If you own an online store and want to achieve success in your niche, the most effective solution is to study the market and the competitive strategies of potential rivals. For this purpose, actual methods of parsing information about the activities of other online stores can be used, which is guaranteed to bring you closer to achieving success.
In this article, we will tell you how to parse e-commerce sites and consider the main methods of parsing sites. It is worth noting at once that for this you do not need to have programming skills or have a specialization closely related to this profile. Even beginners can master this tool.
Types of site parsers
Depending on the purpose and characteristics, parsers can differ significantly from each other. We propose to consider 5 most common parsers, which have differences taking into account the type of work.
Parsing self-development.
Browser Extension.
Computer software.
Parser with user interface.
Cloud-based and local.
Let’s talk about each of them in more detail.
Parsing of self-development
In the same way as a developer creates an online store site, he or she can create a personal website parser.
At the same time, the specialist must understand that it is possible to create and run the parser only if you have advanced programming knowledge, as well as a basic understanding of the principles of sites and established algorithms to protect against parsing. Proportional increase of this knowledge is directly related to the functions, the realization of which will fall on the parser.
But there are also ready-made site parsers, which do not require professional knowledge in programming to run. They can be with advanced functionality such as scheduler, export to other formats and so on.
Browser extension
Extensions are programs that are designed to enhance the capabilities of a browser. In the life of most users there is an extension for blocking ads, translating text, downloading music and other purposes. On the same principle, the installation of an extension for parsing sites is performed, which will function within the browser.
The biggest advantage of this method is the ease of installation and use. But there are disadvantages, such as restrictions from the browser. That is, the realization of additional functions is impossible.
Computer software
Before parsing online shopping sites, you can download special software for your computer. This option is more convenient than the previous one, because the software gets access to the components of the file system, respectively, the client gets more advanced features.
The main difference between such programs is their versatility. They are suitable for various sites with different structures, but only if they have a relatively simple functionality, and the developers do not provide special protection mechanisms against such actions.
Parser with user interface
You can also use different user interfaces for parsing, which have significant differences in appearance. Some of them are designed in a minimalist style, where control is performed using the command line. They are more convenient for most users, as they do not require experience or special skills to operate.
Others, on the other hand, feature an extensive and detailed interface that provides a full display of the site being explored. They provide more options, as users can parse a specific selected element. To understand the management helps to understand the instructions for parsing sites with tips.
Cloud and local parsing
Local parsing does not involve functioning outside of your computer. It works on the basis of your PC resources and network access. The disadvantage of such a parser is excessive load on CPU and OPC and slowing down the computer. Also, restrictions set by your internet provider can stop the process.
Cloud-type parsers involve a remote computer-server, which is provided by the organization. When the parsing is completed, the user receives the generated results.
Thanks to cloud technology, it is possible to easily integrate advanced features like IP address rotation. This method prevents parser requests from being blocked.
Why parse online shopping sites?
Many users are looking for information on how to parse products from the site, but do not know about all the possibilities that this functionality provides.
Information can be collected for a wide variety of purposes, so it is quite difficult to tell about each of them. We suggest familiarizing yourself with the most common of them.
Collecting product items from online shopping catalogs.
Compiling an information sheet with contact details of competitor organizations.
Researching information from other resources to analyze it and SEO-optimize your business.
Development of a portal where news will be published on a regular basis.
Analyzing prices of similar products from competitors to adapt to the market.
The data collected by parsing can be used to realize a huge number of tasks. The main thing is to define the goal before parsing products from the site.
Methods of parsing e-commerce sites
Are you looking for information on how to spar a catalog from a website, but don’t know where to start? First of all, you need to choose a method with which you will realize this task.
There are two main methods of web parsing, which differ in tools and techniques – manual and automated.
In the first case, data is collected using the Python programming language. For this option, programming skills and knowledge are required. For automated collection, special skills are not needed as it is performed by a special program.
Parsing E-commerce pages using Python
In the manual form of parsing, you will need to write a code that will collect information from resources. For this purpose, the Python programming language with powerful libraries is used. This method is convenient due to detailed customization and the possibility of total control of the process.
How to spar prices and products automatically?
Do not know how to parse prices from the site, because you have not previously had experience in this area? It is enough to download specialized software that will collect all the data taking into account the parameters you specify. The only disadvantage of this option is the lack of the ability to carefully control each stage.
Bypassing blocks and managing bots during site parsing
Reliable mobile proxies that encrypt your data and provide additional protection can help you bypass possible blocking from websites. If you work from a PC, you can use an equally reliable tool – OpenVPN server on Windows.
Conclusion
Having discovered parsing of e-commerce sites you will get a fundamentally new and effective tool for business development. And if in addition to the desire to develop your online store you have experience in programming, the use of parsers is guaranteed to bring success in the market. But even if you are not familiar with programming at all, there are excellent alternatives for beginners that do not require special skills.
