Enhancing virally-marketed facilities

• US 20050216338A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ifwe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tagged Incorporated
• Inventors: Tseng, Greg, Schleier-Smith, Johann
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enhancing a virally marketed facility is described and illustrated. In one embodiment, the invention is a method of operating a virally marketed facility. The method includes measuring virality of the facility based on a conversion rate and a propagation rate. The method also includes determining potential options for increasing virality. The method further includes executing potential options for increasing virality. In an alternate embodiment, the invention is a method of operating a virally marketed facility. The method includes measuring virality of the facility. Also, the method includes determining potential options for increasing virality. Further, the method includes concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality.

Claims

1. A method of operating a website, comprising:

measuring virality of the website;

determining potential options for increasing virality; and

concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the website based on an idea.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the measuring, determining and simultaneously executing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include additional ideas related to the idea.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include using additional avenues of communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing additional functionality on the website.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing rewards for customers enlisting additional customers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying portions of the website for which options for increasing virality may be determined.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality; and

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the website based on an idea;

identifying portions of the website for which options for increasing virality may be determined;

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness; and

repeating the measuring, identifying, determining, concurrently executing, and selecting.

14. A method of operating a virally marketed facility, comprising:

measuring virality of the facility based on a conversion rate and a propagation rate;

determining potential options for increasing virality; and

executing potential options for increasing virality.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

initiating the facility.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing additional commercial aspects to the facility.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include additional ideas related to the facility.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include using additional avenues of communication.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing rewards for customers enlisting additional customers.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repeating the measuring, determining and simultaneously executing.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying portions of the facility for which options for increasing virality may be determined.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality; and

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the options for increasing virality are executed concurrently.

27. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

initiating the facility;

identifying portions of the facility for which options for increasing virality may be determined;

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness; and

repeating the measuring, identifying, determining, executing, and selecting.

28. A method of operating a virally marketed facility, comprising:

measuring virality of the facility;

determining potential options for increasing virality; and

concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include additional ideas related to the facility.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include using additional avenues of communication.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing additional commercial aspects of the facility.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing rewards for customers enlisting additional customers.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

initiating the facility.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

repeating the measuring, determining and concurrently executing.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

identifying portions of the facility for which options for increasing virality may be determined.

36. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

38. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality; and

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

initiating the facility;

identifying portions of the facility for which options for increasing virality may be determined;

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness; and

repeating the measuring, identifying, determining, concurrently executing, and selecting.

41. An apparatus for operating a virally marketed facility, comprising:

a facility manager coupled to the facility;

a metric measurement module coupled to the facility manager and to the facility;

a variation tester coupled to the metric measurement module and the facility manager.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

a variation generator coupled to the facility manager and to the variation tester.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the metric measurement module measures a propagation rate of the facility.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the metric measurement module measures a conversion rate of the facility.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein:

the metric measurement module also measures a propagation rate of the facility.

46. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a website.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a restaurant.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a club.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a commercial product.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a chat room.

51. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is an email facility.

52. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a cellular telephone network.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a group activity.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a multi-player game.

55. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility is a file sharing facility.

56. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the facility distributes paid digital content.

57. A system for operating a virally marketed facility, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is to;

measure virality of the facility;

determine potential options for increasing virality; and

concurrently execute potential options for increasing virality.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein:

the processor further to select options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein:

the processor further to;

continue options for increasing virality which produce increased virality; and

discontinue options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

60. A medium embodying instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

measuring virality of a website;

determining potential options for increasing virality; and

concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality.

61. The medium of claim 60, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating the website based on an idea.

62. The medium of claim 60, wherein the method further comprises:

repeating the measuring, determining and simultaneously executing.

63. The medium of claim 60, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include implementing additional ideas related to an idea of the website.

64. The medium of claim 60, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing additional functionality on the website.

65. The medium of claim 60, wherein:

the options for increasing virality include providing rewards for customers enlisting additional customers.

66. The medium of claim 65, wherein:

rewards are tangible rewards.

67. The medium of claim 65, wherein:

rewards are informational rewards.

68. The medium of claim 65, wherein:

rewards are emotional rewards.

69. The medium of claim 60, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying portions of the website for which options for increasing virality may be determined.

70. The medium of claim 60, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.

71. The medium of claim 70, wherein the method further comprises:

continuing options for increasing virality which produce increased virality; and

discontinuing options for increasing virality which do not produce increased virality.

72. The medium of claim 60, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating the website based on an idea;

identifying portions of the website for which options for increasing virality may be determined;

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness; and

repeating the measuring, identifying, determining, concurrently executing, and selecting.

73. A method of operating a website, comprising:

initiating the website based on an idea;

measuring virality of the website;

identifying portions of the website for which options for increasing virality may be determined;

determining potential options for increasing virality;

concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality;

selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness; and

repeating the measuring, identifying, determining, simultaneously executing, and selecting.

74. An apparatus for managing a virally marketed facility, comprising:

means for measuring virality of the facility;

means for determining potential options for increasing virality; and

means for concurrently executing potential options for increasing virality.

75. The apparatus of claim 74, further comprising:

means for identifying portions of the facility for which options for increasing virality may be determined.

76. The apparatus of claim 75, further comprising:

means for selecting options for increasing virality based on effectiveness.