Summary: Looking to extract crucial data from websites to Excel but confused about which method to use? No worries! In this blog, explore different methods for data extraction and learn why data scraping is important.
Key Takeaways
- Ensure accuracy by automating data extraction as you can quickly get data from different documents and ensure it is correct.
- Businesses save time, money, and labor by getting well-organized, and better data from automated tools that scrape data from websites to Excel.
- Different methods have pros and cons that depend on your technical knowledge and the project’s needs.
Creating quality lead lists, investigating the market, or looking at your rivals all depend on gathering data from the internet. Our data extraction services enable you to quickly compile this important data. If Excel is part of your tech stack, you can use its great processing and analytics tools to turn the extracted data into insights that you can use.
It is not always as easy as clicking a button; you must import your data before you can use Excel to examine and arrange it. However, this process doesn’t have to be hard for you. Let’s show you how to get data from a website and put it into Excel.
What is Automated Data Extraction?
Sales comparisons can be a slog when you’re sifting through a lot of data, which is why Automated data extraction can pull your sales history directly from various property documents, regardless of format. This saves you time and ensures accuracy by eliminating manual data entry. Furthermore, you can process CRE models and generate error-free reports right away.
Why Scrape Data from Websites to Excel?
We can all agree that web scraping is very useful. A handy automated tool can work for you, so you don’t have to spend hours precisely copying and pasting data point by point. Imagine a small robot that quickly searches the web for all the information you need while you sit back and enjoy your time off. Moreover:
- You receive outcomes that are unimaginably quick and trustworthy.
- Businesses can save time, money, and labor by using accurate results.
- Makes clean, well-organized, and superior data accessible.
Methods to Extract Data From Websites to Excel
After analyzing different methods for scraping data from a website into Excel and consulting with experts, we came up with the best options:
1. Manual copying and pasting: This is one way to get data from websites into Excel:
- You can use a scraper or manually get data from a website.
- To use Excel, copy and paste data.
This method is quick, simple, and doesn’t need any technical know-how. You can also copy and paste by hand if you don’t have a lot of data, but there are some limits.
You can only use this method if you scrape data from a table. If not, you might end up with unstructured data that you can’t look at.
What’s wrong with this method? It doesn’t work for long projects with lots of details. Also, copying and pasting information from different websites by hand can take much time and may not be current.
2. Web queries: Power Query is another way to do it. Additionally, the built-in feature in Excel lets you scrape data straight from the web, making it very useful.
Web queries are easier to use than other methods. You can use them for free; they’re pretty easy, and you don’t need any extra software. How to use them:
- Start Excel and go to the “Data” tab.
- There is a section on the left called “Get & Transform Data.” In this section, click on the “From Web” button.
- Type in the website’s address, then click “OK.”
- Excel will look at the website for a moment to see if there are any tables it can pull out. A small window will appear, showing a sneak peek of the website. Click “Import” when you can add the data to your Excel sheet.
Web queries are excellent for quick jobs, but there are some things you should remember. Unstructured data is data that isn’t neatly organized in tables. They also can’t work with websites whose content changes constantly (dynamic websites) or whose layouts are complex to understand. Also, scraping data from one website at a time can take a while since you have to wait for Excel to finish each import.
3. Excel’s VBA: Visual Basic for Applications, or VBA, is a programming language that comes with Excel and lets you make your automations, such as data scraping.
VBA sounds powerful, but you’ll need to know how to code to use it well. VBA might be hard to understand if you haven’t used programming languages. Therefore, to give you a general idea of how it works:
First, you’ll need to enable the Developer tab in Excel. It’s kind of hidden by default, but you can find it under File > Options > Customize Ribbon. Just check the box next to “Developer,” and it’ll appear.
Go to the Developer tab and click on “Visual Basic.” This brings up a new window with a code editor.
You must add a “Module” in this window so your code can live there. You’ll also have to write the code that will scrape the website. The code you use here can change based on the data you need and how the website is made.
Finally, once you have your code written, press F5 to run it and see it in action!
Here are some negative aspects of VBA:
- Learning Curve: As we already said, you need to know how to code to use VBA. If you are new to programming, the learning curve can be steep.
- Limited Data Types: Some types of data may not work with VBA. That is, it may not be able to handle all website data.
- Script-Heavy Websites: If the website you want to scrape has many scripts, you may need to install extra tools (libraries) for VBA to work correctly.
This means that VBA can automate web scraping, but it works best for people who know how to code. If not, you might want to look into other choices that are easier to use.
4. Specialized web scraping tools: Want to get any kind of information from a website? Web scraping tools are the only thing you need. It’s easy, quick, and, best of all, these tools don’t require any code to scrape. They can even do extra things, like data enrichment services, which add more information to your data, or email writing, which helps you write emails quickly.
The right web scraping tool can make all the difference. Additionally, there are a lot of them out there. Therefore, focus on these must-have features:
Excellent Scraping: The best tools can get data from various websites, from big ones like LinkedIn to smaller, more specific ones. They should be able to get the information you need quickly.
Data Boosters: With data boosters, you can give your data a vitamin boost. Try to find tools to add to your data by getting extra information from other sources. For a fuller picture of what you’re scraping, this can help.
Excel: It should be easy to send your data to Excel. Also, there’s no need for coding or complicated steps.
Money-Saver: The best tool would be a free plan that lets you try it out before you pay for it. Also, all price options should be easy to see and understand.
Working together as a Team: The best tool will work well with other apps and platforms you already use, so you won’t have to switch between them as often.
Conclusion
Our data extraction services will do all the work for you. Our experts can automatically pull helpful information from different websites, saving you time and effort. This eliminates the slowdowns that come from collecting data manually and ensures you have all the data you need.
Sahil Verma is a strong pillar of Tech2Globe’s success. As Vice President of Sales, he has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth for over the years. His expertise spans across web, mobile, and software development consulting. With his experience of 15+ years he leverages cutting-edge technology to help businesses build revenue-generating applications. Known for his client-centric approach, Sahil has a knack for understanding each business’s unique needs and offering them prompt solutions. This allows him to recommend technology solutions that enhance their intelligence, efficiency, and ultimately, profitability.
