Marketing

How To Conduct Market Research With Datacenter Proxies

By Mashum Mollah

30 November 2023

5 Mins Read

Market Research

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The 21st century has witnessed an exponential growth of the internet, accumulating an overwhelming volume of data. Still, the information on the web can be processed and analyzed with sophisticated data collection and management tools.

For the average web surfer, big data sets are nothing but numbers in the metaphorical hands of digital software – they get transformed into valuable knowledge that provides crucial insights for managing company activities.

Market intelligence contains all the valuable information, that should propel your business into stardom. While industry-oriented data is constantly changing, the unattainable goal of market research is to push information collection processes to perfection, where the dominant party is aware of any changes in competitor behavior or client interest ahead of time.

Most market research activities revolve around efficient methods and strategies for automated data extraction. With an effective system in place, large companies with qualified data science specialists are constantly looking for innovative ways to collect information from competitors and their e-commerce platforms. Other influential metrics include customer reviews, discussion on social media networks, local search engine results, and similar targets.

Knowing and applying all the necessary steps to build a sophisticated data collection system is easier said than done. Although most data aggregation tools are simple enough to use without technical training, IP restrictions, geo-blocking, rate limiting, and other protection solutions are often implemented by competitor retailers.

As a result, the configured web server can distinguish a regular visitor from an automated data collection bot, and ban the sender’s IP address as quickly as possible.

Collecting information for market research is a tedious process that needs complementary tools for effective execution. In this article, we will explain why efficient web scraping companies buy data center proxies to protect and empower the collection of market intelligence.

Here you will learn how proxy servers operate, what makes datacenter IPs different from residential addresses, and how these tools are applied for efficient data extraction.

If you want to buy datacenter proxies straight away, find yourself the best possible provider in the extensive Proxy Market Research conducted by experts at Proxyway. For now, let’s dive deeper into the means of collecting market intelligence – that should spark an urge to buy datacenter proxies in no time!

The result should be a combination of well-organized data sets that help us predict trends and behavior changes. One of the key metrics that needs to be observed is price intelligence, as it gives a better understanding of how competitors structure their deals to attract new clients.

How Do Proxy Servers Operate?

Proxies create a tunnel between your router and the intermediary server. These middleman connections are used in cases where using your true IP address is dangerous and impractical.

They receive connection requests from users and deliver them to the recipient websites without revealing anything about the original sender, and then send the responses back. This procedure helps maintain privacy, and security through IP address masking, as well as web access control, which is crucial for reaching remote corners of the market that are unavailable in your country.

Datacenter Proxy VS Residential Proxy: Which One Is Better?

Datacenter proxies and residential proxies reach the same goal but use different sources of IP addresses and use cases. Datacenter proxies come from servers in data centers, which makes them faster, more stable, and more productive for tasks like market research.

Residential proxies borrow IP addresses from real devices. While they are pricier, residential connections are directly connected to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which makes them a better option for secretive data collection procedures, but for a higher price. 

While there is no right and wrong option when picking between these two types, datacenter proxies are often seen as a better option for gathering market intelligence due to their speed and reliability or in cases where residential addresses are too expensive.

Web Scraping Explained

Most web scraping tools have two separate systems that help them collect data faster than any human. First, there is a scraper – an automated downloader that stores the extracted pages on your device. After that, we have a Data Parser – a system that removes all useless material from the document and restructures the most valuable information into a readable and understandable format. 

The result should be a combination of well-organized data sets that help us predict trends and behavior changes. One of the key metrics that needs to be observed is price intelligence, as it gives a better understanding of how competitors structure their deals to attract new clients.

Web Scraping Explained

How Datacenter Proxies Protect Data Collection Tools

Datacenter proxies mask, enhance, and diversify the effectiveness of data collection tools during market research. By assigning a different IP address to each bot connection, they prevent server owners from blocking or restricting their access to the site.

Then, a rotation option can be used to change addresses at predefined time intervals, and the scraper does not lose the connection to the site until it collects the required information.

Related: Proxies And Their Use Cases: A Detailed Guide

How To Apply Datacenter Proxies For Gathering Data Intelligence

Utilizing Datacenter proxies for gathering data intelligence offers several advantages:

Efficient extraction without interruptions

Datacenter proxies eliminate all interruptions associated with data extraction. By bypassing IP restrictions and preventing websites from detecting and blocking automated bots, they can keep a watchful eye and continue extracting valuable information from the target.

High-Speed Data Aggregation

With their direct connection to data centers, datacenter proxies provide faster data aggregation speeds than residential proxies. Also, the stability of datacenter connections makes them a solid option for continuous data extraction, where a bot targets the same website for prolonged periods.

Adjustable Scalability

Datacenter proxies offer adjustable scalability, making it easy to scale up or down based on the amount of required market intelligence. Depending on your proxy provider, you should get access to hundreds of IP addresses, which means you can use the same amount of web scraping instances and push data collection efforts to new heights.

Low Costs And Great Results

Compared to residential proxies, data center proxies are often more cost-effective, providing excellent results at a lower investment. While residential IPs are better for data collection from well-protected targets, data center addresses are still cheaper and faster.

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Mashum Mollah

Mashum Mollah is a tech entrepreneur by profession and passionate blogger by heart. He is on a mission to help small businesses grow online. He shares his journey, insights and experiences in this blog. If you are an entrepreneur, digital marketing professional, or simply an info-holic, then this blog is for you. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn

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