Measuring a page-specific subjective user reaction concerning each of multiple web pages of a website

• US 7,970,887 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OpinionLab Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kidd, Kathryn L., Crofoot, Matthew J., Nickerson, Rand B., Treschl, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice L
• Assistant Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US10/136,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,345 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 714/47, 714/33, 705/14, 705/10, 705/14.41, 395/161, 395/155, 395/159, 707/3
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements

Abstract

A system for measuring user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website includes a first icon. The first icon is viewable on the particular web page independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page. The first icon solicits user feedback concerning the particular web page as a whole from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page. The first icon receives user input indicating a desire to provide user feedback concerning the particular web page as a whole, and the user input causes a second icon to become viewable on the particular web page for providing the user feedback concerning the particular web page as a whole. Software associated with the second icon receives the user feedback concerning the particular web page as a whole for reporting to a website owner.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an icon viewable on each of a plurality of web pages of a website, the icon being viewable independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the web page, the icon soliciting a page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the icon appearing identically and behaving consistently on each of the web pages, the icon comprising a multi-level rating scale for receiving a page-specific rating of the web page as a whole, the multi-level rating scale comprising at least one positive rating, a neutral rating, and at least one negative rating, each of the ratings comprising at least one symbol selected from the group consisting of a plus sign and a minus sign; and

software associated with the icon and operable to;

receive the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole;

cause the icon to become unviewable in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the web page;

access an identifier of the web page among the web pages of the website; and

report to a website owner the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole along with the identifier of the web page, the report and the identical appearance and consistent behavior of the icon on each of the web pages providing at least in part a direct comparison of the web page as a whole with one or more other web pages of the website each as a whole, the comparison identifying at least in part particular ones of the web pages of the website that are notable relative to other particular web pages of the website with respect to their page-specific subjective user reactions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user and the icon remains viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the web page.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the icon remains in a substantially similar location with respect to the browser window of the user in response to the user scrolling to the previously unviewable portion of the web page.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the icon is incorporated into software of each web page and the user need not download software separate from the web page to provide the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page.

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

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole comprises:

a general page-specific user reaction to the web page as a whole;

or

a specific page-specific user reaction to at least one characteristic of the web page as a whole.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the icon is operable to receive demographic information from the user, in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole, for reporting to the website owner in association with the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the icon is viewable on less than all the web pages of the website.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer system operable to display the web page to the user.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying software when executed operable to:

make an icon viewable on each of a plurality of web pages of a website, the icon being viewable independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the web page, the icon soliciting a page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the icon appearing identically and behaving consistently on each of the web pages, the icon comprising a multi-level rating scale for receiving a page-specific rating of the web page as a whole, the multi-level rating scale comprising at least one positive rating, a neutral rating, and at least one negative rating, each of the ratings comprising at least one symbol selected from the group consisting of a plus sign and a minus sign;

receive the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole;

cause the icon to become unviewable in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the web page;

access an identifier of the web page among the web pages of the website; and

report to a website owner the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole along with the identifier of the web page, the report and the identical appearance and consistent behavior of the icon on each of the web pages providing at least in part a direct comparison of the web page as a whole with one or more other web pages of the website each as a whole, the comparison identifying at least in part particular ones of the web pages of the website that are notable relative to other particular web pages of the website with respect to their page-specific subjective user reactions.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user and the icon remains viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the web page.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the icon remains in a substantially similar location with respect to the browser window of the user in response to the user scrolling to the previously unviewable portion of the web page.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the software is incorporated into each web page and the user need not download software separate from the web page to provide the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein the software is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

16. The media of claim 11, wherein the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole comprises:

a general page-specific user reaction to the web page as a whole;

or

a specific page-specific user reaction to at least one characteristic of the web page as a whole.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the characteristic of the web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

18. The media of claim 11, wherein the software is operable to receive demographic information from the user, in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole, for reporting to the website owner in association with the page- specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole.

19. The media of claim 11, wherein the icon is viewable on less than all the web pages of the website.

20. The media of claim 11, residing at a computer system operable to display the web page to the user.

21. A method comprising:

making an icon viewable on each of a plurality of web pages of a website, the icon being viewable independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the web page, the icon soliciting a page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole from the user independent of input from the user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the icon appearing identically and behaving consistently on each of the web pages, the icon comprising a multi-level rating scale for receiving a page-specific rating of the web page as a whole, the multi-level rating scale comprising at least one positive rating, a neutral rating, and at least one negative rating, each of the ratings comprising at least one symbol selected from the group consisting of a plus sign and a minus sign;

receiving the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole;

causing the icon to become unviewable in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the web page;

accessing an identifier of the web page among the web pages of the website; and

reporting to a website owner the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole along with the identifier of the web page, the report and the identical appearance and consistent behavior of the icon on each of the web pages providing at least in part a direct comparison of the web page as a whole with one or more other web pages of the website each as a whole, the comparison identifying at least in part particular ones of the web pages of the website that are notable relative to other particular web pages of the website with respect to their page-specific subjective user reactions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user and the icon remains viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the web page.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the icon remains in a substantially similar location with respect to the browser window of the user in response to the user scrolling to the previously unviewable portion of the web page.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein software operable to execute the method is incorporated into each web page and the user need not download software separate from the web page to provide the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein software operable to execute the method is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole comprises:

a general page-specific user reaction to the web page as a whole;

or

a specific page-specific user reaction to at least one characteristic of the web page as a whole.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the characteristic of the web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving demographic information from the user, in response to the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole, for reporting to the website owner in association with the page-specific subjective user reaction to the web page as a whole.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the icon is viewable on less than all the web pages of the website.

30. The method of claim 21, executed at least in part by a computer system operable to display the web page to the user.