Visualization of website analytics

• US 8,930,818 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acoustic, L.P.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cordasco, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/750,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3428 Benchmarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/885 Monitoring specific for caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for visualization of website analytics overlaid upon the source website is described. In one example embodiment, the method can comprise receiving website usage data associated with a customer website, aggregating the website usage data to generate website statistics, processing the website statistics to generate the website analytics, receiving credential data associated with a substantially current user of the customer website, based on the credential data, identifying the substantially current user as a customer associated with the customer website, and selectively communicating the website analytics to the customer website, the website analytics being displayed within a website analytics interface having one or more graphical reports over the website. The interactive graphical reports include reporting elements positioned over website elements corresponding to the reporting elements, which are independent of any variations in the size and shape of the display window or screen. In another example embodiment, the method can comprise pre-configuring and remotely storing display options, and selectively and automatically altering the display of the customer website pages, presenting different versions of those pages to different users based on the preconfigured and remotely stored display options to establish which versions of the page are more effective.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for visualization of website analytics, the method comprising:

receiving website usage data associated with a customer website indicating web pages are being loaded;

loading a first script into the web pages in response to determining the web pages are being loaded, wherein the first bootstrap script is configured to detect events occurring within the web pages during web sessions including key presses, mouse moves and mouse clicks, and collect and report the events as website usage data associated with the customer website;

generating website analytics from the website usage data associated with the customer website;

loading a second script into the web pages in response to receiving a request from a customer associated with the customer website, wherein the second script is configured to display the website analytics in overlays over the web pages;

sending the website analytics to the customer website via the second script and displaying the website analytics within a website analytics interface having one or more interactive graphical reports for the customer website;

identifying from the website analytics the web pages associated with a most frequent click path for the web sessions;

generating images associated with the web pages associated with the most frequent click path;

arranging the images in a grid with indicators depicting the most frequent click path; and

communicating the grid to the customer website.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first script dynamically changes content of the web pages by substituting original elements of a web page script with other elements, based on predetermined criteria stored remotely.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein the website analytics interface comprises a remote rich internet application enabling display of the one or more interactive graphical reports over the web pages of the customer website.

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

identifying most frequent access paths into the customer website during the different web sessions;

generating thumbnails representing the web pages of the customer website for the most frequent access paths into the customer website; and

displaying the thumbnails in an order based on the most frequent access paths into the customer website.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the thumbnails are arranged linearly to represent a chronological order in which the customer website is most navigated.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the thumbnails in an order corresponding to frequencies of entering and exiting of the customer website via the web pages, wherein the order is shown directly over the customer website as an overlay.

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

identifying a first set of the web pages of the customer website most frequently used for entering the customer website;

identifying a second set of the web pages of the customer website most frequently used for exiting the customer website;

displaying a first set of thumbnails associated with the first set of the web pages in an order based on how frequently the first set of the web pages are used for entering the customer website; and

displaying a second set of thumbnails associated with the second set of the web pages in an order based on how frequently the second set of the web pages are used for exiting the customer website.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactive graphical reports include a single or multi-page heat map, heat trail, or top links, using colors, shades, objects or other graphical representations to collectively illustrate and contrast frequency of movement over, scrolling of and usage of links, areas, and the web pages of the customer website with respect to each other.

9. A system comprising:

a listener server configured to receive website usage data associated with a customer website;

an analytics processor configured to;

aggregate the website usage data for different web sessions accessing web pages for the customer website, identify the web pages associated with a most frequent click path for the different web sessions,

generate thumbnails for the web pages associated with the most frequent click path, and

arrange the thumbnails in a grid connected with directional arrows depicting the most frequent click path, wherein each one of the directional arrows starts and ends at a location where an event has occurred; and

a reporting server configured to communicate the grid to the customer website.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the reporting server is further configured to selectively communicate website analytics for the website usage data to the customer website, the website analytics being displayed within a website analytics interface having interactive graphical reports displayed over the web pages of the customer website.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interactive graphical reports are transparent, semitransparent, or opaque.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the analytics processor is further configured to:

determine that the web pages for the customer website are being accessed;

deliver a first computer script; and

based on identification of a user as a customer associated with the customer website, selectively deliver a second computer script, wherein the second computer script enables selective delivery and display of the website analytics over the customer website.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first computer script is configured to selectively and dynamically change content within the web pages by substituting original elements of the web pages with other predetermined criteria.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the listener server is configured to receive a request from a customer, and the reporting server is configured to deliver the website analytics interface to the customer website in response to the request.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the analytics processor is further configured to display the thumbnails for the web pages in an order corresponding to how frequently the web pages are used for entering and exiting the customer website.

16. A computer program product for replaying an application session, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied wherewith, the program code readable/executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving website usage data associated with a customer website;

aggregating the website usage data for different web sessions accessing web pages for the customer website;

identifying the web pages associated with a most frequent click path for the different web sessions;

generating images associated with the web pages associated with the most frequent click path;

arranging the images in a grid connected with direction indicators depicting the most frequent click path; and

communicating the grid to the customer website.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises generating website analytics from the website usage data as interactive graphical reports displayed over the web pages.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises delivering a computer script to the customer website, wherein the computer script is configured to deliver and display the website analytics over the web pages and substitute original elements of the web pages with other elements configured to display the website analytics.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises displaying the images associated with the web pages in an order corresponding to how frequently the web pages are used for entering and exiting the customer website.