. However, not many of these companies can live up to the expectations. Taking into consideration the fact that choosing from the multitude of web scraping service providers can be overwhelming, we have put together a few questions that you should ask the prospective company you wish to work with. You will surely be able to arrive at a decision based on the answers presented by the web scraping service provider.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Web Scraping Service Provider
– How Does your Web Scraping Service Scale?
There are thousands of available web scraping companies whose current infrastructure allows them to handle the volume of data they are currently scraping and working with. However, over time, the accuracy of the data supplied and quality of service may decline based on the inability of the existing web scrapers to handle the growing demand for data. To avoid problems later on, it is important that you inquire about how the web scraping company intends to scale up their services. The presence of fault-resistant infrastructures like a data warehouse facility may improve the quality of services offered.
– What is the Worst-Case Scenario When you Shut down?
In some cases, companies may not live up to expectations and this may cause them to fold up. In such cases as this, clients are returned to ground zero as they have to begin from the basics, searching for web scraping companies and reviewing the quality of services provided. To save yourself from this stress in the future, it is recommended that you imagine the worst-case scenario and inquire about what happens next.
In regards to this, you may want to consider choosing a company that makes use of an open-source technology instead of proprietary technology. Chances are high that you will be unable to get support from a company that uses proprietary technology once they’ve gone out of business.
– How do you Ascertain the Quality of Data?
The quality and integrity of the data you are being provided with is an important thing, especially as you will be making business decisions based on these data. It is important that you inquire how the web scraper ensures the quality of the data that is being scraped and presented to you. For optimal results, it is recommended that you choose a company that combines both human and a machine intelligence approach to fact-checking data accuracy.
– What is the Pricing Structure?
Price plays an important role in the overall decision that is to be made. You want to make sure that you are getting the most value for the price at which the service is being offered. It is recommended that you conduct market research to understand the average market price and also make sure that the price structure is both simple and transparent. Complex pricing structures are sometimes inconvenient as you may end up losing more money than you earlier budgeted.
– How do you Cope with Website Pattern Changes?
One of the biggest setbacks web scraping companies face is the change in the pattern of the target website which is brought about by the need for the target website to offer their visitors a better experience. These changes can affect how data is being scraped, leading to incomplete data scraping or non-scraping. Be sure to know how the web scraping company intends to deal with this challenge.
– How Do you Navigate Anti-Scraping Technologies?
Some websites have a number of anti-scraping technologies installed to keep web crawlers away. These technologies can affect data collection and as such, it is important to inquire about how the company deals with these technologies and mechanisms.
– How is Data Delivered?
Data delivery is important. You want to make sure that data is delivered in an accessible format, one that allows you to carry out the needed analysis with ease and at no extra cost. Be sure to inquire about how the web scraping company intends to deliver data. Zenserp ensures that its clients get their data in an easy to use format.
– How does your customer support system work?
Customer support is important. You want to make sure that the company offers you support staff who are highly responsive, friendly and professionals who can tackle problems instantly.