Choosing web scraping services can seem like a daunting task. There are many factors to consider, and what works for one business may not work for another.
This article will discuss some of the questions that you should ask when deciding on a web scraping services company or expert to hire so that you can find the best web scraping service provider for your needs.
- What format will you export the data in?
- How large of a website can you scrape?
- How much are your web scraping services?
- How do you deal with websites that block web scrapers?
- When will I receive my data?
Now let’s go into detail about why these questions are important
What format will you export the data in?
Your web scraping service provider should allow you to export the data in a variety of formats. These can include but are not limited to CSV/ Excel, JSON or an API. The more options you can receive your data, the better!
How large of a website can you scrape?
A web scraping company that can handle very large websites may be more expensive than one that only works with small sites. This is important, as web scrapers that cannot handle large sites will quickly become useless and less efficient. Be sure to look for a web scraping company that can handle large websites or uses a powerful cloud-based scraper tool so you’re not limited to the amount of data you can receive
How much are your web scraping services?
The price of web scraping services can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the company and what they offer. Make sure you understand exactly what you are paying for before signing any agreements or contracts with a web crawling service provider. Some web scraping experts will charge on projects while other companies will charge every month.
Be sure to ask for all of the details and ensure that there are no hidden fees or extra costs. Be sure to not sign or give any money right away unless it’s within budget and you know their cancellation or refund policy if they have one.
How do you deal with websites that block web scrapers?
Some websites may try to block web crawlers by using CAPTCHAs, IP bans or other techniques to prevent automated content collection. A good web scraping company should be able to troubleshoot these issues immediately to collect data without interruption. They should also make this process as easy as possible for you.
When web scraping experts can scrape websites getting blocked, you’ll be able to get more data with fewer limitations.
Read more: 5 ways to web scrape without getting blocked
When will I receive my data?
The web scraping service provider should be able to provide a timeline of when the web scraped content can be expected once it has been requested. They may have an expedited delivery option available if needed, but this information should always be clear before any agreements are signed or work is started.
Depending on how big the company is and how many clients they have, the average turnaround time for your data will be 3-7 business days.
Are there any websites that you can’t scrape?
Some websites will prevent the most powerful web scrapers and add many tools to make it impossible to scrape their data. Some web scraping companies will offer a free sample scrape to ensure the website you want scraped is possible.
Do you offer any sample scrapes?
A good web scraping service will have no problem allowing potential clients to get a free sample scrape of what kind of data they can expect and to see if the website can even be scraped in the first place. ParseHub offers a FREE Data Export Sample with no commitments.
Closing thoughts
Whether you are looking for web scraping services to help with your own website, or if you want web scraping data for use in a completely different field, there is always something that can be taken away from this article.
This piece goes over the questions that potential clients should ask web scraping experts before choosing their web scraping service provider so they do not have any issues down the road after work has already begun. This first step toward finding new web scrapers can save everyone involved time and money on both ends of the deal.
If you want to learn more about our web scraping services, or would like to schedule a call and free data export sample, you can book a call here
