Methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating user interaction with customer relationship management, auction, and search engine software using conjoint analysis

• US 20070233730A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADP, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Johnston
• Inventors: Johnston, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for combining conjoint analysis with customer relationship management software, search engine software, and auction software are disclosed. According to one method, conjoint analysis is used to facilitate user interaction with a search engine. According to the method, search keywords are received as a user and treated as attributes by a conjoint analysis application. The conjoint analysis application presents the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the search keywords. Conjoint analysis is performed based on user responses to the questions. Based on the user'"'"'s responses to the questions, relative importance weightings are computed for keywords. The keywords and the relative importance weightings are input to a search engine. The search is performed using the keywords. Results to be output to the user are selected based on occurrences of the keywords in the search results and the relative importance weightings.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating user interaction with customer relationship management software using conjoint analysis, the method comprising:

(a) performing a conjoint analysis using data obtained from a user; and

(b) using results from the conjoint analysis to drive a customer relationship management software application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein using results form the conjoint analysis to drive the customer relationship management application comprises using the conjoint analysis to select products or services presented to the user by the customer relationship management software.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein using the conjoint analysis to select products or services presented to the user by the customer relationship management software includes:

(a) receiving input from the user regarding features of interest to the user;

(b) inputting the features as attributes to a conjoint analysis application; and

(c) using the conjoint analysis application;

(i) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the features, and recording the user'"'"'s responses to the questions; and

(ii) based on the user'"'"'s responses, generating relative utilities of the features and inputting the features and the relative utilities to the customer relationship management software application.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein using the conjoint analysis to drive a customer relationship management application includes:

(a) searching a database of products or services using the features; and

(b) selecting the products or services to be presented to the user based on the relative utilities and occurrences of the features in results of the search.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the products or services include real estate products or services.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the products or services include consumer goods.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein using results from the conjoint analysis to drive a customer relationship management software application includes automatically communicating products or services that match utilities computed using the conjoint analysis to the user.

8. A method for combining conjoint analysis with a search engine to facilitate user interaction with the search engine, the method comprising:

(a) performing a conjoint analysis including presenting a user with importance of difference trade-off questions regarding a plurality of search engine keywords, receiving responses from the user, applying conjoint analysis compute relative weights to the keywords in the set; and

(b) communicating the keywords and the relative weights to the search engine.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising performing a search of a database using the keywords and the search engine and selecting results to be output to the user based on occurrences of the keywords in results of the search and the relative weights.

10. A method for using conjoint analysis to facilitate user interaction with a search engine, the method comprising:

(a) receiving search keywords from a user and inputting the search keywords as attributes to a conjoint analysis application;

(b) using the conjoint analysis application;

(i) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the keywords;

(ii) performing conjoint analysis based on user responses to the questions;

(iii) generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative importance weightings for the keywords; and

(iv) inputting the keywords and relative importance weightings to a search engine; and

(c) using the search engine;

(i) performing the search using the keywords; and

(ii) selecting results of the search to be output to the user using occurrences of the keywords in results of the search and the relative importance weightings.

11. A method for combining conjoint analysis with auction software to facilitate user interaction with the auction software, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining a product feature set from a user and inputting the product feature set as attributes to a conjoint analysis application;

(b) using the conjoint analysis application;

(i) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the feature set;

(ii) performing conjoint analysis based on the user'"'"'s responses to the questions;

(iii) generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative utility weightings for the feature set; and

(iv) inputting the keywords and the feature set to an auction application; and

(c) using the auction application;

(i) searching a product data store using the feature set; and

(ii) selecting products to be output to the user for bidding based on the relative utility weightings.

12. A system for facilitating user interaction with customer relationship management (CRM) software using conjoint analysis, the system comprising:

(a) a conjoint analysis application for receiving a set of features from a user, for treating the features as attributes, for presenting the user with paired trade-off questions for the features, for performing conjoint analysis based on responses to the questions, for generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative utilities for features, and for outputting the features and relative utilities; and

(b) a customer relationship management application for receiving the features and the relative utilities, for searching a product or service database using the features and relative utilities, and for selecting, from results of the search, products or services to be output to the user based on the relative utilities and occurrences of the features in the results.

13. A system for facilitating user interaction with a search engine using conjoint analysis, the system comprising:

(a) a conjoint analysis application for;

(i) receiving user keyword selections and treating the keywords as attributes;

(ii) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the keywords;

(iii) performing conjoint analysis based on user responses to the questions;

(iv) generating, based on the analysis, relative importance weightings for the keywords; and

(v) outputting the keywords and the relative importance weightings; and

(b) a search engine for receiving the keywords and the relative importance weightings, for searching a search space using the keywords and the weightings and outputting results of the search to the user.

14. A system for facilitating user interaction with auction software using conjoint analysis, the system comprising:

(a) a conjoint analysis application for;

(i) obtaining a product feature set from a user and storing the feature set as attributes;

(ii) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the feature set;

(iii) performing conjoint analysis based on user responses to the questions;

(iv) generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative utility weightings for the feature set; and

(v) outputting the feature set and the relative utility weightings; and

(b) an auction application for receiving the feature set and the relative utility weightings, for searching a product data store using the feature set, and for using the weights to select, from results of the search, products to be output to the user based on occurrences of the feature set in the results and the weightings.

15. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) performing a conjoint analysis using data obtained from a user; and

(b) using results from the conjoint analysis to drive a customer relationship management software application.

16. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) performing a conjoint analysis including presenting a user with importance of difference trade-off questions regarding a plurality of search engine keywords, receiving responses from the user, applying conjoint analysis compute relative weights to the keywords in the set; and

(b) communicating the keywords and the relative weights to the search engine.

17. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving search keywords from a user and inputting the search keywords as attributes to a conjoint analysis application;

(b) using the conjoint analysis application;

(i) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the keywords;

(ii) performing conjoint analysis based on user responses to the questions;

(iii) generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative importance weightings for the keywords; and

(iv) inputting the keywords and relative importance weightings to a search engine; and

(c) using the search engine;

(i) performing the search using the keywords; and

(ii) selecting results of the search to be output to the user using occurrences of the keywords in results of the search and the relative importance weightings.

18. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) obtaining a product feature set from a user and inputting the product feature set as attributes to a conjoint analysis application;

(b) using the conjoint analysis application;

(i) presenting the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the feature set;

(ii) performing conjoint analysis based on the user'"'"'s responses to the questions;

(iii) generating, based on the conjoint analysis, relative utility weightings for the feature set; and

(iv) inputting the keywords and the feature set to an auction application; and

(c) using the auction application;

(i) searching a product data store using the feature set; and

(ii) selecting products to be output to the user for bidding based on the relative utility weightings.