Do you know that by 2037, the global data scraping industry will cross 3.52 billion by 2037 at the CAGR of 13.2%?
Data scraping offers a wide range of benefits to businesses in this cut-throat competition era. From monitoring competitors to driving innovation to amending pricing and marketing strategies, real-time data insights can help businesses make the right, smart decisions.
In simple words, data scraping is a process of systematically extracting key insights from competitors’ websites and other platforms for your business, while adhering legal guidelines and data regulations.
However, when it comes to hiring data scraping services, businesses have two choices- either hire a freelancer or an agency.
Choosing the right one is always a complex task. In this blog, we will discuss the pros and cons of both the choices and which one to choose for your data scraping requirements.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer for it. However, with little research and some questions, you can make an informed decision.
Determine Your Requirements
Before we start discussing pros and cons of the freelancer and a data scraping agency hiring model, it is crucial for businesses to determine their requirements. Assessing your requirements will help you narrow down your search criteria.
Some of the questions that you can ask to yourself are:
Project Scope and Complexity:
Do you want to scrape a static website with a few pages? Or you want to scrape multiple dynamic websites, including CAPTCHAs, and anti-scraping measures?
Budget:
What is your budget for the data scraping project? Do you have a limited budget for it or you can spend more for complex, dedicated data scraping services?
Timeline:
Do you want results quickly? Or you don’t have an urgent timeline for data scraping services.
Data Quality & Accuracy:
What type of data quality and accuracy are you looking for? Is it okay if the data has some minor inconsistencies? Or do you want it meticulously validated?
Security & Compliance:
Do you want to adhere to data privacy and compliance regulations due to possible negative consequences?
Maintenance & Support:
Does your project require continuous maintenance, troubleshooting, adjustments, and support from the data scraping service provider?
When you have accurate answers for these questions, your dilemma of choosing a freelancer or an agency will be solved.
The Freelancer:
The first option is hiring a freelancer, an independent professional who will associate you for a project. They are specialized in different programming languages and technologies and you can assess their skills by an assessment test and personal interview. Generally, freelancers have adequate experience in handling data scraping projects and can be the right partner when you discuss your project in full length.
Advantages of hiring a freelancer:
Cost-Effectiveness
The main advantage of hiring freelancers is that they are budget-friendly compared to agencies. They don’t have complex overheads like rents, administrative staff, etc. It allows them to offer competitive rates, especially for small and less complex projects.
Flexibility & Agility
Another benefit of hiring freelancers is that they are more adaptable to constantly changing project requirements. Furthermore, they also can pivot quickly.
Direct Communication:
You don’t have to face the hierarchy when dealing with freelancers. You will typically work directly with the freelancer you have hired, offering a direct communication mode with them. You will be able to explain your requirements, leading to more personalized services.
Specialized Expertise:
Most freelancers have specialized expertise in particular programming languages and technologies. For example, if you want to start a Python-based data scraping project, you will find freelancers with Python expertise. Also, you can hire data scraping experts for e-commerce data scraping, social media data scraping, and other specialized expertise.
Faster Onboarding:
Onboarding a freelancer is simple and quick, without complex formalities. They can start quickly and deliver results in just no time compared to agencies, which might have a more extensive and complex onboarding process.
Disadvantages of Hiring a Freelancer:
Limited Scalability:
When you hire a freelancer, he will come up with limited and finite time and resources. If your project expands suddenly in scope or volume, a freelancer might struggle to catch up.
Reliance on a Single Individual:
Your project’s success depends on a single individual. If he falls ill or comes up with any other social priorities, it might jeopardize your project timeline.
Varying Quality & Reliability:
You might find it difficult to hire someone with expert skills that can offer high-quality services.
Lack of Comprehensive Infrastructure:
A freelancer might not have comprehensive infrastructure including proxy networks, IP rotation systems, or error-handling infrastructure that agencies typically have.
Limited Support & Maintenance
Expecting post-project maintenance and support from a freelancer might be an issue. Once the project is delivered, it would be difficult to hire him again for minor adjustments.
Where to Hire a Freelancer?
When you want data scraping services with a limited scope, you can hire a freelancer. Projects with limited budgets and rapid prototyping can be offered to freelancers.
The Agency:
When you hire a data scraping company, they are equipped with teams of developers, data engineers, and project managers. Also, they have a state-of-the-art infrastructure to offer comprehensive data scraping services. They have battle-tested processes to offer you the right, quality data scraping services.
Advantages of Hiring an Agency:
High-End Scalability:
They have larger teams and resources, allowing them to handle massive data volumes. Also, they can scale operations quickly without any quality issues. Multiple teams ensure that your project does not jeopardize.
Proven Expertise:
Agencies have proven expertise in offering comprehensive data scraping services for different technologies and categories. Whether you look for hybrid categories like eCommerce and social media combined, you can hire an agency with a proven track record.
Robust Infrastructure & Technology
Agencies typically have robust infrastructure and technology to meet advanced project requirements, including distributed scraping architectures, sophisticated CAPTCHA solvers, and custom anti-bot bypassing techniques. It ensures high-quality data scraping services and reliable data extraction.
Higher Data Quality & Validation
Agencies have their own battle-tested and rigorous QA processes and data cleaning protocols to ensure that you get the best, accurate, and high-quality data.
Comprehensive Service Offering
With agencies, you can expect end-to-end data scraping services, including data transformation, data mining, storage, API integration, and ongoing support.
Project Management and Accountability
They will assign a dedicated project manager for your project who will be the point of contact for any issues. The project manager will oversee the whole project and ensure clear communication. Moreover, agencies are more legally accountable compared to freelancers.
Legal Compliance
One of the most important reasons to hire a data scraping company is that you can scrape data while adhering to data privacy regulations and legal laws. Agencies have first-hand experience of dealing with possible legal issues while handling data scraping operations, making them an ideal choice when you don’t want any legal consequences.
Custom Solutions
One of the best things about hiring an agency is that you can get custom solutions, with API integrations, dashboards, and analytics tools along with scraped data. It helps get full-spectrum data scraping services under one roof.
Long-Term Partnership Potential
If you want to get associated for a long-term, agencies are the right choice.
When to Hire an Agency?
When you have a large-scale project with complex data scraping requirements, you should go for an agency. Also, in situations where high-volume data extraction and strict data quality are required, hire a data scraping company and not a freelancer.
Conclusion
When it comes to hiring a freelancer or a data scraping agency for your data extraction project, there is a dilemma. We have discussed advantages and limitations of agencies and freelancers to make the choice simple for you.
Sometimes, businesses hire freelancers first and then scale for agencies as the project requirements get complex. You can also go for the hybrid approach. However, the benefits of hiring an agency outweigh the benefits of hiring a freelancer. With an agency, you can expect high-quality and accurate data, accountability, and comprehensive data scraping services.
