Method and apparatus for evaluating visitors to a web server

• US 7,991,640 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTrends Incorporated (WebTrends Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, David S., Boyd, W. Glen, Shapira, Elijahu
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US11/844,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Different web pages on a web server are associated with different qualification profiles, each of which is assigned a value by the web-site proprietor. Traffic data hits at the web-site are analyzed to determine which web pages the visitor viewed on the web server. Each qualifying visitor is thereafter associated with a qualification profile and a corresponding value. In another aspect of the invention, visitors arriving as a result of an advertisement on a remote web-site are tracked. The web-site proprietor is consequently able to determine a return on advertising investment based on the value of visitors brought to the site by the tracked advertisement.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the quality of visitors to a website, comprising:

associating, using one or more computer processors, a first value with a first visitor when the first visitor visits a first web page;

associating, using the one or more computer processors, a second value with the first visitor when the first visitor visits a second web page;

associating, using the one or more computer processors, the first value with a second visitor when the second visitor visits the first web page;

associating, using the one or more computer processors, a third value with the second visitor when the second visitor visits a third web page;

determining, using the one or more computer processors, the quality of the first visitor based on at least one of the first and second values associated with the first visitor; and

determining, using the one or more computer processors, the relative quality of the first and second visitors based on at least the second and third values.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the first value further comprises assigning the first value to the visitor based on the elapsed time that the visitor spends on the first web page.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the second value further comprises assigning the second value to the visitor based on the elapsed time that the visitor spends on the second web page.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information submitted by the visitor in a form located on at least one of the first and second web pages; and

assigning at least one of the first and second values to the visitor responsive to the information received.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a return visit by the visitor to at least one of the first and second web pages; and

assigning a third value to the visitor responsive to detecting the return visit.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the visitor is fully qualified, moderately qualified, or minimally qualified based on a pattern of activity of the visitor; and

correlating the pattern of activity with at least one of the first and second values.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein fully qualified indicates a higher visitor quality than moderately qualified, and moderately qualified indicates a higher visitor quality than minimally qualified.