Proxies — The Secret Tool Used for Market Research

The business world is competitive, and having a great product is not always enough. You also need a deep understanding of the market to remain competitive.

You have to keep innovating and releasing new product variations in the market. The consumer’s needs and tastes are always changing, and you must keep up with these changes.

You also need to be aware of your competitor’s movements at all times. One move in the right direction and your competitor could take away your market share. Price scraping also ensures that you price your goods in a way that attracts customers to your brand for affordability, without compromising on profitability. If you want to learn about price tracking, check out various proxy providers’ websites.

For these reasons, the success of your business depends on how well you know the market and its key players. You can only gain this knowledge and insights through data collection. Market intelligence obtained from this data will then guide you into making key decisions for your business.

You can find the information you need about your market through web scraping. Let’s take a closer look to understand how web scraping can benefit your business.

What is Web Scraping?

Web scraping is an extensive market research technique that involves the automated collection of data using software known as a scraper. It is a process when you take publicly available data that is necessary for your research and import the found information into any database.

Of course, there is always a possibility to collect data manually. However, it is the right choice only for small projects. If you need to collect vast amounts of data, manually copying and pasting data from websites into your computer becomes a time-consuming task that requires a lot of human resources and is prone to human error.

Although it sounds straightforward, there are some hitches that occur when collecting this data. Most websites do not entertain the use of bots in their site. They can differentiate between a bot and a human-based on browsing behavior. For instance, too many web requests made from the same IP address indicates it is a bot.

Many websites block any web scraping activity because, for example, they do not believe in open data access. Furthermore, when web scraping is in process, web pages get many requests, which can cause a problem of slowing down the page. If you are scraping e-commerce websites, slow page performance can annoy customers.

Proxies provide a solution to these problems.

Let’s Define Proxies

Proxies are server applications that hide your IP address when browsing. It acts as a middleman between a device connected to the internet and the web server where a web request is made. The web server reads the proxy’s IP address instead of the device’s address. It also hides the location of the device.

There are different kinds of proxies. However, not all of them can be used as proxies for market research. First of all, proxies can be classified by their access type. In this case, there are three types of proxies: shared, semi-dedicated, and private proxies. Let’s take a closer look at all of these types:

Shared Proxies

This is a broad classification of proxies referring to proxies that are used by several users. The users receive a number of proxies and use it amongst themselves while sharing the cost involved. In case one of the users misuses the proxy leading to its ban, everyone else is affected.

Semi-dedicated Proxies

This type of proxy is similar to shared proxies. The main difference between them is that a limited number of users usually use semi-dedicated proxies. For example, often, a team of certain users uses these proxies for the same purpose. In this case, there is a lower chance of being blocked by web pages.

Private / Dedicated Proxies

This is also another classification of proxies that is the opposite of shared proxies. Each proxy is assigned to one user. Compared to shared proxies, dedicated proxies are fast and more reliable. The user has full control of the proxy and its use.

Furthermore, proxies can be categorized by their origin. This is the most common categorization, and, in this case, there are two types of proxies: residential and data center proxies.

Data Center Proxies

Data center proxies fall under private proxies. They are artificially created in data centers and are independent of an internet service provider (ISP). These proxies have a high speed connection. They are available in large numbers, making it possible to assign different locations for different proxies.

Residential Proxies

When it comes to reliability, residential proxies take first place. These are proxies connected to existing devices. They are provided by internet service providers to homeowners. And when you use the residential IP you get to hide your device’s IP address. The fact that they are real means that they are hard to detect.

Anonymous Proxies

This is another classification of proxies that refers to how the proxy connects to the internet. Anonymous proxies provide higher levels of anonymity because they do not expose any information about the user, including their location. They make the web request on behalf of the user as if they were making it independently.

So How Does A Proxy Help With Web Scraping?

A proxy provides the anonymity that is necessary when carrying out web scraping. By assigning a proxy with an IP address that has a different location to you scrapers, you can bypass geo-blocking.

By rotating a number of proxies in your scraper, you can access a website as many times as it is necessary to collect adequate data for your business and remain detected.

What proxies do businesses choose for market research?

The main criteria for choosing the right proxies for market research are speed, anonymity, and cost-efficiency. In this case, data center proxies would be a perfect choice for market research.

Data center proxies are noticeably faster than residential proxies. Residential proxies are a perfect choice for scraping more complex websites. In terms of market research, data center proxies will do a better job because you do not waste your time waiting to connect, and you will get results faster.

Furthermore, usually, data center proxies are much cheaper than residential proxies. By choosing data center proxies for market research, you will get a cost-efficient solution.

If you are searching the right proxies for market research, it is essential to think of dedicated (in other words, private) proxies. Usually, market research is a wide-scale work. If you are using shared proxies, you can get blocked anytime. In this case, the whole work can be unsuccessful, and you will not get any results. Reliable proxy providers sell dedicated data center proxies to ensure a smooth web scraping process.

Benefits of Proxies in Various Industries

As we already mentioned before, proxies can be an irreplaceable tool for every business that wants to remain competitive. Here are how proxies benefit various companies:

Social Media Managers

Social media marketing can grow a business’s market share, create brand awareness, and generate new leads. However, people will hardly pay attention to a business page with no followers. To resolve this, social media managers create accounts in bulk.

They use them to create activity on the page, attracting new followers. Managing bulk accounts from the same social media platform using one IP address can lead to account bans. But by assigning a proxy with a different IP address to each account, it resolves the problem.

Travel Fare Aggregators

Travel fare aggregators rely on web scraping to create relevant content on their websites. They have to collect price data and space availability from flight websites, travel websites, hotels, and guest house accommodations. Website visitors can then make price comparisons and ensure they are getting the best deal.

Price scraping these websites without raising suspicion requires the use of proxies. The proxies also make it possible to make comprehensive price comparisons in other geographical locations by using an IP address connected to that location.

Sneaker Reseller Business

Accessing limited editions of sneakers for resale is not easy. They sell out within minutes of their release. Sneaker resellers can only increase their chances of buying the number they need by opening multiple accounts on the site. But it is not allowed.

Assigning a proxy with a unique location to each account prevents detection.

Key Takeaway

Whether you are in the travel industry, retail, or manufacturing, market research plays a big role in your business’s profitability and relevance in the industry. Web scraping is the top technique for carrying out market research. But it can be ineffective when used without a proxy.

Proxies guarantee that your web scraping tool will remain undetected by websites. It will grant you access to geo-blocked sites, and all in all, make web scraping a smooth and fruitful process for your business.

There are different types of proxies, ensure your choice is a dedicated proxy, provided by a reliable vendor.