Capturing and presenting site visitation path data

• US 8,738,609 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Error, Brett, Pestana, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYE, CHELCIE L
• Application Number:
  US11/367,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,008 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/203, 707/718, 709/223, 709/224, 715/854
• US Class Current: 707/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Node sequence data, such as website visitation records, are filtered, analyzed, and summarized in reports. An administrator can designate particular target paths of interest in terms of a checkpoint node sequence. Node sequences are filtered based on the checkpoint node sequence, without regard to any additional or tangential nodes appearing in the sequences. In addition, node sequences can be specified in terms of specific nodes of interest along with wild cards. Reports depict the relative frequency of occurrence of node sequences using visual indicators such as line thickness and/or color.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting site visitation path data, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a target path comprising a plurality of checkpoint nodes in a defined order, the target path comprising at least a first checkpoint node and a second checkpoint node following the first checkpoint node in the defined order;

retrieving, by the processing device, node data describing a plurality of visits to a site including a plurality of nodes, wherein the node data comprises, for each visit of the plurality of visits, a list of nodes visited during the visit and an order of the nodes visited during the visit;

determining, by the processing device, a loss percentage for the plurality of visits based on the node data and the target path, wherein the loss percentage indicates a percentage of the plurality of visits in which the list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited during the visit first checkpoint node was visited and the second checkpoint node was not visited after visiting the first checkpoint node, wherein the loss percentage is determined for each visit based on whether the respective list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited indicate that the second checkpoint node was visited after the first checkpoint node; and

outputting, by the processing device, a report including the loss percentage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of visits to the site comprises a plurality of visits to a web site, wherein the plurality of checkpoint nodes comprises a plurality of web pages in the web site, wherein each visit comprises a respective session during which a respective visitor visited the web site.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages having a popularity exceeding a threshold popularity.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a home page for the web site and the second checkpoint node comprises a web page associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a first web page associated with viewing a product and the second checkpoint node comprises a second web page associated with purchasing the product via the web site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the loss percentage comprises, for at least one of the plurality of visits, ignoring at least one of the nodes visited between the first checkpoint node and the second checkpoint node but not included in the target path.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code executable by a processor for presenting site visitation path data, the method comprising:

program code for receiving a target path comprising a plurality of checkpoint nodes in a defined order, the target path comprising at least a first checkpoint node and a second checkpoint node following the first checkpoint node in the defined order;

program code for retrieving node data describing a plurality of visits to a site including a plurality of nodes, wherein the node data comprises, for each visit of the plurality of visits, a list of nodes visited during the visit and an order of the nodes visited during the visit;

program code for determining a loss percentage for the plurality of visits based on the node data and the target path, wherein the loss percentage indicates a percentage of the plurality of visits in which the list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited during the visit first checkpoint node was visited and the second checkpoint node was not visited after visiting the first checkpoint node, wherein the loss percentage is determined for each visit based on whether the respective list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited indicate that the second checkpoint node was visited after the first checkpoint node; and

program code for outputting a report including the loss percentage.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of visits to the site comprises a plurality of visits to a web site, wherein the plurality of checkpoint nodes comprises a plurality of web pages in the web site, wherein each visit comprises a respective session during which a respective visitor visited the web site.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising program code for, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages having a popularity exceeding a threshold popularity.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising program code for, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a home page for the web site and the second checkpoint node comprises a web page associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a first web page associated with viewing a product and the second checkpoint node comprises a second web page associated with purchasing the product via the web site.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining the loss percentage comprises, for at least one of the plurality of visits, ignoring at least one of the nodes visited between the first checkpoint node and the second checkpoint node but not included in the target path.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium in communication with the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to execute program code stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform operations comprising;

receiving a target path comprising a plurality of checkpoint nodes in a defined order, the target path comprising at least a first checkpoint node and a second checkpoint node following the first checkpoint node in the defined order,

retrieving node data describing a plurality of visits to a site including a plurality of nodes, wherein the node data comprises, for each visit of the plurality of visits, a list of nodes visited during the visit and an order of the nodes visited during the visit,

determining a loss percentage for the plurality of visits based on the node data and the target path, wherein the loss percentage indicates a percentage of the plurality of visits in which the list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited during the visit first checkpoint node was visited and the second checkpoint node was not visited after visiting the first checkpoint node, wherein the loss percentage is determined for each visit based on whether the respective list of nodes visited and the order of the nodes visited indicate that the second checkpoint node was visited after the first checkpoint node, and

outputting a report including the loss percentage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of visits to the site comprises a plurality of visits to a web site, wherein the plurality of checkpoint nodes comprises a plurality of web pages in the web site, wherein each visit comprises a respective session during which a respective visitor visited the web site.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured for, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages having a popularity exceeding a threshold popularity.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured for, prior to receiving the target path, automatically designating the plurality of checkpoint nodes to include a home page for the web site and a subset of the plurality of web pages associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a home page for the web site and the second checkpoint node comprises a web page associated with purchasing a product via the web site.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first checkpoint node comprises a first web page associated with viewing a product and the second checkpoint node comprises a second web page associated with purchasing the product via the web site.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the loss percentage comprises, for at least one of the plurality of visits, ignoring at least one of the nodes visited between the first checkpoint node and the second checkpoint node but not included in the target path.