Receiving and reporting page-specific user feedback concerning one or more particular web pages of a website

• US 7,370,285 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OpinionLab Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nickerson, Rand B., Treschl, Mark A., Krebs, Mark D., Rudman, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLAND, SARA M
• Application Number:
  US10/210,256
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/744, 345/747, 707/10, 705/5, 705/10, 709/223, 715/700, 715/744, 715/747, 715/808
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website includes using a comment icon viewable on the page to solicit one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the page from a user. The method includes using software associated with the comment icon to automatically communicate a request for a comment window to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website in response to the user selecting the comment icon, receive the comment window from the remote computer system, present the comment window to the user, and receive one or more or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the page from the user provided using the comment window for reporting to a website owner.

Claims

1. A system for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website displayed at a computer system of a user that has accessed the particular web page, the system comprising:

a comment icon viewable on the particular web page and soliciting one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user; and

software associated with the comment icon and operable to;

in response to the user selecting the comment icon, automatically communicate a request for a comment window to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user, the comment window allowing the user to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

receive, at the computer system of the user, the comment window from the remote computer system that is separate from the computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user;

present the comment window to the user at the computer system of the user; and

receive the one or more or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner, the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page being provided using the comment window.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input icon viewable on the particular web page independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the input icon soliciting page-specific feedback concerning the particular web page from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the input icon operable to receive user input indicating a desire to provide page-specific feedback concerning the particular web page, the user input causing the comment icon to become viewable on the particular web page.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the icon is incorporated into software of the particular web page and the user need not download software separate from the particular web page to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the comment window is customizable by the website owner without the website owner modifying the particular web page.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the website owner may customize the comment window by specifying one or more of:

text in the comment window;

one or more images in the comment window; and

one or more colors in the comment window.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the icon is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the comment window is customizable by the website owner without the website owner modifying the web browser of the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the comment window is particular to the particular web page of the website, the particular web page being one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the comment window for the particular web page being different from a comment window for at least one other particular web page of the website.

9. A method for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website displayed at a computer system of a user that has accessed the particular web page, the method comprising:

using a comment icon viewable on the particular web page to solicit one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user; and

using software associated with the comment icon to;

in response to the user selecting the comment icon, automatically communicate a request for a comment window to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user, the comment window allowing the user to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

receive, at the computer system of the user, the comment window from the remote computer system that is separate from the computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user;

present the comment window to the user at the computer system of the user; and

receive the one or more or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner, the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page being provided using the comment window.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an input icon viewable on the particular web page independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page to solicit page-specific feedback concerning the particular web page from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the input icon operable to receive user input indicating a desire to provide page-specific feedback concerning the particular web page, the user input causing the comment icon to become viewable on the particular web page.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the software associated with the icon is incorporated into software of the particular web page and the user need not download software separate from the particular web page to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the comment window is customizable by the website owner without the website owner modifying the particular web page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the website owner may customize the comment window by specifying one or more of:

text in the comment window;

one or more images in the comment window; and

one or more colors in the comment window.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the software associated with the icon is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the comment window is customizable by the website owner without the website owner modifying the web browser of the user.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the comment window is particular to the particular web page of the website, the particular web page being one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the comment window for the particular web page being different from a comment window for at least one other particular web page of the website.

17. A system for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website displayed at a computer system of a user that has accessed the particular web page, the system comprising:

means for soliciting one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user; and

means for;

in response to the user selecting the means for soliciting one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user, automatically communicating a request for a comment window to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user, the comment window allowing the user to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

receiving, at the computer system of the user, the comment window from the remote computer system that is separate from the computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user;

presenting the comment window to the user at the computer system of the user; and

receiving the one or more or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner, the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page being provided using the comment window.

18. A system for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning one or more particular web pages of a website displayed at a computer system of a user that has accessed the particular web page according to an instruction to access the particular web page, the system comprising:

an icon viewable on the particular web page, the icon soliciting page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page from the user; and

software associated with the icon and incorporated into a computer system of the user for purposes of research concerning one or more particular web pages, the software operable to;

determine a page identifier of the particular web page in response to the user accessing the particular web page;

in response to the user selecting the icon, automatically communicate a request for a tool for providing page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user, the tool allowing the user to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page receive the tool from the remote computer system that is separate from the computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user;

present the tool to the user to allow the user to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page; and

using the tool, receive the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting in association with the determined page identifier of the particular web page to an entity sponsoring the research.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user is instructed to access a plurality of particular web pages of the website and provide page-specific user feedback concerning each of the plurality of particular web pages.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page is collected for purposes of one of:

competitive research related to the particular web page;

testing a new design of the particular web page;

a law enforcement or regulatory investigation concerning the website; and

ascertaining whether one or more marks on one or more web pages are confusingly similar to one or more trademarks of a trademark owner.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the page identifier of the particular web page is a uniform resource locator (URL).

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page comprises one or more of:

one or more page-specific subjective ratings of the particular web page as a whole; and

one or more page specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more page-specific subjective ratings of the particular web page as a whole each comprise one of:

a general page-specific subjective rating of the particular web page as a whole; and

a specific page-specific subjective rating of one or more particular aspects of the particular web page as a whole.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a particular aspect of the particular web page as a whole comprises content, design, and usability.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the tool comprises a comment window allowing the user to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the comment window is customizable by the entity sponsoring the research, the comment window being customizable without the entity modifying the particular web page or the computer system of the user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the entity may customize the comment window with respect to one or more of:

text in the comment window;

one or more images in the comment window; and

one or more colors in the comment window.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the entity sponsoring the research comprises an owner of the website.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the comment window is particular to the particular web page of the website, the particular web page being one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the comment window for the particular web page being different from a comment window for at least one other particular web page of the website.

30. A method for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning one or more particular web pages of a website displayed at a computer system of a user that has accessed the particular web page according to an instruction to access the particular web page, the method comprising:

using an icon viewable on the particular web page to solicit page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page from the user; and

using software associated with the icon and incorporated into the computer system of the user for purposes of research concerning one or more particular web pages;

determining a page identifier of the particular web page in response to the user accessing the particular web page;

in response to the user selecting the icon, automatically communicating a request for a tool for providing page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page to a remote computer system that is separate from a computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user, the tool allowing the user to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page receiving the tool from the remote computer system that is separate from the computer system hosting the website and also separate from the computer system of the user;

presenting the tool to the user to allow the user to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page; and

using the tool, receiving the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting in association with the determined page identifier of the particular web page to an entity sponsoring the research.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the user is instructed to access a plurality of particular web pages of the website and provide page-specific user feedback concerning each of the plurality of particular web pages.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page is collected for purposes of one of:

competitive research related to the particular web page;

testing a new design of the particular web page;

a law enforcement or regulatory investigation concerning the website; and

ascertaining whether one or more marks on one or more web pages are confusingly similar to one or more trademarks of a trademark owner.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the page identifier of the particular web page is a uniform resource locator (URL).

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page comprises one or more of:

one or more page-specific subjective ratings of the particular web page as a whole; and

one or more page specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more page-specific subjective ratings of the particular web page as a whole each comprise one of:

a general page-specific subjective rating of the particular web page as a whole; and

a specific page-specific subjective rating of one or more particular aspects of the particular web page as a whole.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein a particular aspect of the particular web page as a whole comprises content, design, and usability.

37. The method of claim 34, allowing the user to provide the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the comment window is customizable by the entity sponsoring the research, the comment window being customizable without the entity modifying the particular web page or the computer system of the user.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the entity may customize the comment window with respect to one or more of:

text in the comment window;

one or more images in the comment window; and

one or more colors in the comment window.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the entity sponsoring the research comprises an owner of the website.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the comment window is particular to the particular web page of the website, the particular web page being one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the comment window for the particular web page being different from a comment window for at least one other particular web page of the website.