METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING TELEPHONE CALLS

• US 20120059709A1
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marchex Sales LLC (Marchex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Marchex Sales LLC (Marchex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weisberg, Jeffrey, LIEBERMAN, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 10,685,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A system for tracking telephone calls made in response to advertising campaigns in electronic or other media is provided. The system permits an advertiser to associate specific and distinct telephone numbers with associated advertising campaigns. The system further modifies advertiser-provided information in response to the advertising campaign to which a potential customer responds, and includes the associated telephone number in the modified advertiser information. The system processes telephone calls made to the selected telephone numbers, and provides reports to advertisers of call data associated with the respective advertising campaigns.

Claims

1. A method for enabling data collection for a plurality of advertising campaigns, comprising:

creating a plurality of advertising campaigns;

assigning at least one campaign phone number to each of the advertising campaigns;

storing configuration data including the plurality of advertising campaigns and campaign phone numbers;

receiving at least one request from at least one user, made in response to at least one of the advertising campaigns, to display at least one pre-existing webpage;

analyzing the at least one request to determine which advertising campaign is associated with the at least one request;

retrieving the configuration data for the at least one advertising campaign associated with the at least one request;

generating at least one new webpage, wherein the at least one new webpage is substantially a copy of the at least one pre-existing webpage with the at least one campaign phone number included from the configuration data added to the at least one new webpage; and

transmitting the at least one new webpage to the at least one user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring phone traffic for the at least one campaign phone number before assigning the at least one campaign phone number to each of the advertising campaigns.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the at least one pre-existing webpage to identify at least one pre-existing phone number;

wherein the at least one new webpage is substantially a copy of the at least one pre-existing webpage with at least one campaign phone number inserted in place of the at least one pre-existing phone number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one pre-existing phone number on the at least one pre-existing webpage and the at least one campaign phone number on the at least one new webpage are displayed as text.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one pre-existing phone number on the at least one pre-existing webpage and the at least one campaign phone number on the at least one new webpage are displayed as graphics.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one cookie to facilitate future requests.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting at least one phone call placed to the at least one campaign phone number;

identifying the advertising campaign associated with the at least one campaign phone number; and

recording phone call data associated with the at least one phone call.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising playing at least one ring tone on the at least one phone call.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a time at which the at least one phone call is accepted;

determining whether the time is within business hours; and

playing a first message on the at least one phone call if the time is within business hours and playing a second message on the at least one phone call if the time is not within business hours.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating at least one report using the phone call data.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transferring the at least one report to at least one advertiser.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising transferring the at least one phone call to at least one advertiser.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising terminating the at least one phone call after recording the phone call data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising terminating the at least one phone call after playing the first message or the second message.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying at least one campaign phone number as a blacklisted number associated with an inactive campaign;

determining whether the at least one campaign phone number is blacklisted after accepting the at least one phone call; and

terminating the at least one phone call if the at least one campaign phone number is blacklisted.

16. A system for enabling data collection for at least one advertising campaign, the system comprising:

at least one server;

at least one telephony interface coupled to the at least one server; and

at least one database coupled to the at least one server and at least one telephony interface;

wherein the at least one server comprises at least one server application configured to;

create a plurality of advertising campaigns,

locate at least one campaign phone number associated with each of the advertising campaigns in the at least one database,

store configuration data in the at least one database, the configuration data including the advertising campaign and at least one campaign phone number,

accept at least one request, made in response to the advertising campaign, to display at least one pre-existing webpage,

analyze the at least one request to determine which advertising campaign is associated with the request;

retrieve the configuration data for the at least one advertising campaign associated with the at least one request from the at least one server;

generate at least one new webpage, wherein the at least one new webpage is substantially a copy of the at least one pre-existing webpage with the at least one campaign phone number included from the configuration data added to the at least one new webpage; and

sending the at least one new webpage; and

wherein

the at least one telephony interface comprises at least one telephony application configured for assigning the at least one campaign phone number to each of the advertising campaigns and storing the assigned at least one campaign phone number in the at least one database.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one server application is further configured to:

analyze the at least one pre-existing webpage to identify at least one pre-existing phone number;

wherein the at least one new webpage is substantially a copy of the at least one pre-existing webpage with at least one campaign phone number inserted in place of the at least one pre-existing phone number.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one pre-existing phone number on the at least one pre-existing webpage and the at least one campaign phone number on the at least one new webpage are displayed as text.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one pre-existing phone number on the at least one pre-existing webpage and the at least one campaign phone number on the at least one new webpage are displayed as graphics.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one telephony application is further configured for monitoring phone traffic for the at least one campaign phone number before assigning the at least one campaign phone number to each of the advertising campaigns.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one recording server comprising at least one recording application;

at least one telephonic connector coupled to at least one telephone network;

wherein;

the at least one telephonic connector is configured to accept at least one phone call placed to the at least one campaign phone number,

the at least one server application is further configured to determine whether the at least one campaign phone number to which the at least one phone call is placed is associated with an advertising campaign and identify the advertising campaign associated with the at least one campaign phone number to which the at least one phone call is placed, and

the at least one recording application is configured to record phone call data associated with the at least one phone call.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one telephony application is further configured to:

identify at least one campaign phone number as a blacklisted number associated with an inactive campaign;

determine whether the at least one campaign phone number is blacklisted after accepting the at least one phone call; and

terminate the at least one phone call if the at least one campaign phone number is blacklisted.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one telephonic connector is configured to play at least one ring tone on the at least one phone call.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the at least one telephony application is further configured to determine a time at which the phone call is accepted and determine whether the time is within business hours, and

the at least one telephonic connector is further configured to play a first message on the at least one phone call if the tithe is within business hours and play a second message on the at least one phone call if the time is not within business hours.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one server application is further configured to generate at least one report using the phone call data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one server application is further configured to transfer the report to at least one advertiser.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one telephonic connector is further configured to transfer the phone call to at least one advertiser.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the telephonic connector is further configured to terminate the phone call after the phone call data is recorded.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the telephonic connector is further configured to terminate the phone call after playing the first message or the second message.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one server further comprises at least one proxy server.

31. The system of claim 16, wherein the server application is further configured to transmit at least one cookie to facilitate future requests.