The internet is flooded with information. There are millions of websites to visit and retrieve all kinds of information. This is the reason why businesses are harvesting data from the internet to make progressive business decisions. But how do you know which pages have the information you are interested in?
It is possible to perform this task manually, but it could take hours to do it. This is why people use website crawler tools. These are tools that scan the internet in an automated manner to fetch web pages and content for indexing.
So, is it better to build your web crawling tool or simply buy it? We shall be exploring each of these options, but before then, we will explain the basics of web crawling.
What is Web Crawling?
Web crawling is an automated process of scanning the internet to fetch web pages and content. Also known as ‘’spidering’’, web crawling starts with known URLs and follows links to other URLs linked from the initial pages. The process includes saving keywords, images, and URLs of the pages crawled.
This information is then used to create an index, much like a catalog or library card, to help with the future search. For example, when you make a query on the internet, the search engine goes through its index to identify pages with the keywords you have used. The search engine selects the most relevant pages and gives you the results. This is why they can give results in seconds.
Website crawler tools are, therefore, programs that perform web crawling tasks in a methodical and automated manner.
Why do you Need Web Crawling?
Have you ever wondered how scrapers decide which websites have authoritative data to make web scraping more beneficial? They first apply web scrawling.
Crawling helps to create a catalog of credible web pages with the content you are looking for. It also updates it to ensure your database has the most current information.
Web crawling can help to boost SEO ranking. By making your website crawl friendly, search engines can crawl and include it in their indexing using keywords. It also helps to remove dead pages, find broken links, and generally improve the quality of a webpage.
Now, To Build or Buy a Website Crawler Tool?
Even though web crawling has been around for a long time, deciding whether to build your own or buy a web crawling tool can be a dilemma. This is because either could benefit or harm a data-driven business.
Benefits of building a Website Crawler Tool
One of the best things about developing your own program is, you build it with specific needs in mind. An in-house program can be tested as it is developed and modified as often as the needs arise. This allows you to build a web crawler that will give maximum benefits.
On the other hand, building a web crawling tool can be a financial burden that most businesses would like to avoid. New web crawlers are being developed every day. Building a competitive tool requires technical skills and expertise, a process that might be more expensive in the long run. Perhaps these are the reasons why most businesses prefer to outsource the service or buy the programs.
Benefits of Buying a Web Crawling Tool
Buying a website crawler helps you avoid all the technical hassle that comes with program development.
First, you receive a product that is ready for use. This means it has already been tested and proved functional. Some providers even give a trial period. Doesn’t that sound awesome?
Secondly, you can choose a crawler and request the provider to modify it to suit your exact needs. This is important because you want a program that will give maximum benefits.
You will also receive customer support every time you need it. This means you do not have to be stuck in helplessness when you face a challenge, just because you don’t have the technical know-how.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Website Crawler Tool
- Transparency of the seller. It is essential to choose a reliable supplier. Oxylabs provides a data collection tool that ensures 100% delivery. Read more to find out the required information.
- Usually, a web crawler tool has high scalability to accommodate the growth of your business.
- You will get customer support to ensure challenges don’t slow you down.
- Web crawler tools ensure data quality and readable delivery formats.
- You won’t need to bother about the methods to bypass anti-crawler measures.
Conclusion
Even though both have their advantages, building a web crawling tool largely depends on the availability of technical expertise. If you are tech-savvy with specialized skills in program development, building your crawling tool is a viable option. Be sure to familiarize yourself with different types of crawlers and build one that fits your needs.
There are many web crawling tools providers, and new tools are developed every day. When buying, consider one with scalability, to keep up with the growth of your business, and one that provides quality data. This is because you need final data that is readable.