Web site valuation

• US 8,214,272 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rafael A. Sosa
• Original Assignee: Rafael A. Sosa
• Inventors: Glassman, Brian Scott, Sosa Arvelo, Rafael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, GREGORY L
• Application Number:
  US11/470,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/26.1, 709/223, 709/224, 702/179, 370/229
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site is disclosed. The method may include obtaining machine observable information from the web site and determining a machine observable characteristic of the web site based at least in part on the machine observable information from the web site. The method may also include storing at least one of the machine observable information from the web site, and the machine observable characteristic of the web site. The method may further include determining the appraisal value of the web site based at least in part on at least one of the machine observable information from the web site, and the machine observable characteristic of the web site.

Claims

1. A method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a first web site, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer-implemented characteristic generation system, a task from a computer-implemented tasking system, the task comprising a directive to generate a web site appraisal of the first web site;

obtaining automatically upon receiving the task, by the computer-implemented characteristic generation system, machine observable information elements about the first web site and machine observable information about a second web site, wherein the machine observable information elements include at least one of a content element and a web traffic element for both the first and second web sites, wherein the second web site includes at least one web page with at least one link to the first web site;

calculating, by a computer-implemented appraising system, an appraisal value for at least the first web site based at least in part on a ratio of an appraisal of the at least one web page of the second web site to an appraisal of the second web site linked; and

outputting the appraisal value.

2. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining machine observable information elements from the first web site, wherein the machine observable information elements additionally include one or more elements selected from a group consisting of;

an operational element;

a domain name characteristic;

a web feed element;

a marketing element;

a third-party embedded element;

a type of web site; and

a business element;

wherein the appraisal value comprises a monetary value calculated further as a function of the machine observable information elements for the web site.

3. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 2, wherein the operational element is selected from a group consisting of:

programming code;

a hosting detail;

a server detail;

a software client; and

a web application.

4. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 2, wherein the content element is selected from a group consisting of:

text content;

digital media content;

an Internet forum; and

a web feed.

5. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 2, wherein the third-party embedded element is one of machine observable information from a third party or machine observable characteristics from the third party.

6. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a machine observable characteristic of the first web site, wherein the machine observable characteristic of the first web site is one of domain name information or domain name characteristics;

wherein the appraisal value comprises a monetary value calculated further as a function of the machine observable characteristic of the first web site.

7. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 6, wherein the machine observable characteristic of the first web site is one of internet forum information or internet forum characteristics.

8. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 6, wherein the machine observable characteristic of the first web site is selected from a group consisting of:

a quantity of text content;

uniqueness of text content;

a language text content is composed in;

an author of text content; and

a quality level of lingual sophistication of text content.

9. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 6, wherein the machine observable characteristic of the first web site is one of digital media information or digital media characteristics.

10. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer-implemented appraising system, a machine observable characteristic from at least one element of the machine observable information elements about the first and second web sites, wherein the machine observable characteristic of the first web site is selected from a group consisting of;

a number of subscribers to a web feed;

a time length between updates of a web feed;

a demographic of a subscriber; and

value of the web feed'"'"'s text content.

11. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining machine observable information from a third-party source,

wherein the appraisal value comprises a monetary value calculated further as a function of the machine observable information from the third-party source.

12. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of the first web site of claim 11, wherein the machine observable information from the third-party source is selected from a group consisting of:

back links;

web traffic information;

web ratings and rankings;

syndication ratings and rankings;

category information; and

search engine information.

13. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 1, wherein outputting the appraisal value comprises:

outputting the appraisal value to a computer-implemented production system configured to generate an output product as a function of the appraisal value, the output product comprising at least one of textual or graphical data relating to the web site appraisal.

14. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 1, wherein the machine observable characteristic is related to at least one of geographical characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, or demographic characteristics related to the first web site.

15. A method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site being linked-to by web pages of other web sites, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a computer-implemented web site valuation system, machine observable information elements from the web site, the machine observable information elements comprising at least;

one machine observable information element being a hyperlink between the web site and a web location other than the web site,

a content element, and

a web traffic element;

determining a machine observable characteristic of the web site based at least in part on the machine observable information elements about the web site, the machine observable characteristic determined from at least one of the machine observable information elements;

for each of the web pages of the other web sites having at least one link to the web site, calculating a ratio of an appraisal for a respective web page of a respective other web site to an appraisal of the respective other web site;

storing each appraisal in a data store communicatively coupled with the computer-implemented web site valuation system; and

determining the appraisal value of the web site based at least in part on at least one of the calculated ratios.

16. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 15, the method further comprising providing a document, wherein the document contains a selection from a group consisting of:

the appraisal value of the web site;

the machine observable information from the web site; and

the machine observable characteristic of the web site.

17. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 15, the method further comprising:

obtaining machine observable information from a third-party source; and

determining the appraisal value of the web site based also at least in part on the machine observable information from the third-party source.

18. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 15, wherein the predefined appraisal function is configured to account for an historic valuation of the web site calculated as a function of present and historical records of transacted web site values.

19. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 15, wherein the predefined appraisal function is configured to account for a revenue valuation of the web site calculated as a function of either expected revenue or proven revenue from the web site.

20. The method for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 15, wherein the predefined appraisal function is configured to account for a valuation of the web site calculated as a function of elements selected from a group consisting of:

a cost of creating at least a portion of the web site;

an appraised value of at least one of individual elements of the web site and a relationship among the individual elements of the web site; and

an appraised value of at least one of third-party elements relating to the web site and a relationship among the third-party elements relating to the web site.

21. A machine-readable storage device having machine-executable instructions for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site, the machine-executable instructions, when executed, causing a processor to perform a method, comprising:

obtaining machine observable information elements from a web site, the machine observable information elements comprising;

one machine observable information element being a hyperlink between the web site and a web location other than the web site,

a content element, and

a web traffic element;

determining a machine observable characteristic of the web site based at least in part on the machine observable information from the web site, the machine observable characteristic determined from at least one machine observable information element;

for each web page of at least one other web site, the web page of the at least one other web site having a link to the web site, calculating a ratio of an appraisal of the web page of the at least one other web site to an appraisal of the other web site;

storing at least one of;

the machine observable information from the web site;

or

the machine observable characteristic of the web site; and

determining the appraisal value of the web site based at least in part on at least one of the calculated ratios and at least one of;

the stored machine observable information from the web site, or

the stored machine observable characteristic of the web site.

22. The machine-readable storage device having machine-executable instructions for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 21, the machine executable instructions, when executed, causing a processor to perform a method, further comprising providing a document, wherein the document contains a selection from a group consisting of:

the appraisal value of the web site;

the machine observable information from the web site; and

the machine observable characteristic of the web site.

23. The machine-readable storage device having machine-executable instructions for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 21, the machine executable instructions, when executed, causing a processor to perform a method, further comprising:

obtaining machine observable information from a third-party source; and

determining the appraisal value of the web site based also at least in part on the machine observable information from the third-party source.

24. The machine-readable storage device having machine-executable instructions for automatically determining an appraisal value of a web site of claim 21, wherein at least one good, service or advertisement is available on the web site, and the machine executable instructions, when executed, causing a processor to perform a method, further comprising determining a price of at least one good, service, or advertisement available on the website based at least in part on the appraisal value of the web site.