Information is a critical part of businesses’ marketing and sales strategies. With the importance of accurate data, it’s no surprise that companies are looking into the most efficient way to collect this information. One is to gather the information themselves. You can use a data mining bot paired with a mobile proxy like these proxies. The other is to buy datasets that a third party collects, eliminating the need for a web scraping bot.
We’ll look at why data is so vital for companies and the pros and cons of each method to find one ideal for your business.
Table of Contents
Why Do Businesses Need Data?
Businesses require market data to create effective marketing and sales strategies. This data ranges from the current trends among customers to the latest marketing strategies proven to be successful. It can also show niches, customer needs, brand perception, competitor deals, and more.
Businesses can use this information to know what type of deals to focus on. It shows where their pricing should sit and what clients want from them. The marketing strategy and sales plan depends on this information. As such, it’s essential to procure the most up-to-date information. There are two primary ways companies can go about this.
Scraping Bots vs. Datasets
We look at the two best ways to gather information and see which fits your business better.
Scraping Bots
Scraping bots, or web scrapers, are programs and tools you use to collect the information yourself. You must purchase the software and add parameters on what information it should look for. The software then scans dozens to hundreds of websites and collates the applicable information in an easily readable format, like a spreadsheet.
Proxies with Web Scrapers
You must often use reliable proxies with the bots to ensure websites don’t block it. Residential, datacenter, rotating, and mobile proxy options are available, depending on how you want to collect the information.
However, residential proxies and proxy servers that fall underneath it, like mobile and rotating ones, are generally the best option. They’re the best because they’re more secure, look like a natural connection from a person, and are less likely to be detected and blocked.
Benefits
The benefit of manually collecting the information is that you can tailor the search to the needed information. You can collect data from more concentrated sources, ensuring you have complete control of your targets and always get the information you need.
Further, with the tool at your disposal, you have a steady supply of information and can guarantee the quality of the data. You can also know with certainty that the information gathered is public data and not illegally acquired.
Drawbacks
Gathering the data yourself will always take longer than simply purchasing it, even when using a fast scraping bot. Further, you must be somewhat tech-savvy to run the tool comfortably and use proxies like mobile proxy servers in conjunction with it to avoid IP bans.
Purchased Datasets
Purchasing datasets refers to buying a bundle of information from an independent third party. Once you buy it, you instantly get access to a set of data ranging on the market you need it in. You don’t need to use proxies and can immediately use the information.
Benefits
The benefit is that this method is a much faster way of accessing a large quantity of information, as the party you buy it from already has it gathered. You don’t need to be tech-savvy, and you don’t need to purchase any tools like a web scraper.
It’s ideal for businesses that don’t need a steady stream of information or just request a lot of information when starting a business.
Drawbacks
The drawback is that you might pay for a dataset with a lot of unnecessary information. You don’t have control of the targets the party uses for information collection, which might skew your marketing tactics and sales plans. Further, you have no idea how relevant that data is to the current market, as there’s no way to ensure it’s the latest information gathered.
Which is Best For Your Business?
Companies will need to closely evaluate what is best for their needs. They should consider their technical capability and project specifications. Their budget and time spent on data collection is also essential. You must ensure the quality of your data. However, with preset data packs you buy, you can’t tailor it to your needs. As such, you might miss the bigger picture with skewed information.
The only time purchasing data packs is really beneficial is if you have a long-term data collection partner. Another is if you only need information once instead of regularly. Otherwise, it’s better to collect the information using a scraping bot and proxies like a mobile proxy. You can then target the right websites and markets. This ensures it’s quality information that’s current and relevant to your market.
