1. What are custom crawling and data mining?
Crawling generally refers to the process of analyzing large amounts of data with the help of different computer programs usually called web crawlers or spiders.
When it comes to search engines, crawling means looking at web pages, their content, keywords and links, and returning that information to their servers for indexing. Whenever a search query is performed, the search engine will “scan” its index and return the most relevant results based on the keywords contained in the search terms.
Because search engines rely on this automated process to provide quick, up to date data to its users, it’s safe to say that crawling has been a core element of Internet’s architecture ever since its beginnings.
The most well-known crawler is called “Googlebot.”
Data mining (also called data or knowledge discovery) is the process of analyzing data from a set perspective and summarizing it into useful information that can be used by various institutions or companies for purposes such as asset protection, revenue maximization, cost reduction and so on.
Technically, data mining is the process of finding correlations or patterns among dozens of fields in large relational databases. (source)
Being widely used in various fields, from financial to industrial, retail and scientific, data mining has been around for decades, and continuous advancements in science and technology have greatly increased the accuracy of analysis while driving down its costs.
Today, data mining is mainly used by retail companies and marketing organizations with the purpose of increasing sales and revenue.
2. How can custom crawling and data mining grow your business?
In any business, profit is preceded by research and data.
By determining the relationships between factors such as products, prices or customer services, and customer behaviors, demographics, competition, and so on, we find patterns of behavior which can be turned into profitable opportunities.
In the past, analyzing these elements was limited by the sheer amount of manpower involved and by its costs, but the evolution of the tech industry has changed all of this. Today, due to the new technologies and software available, it’s easier than ever for companies to use data mining as a powerful tool for growth and profitability.
Most businesses and organizations use web crawling and data mining to collect data about their own products and services. Then, they examine examine this data searching for information which can be used to improve certain operational aspects.
Automated web crawling and data mining often open the door to golden consumer insight and profitable opportunities.
Here’s what they can do for your business, online and offline:
- Predict customer behaviour in marketing campaigns;
- Forecasting sales;
- Point product development in the right direction.;
- Evaluate and plan future merchandise stocks and offers;
- Increase online and offline store profitability by optimizing layouts and suggested offers;
- Identify (unexpected) shopping patterns;
- Create relevant market segments and define new buyer persona;
- Identify customer defection causes and reduce client churn;
- Increase customer retention;
- Identify and distinguish between profitable and unprofitable customers;
- Evaluate use of credit cards and identify fraud insurance claims;
- Identify unlawful or abusive use of trademarked assets and intellectual property (web crawling).
In a nutshell, data mining and web crawling can be applied in almost every area of your business or organization.
The collected data – be it about your own business, your customers, your industry or your competition – will help you discover new ways of creating and delivering real value to your clients, which will ultimately translate into revenue maximization.
3. How GeoRanker does custom crawling and data mining
In today’s highly competitive business environment, web crawling and data mining have become necessary tools in a company’s strategic arsenal.
The insights gained through implementing these strategies will play a vital part in your business’ development, from strategy and implementation to sales and customer retention.
GeoRanker’s web crawling and data mining software can be used to uncover any type of information and we implement customized solutions designed specifically for your business’s needs.
We’ve developed custom web crawling and data mining solutions for customers spanning a wide range of industries, helping them gather the exact data needed to protect their assets and to develop & implement strong business strategies with optimum results.
Some of our customers are:
Our approach is simple: first, we talk to you to identify your needs. Then, our crawler servers will collect and organize the data using different local IPs around the world. And, finally, we will provide a custom API to deliver the data to your servers. You get the data you need the way you want it.
Through our proprietary tools, we basically deliver you a treasure trove of information which you can analyze and use to accurately identify patterns, behaviours or risks. This way, you’ll be able to proactively step up your game in order to cut costs, increase your revenue, encourage customer loyalty and improve different areas of your business.
So whether you’d like to find out more about your own industry, or to get to know your competition better, we can develop the right solution for you, using some of the most powerful tools on the market.