Can Excel access webbased stuff automatically using VBA?

I've been kicking an idea around for a while now that would make life so much easier at my office...and was wondering if its even possible. I've got tons of macros I've written in excel that take over a 3270 mainframe interface and key stuff in it like a live person would do. So, for example, the code:

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Would put the word "test" into the main frame screen on the 20th row at the 17th column. My question is, is there any way I can do something similar with Internet Explorer? For example, if I have a list of order numbers in excel and need to know who submitted them, can I make the macro open up an Explorer window, navigate to the page our web based tool is on, input the order number into the correct field, click the search button, pull the order up, find the text "order submitter" on the screen, and copy the name that appears next to it back into the excel spreadsheet?

probally, I've made a similar macro. If you can see the order number some where in the url, should be easy, just record a macro.

Something like this

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No, the order number doesn't appear in the URL unfortunately. The URL has some different type of reference for its record number...the order numbers are 8 characters with 2 alpha and 6 numerics, but the URL points to a 7 digit numeric record number.