Systems and methods for determining and sending a preferred of two electronic mail communications

• US 9,911,128 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Rocket Science Group, LLC (Intuit, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chestnut, Ben, Armstrong, Mark, Morris, Chadwick
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, S M
• Application Number:
  US12/740,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,413 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining and sending a preferred of two electronic mail communications or messages (‘emails’) to a group to increase likelihood of its review. Information for conducting a test between two emails, referred to as A email and B email, is collected. The information may identify a particular group, and segments A and B of the group. The information may provide content for the emails and include differentiation information between the emails. Determination information on how to select one of the emails as the preferred email and when to select the preferred email may be collected. The information is used to send the A email to the segment A, to send the B email to the segment B, to determine the preferred email between the A email and the B email, and to send the preferred email to at least a portion of the particular group.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, by a controller server of an email communication system, a graphical interface having selectable options for a test transmission;

controlling, by the controller server, transmission of electronic messages based on variations in attributes of the electronic messages, wherein controlling the transmission of the electronic messages comprises;

receiving, from a user device and via the graphical interface, a first input indicating a size of at least one of a first segment or a second segment,

determining that the indicated size is impermissible based on an option for the test transmission being specified via the graphical interface,

preventing the indicated size from being used for the test transmission,

receiving, from the user device and via the graphical interface, a second input identifying information for the test transmission, wherein the information comprises;

identification of a group of recipients, the first segment of the group, and the second segment of the group,

identification of a first electronic message to send to the first segment and a second electronic message to send to the second segment, the second electronic message having a difference from the first electronic message that is perceptible by a recipient, and

identification of a time period over which to determine an effectiveness of the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

performing the test transmission by transmitting instructions to an email distribution server of the email communication system, wherein the instructions cause the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the first segment and to transmit the second electronic message to the second segment,

determining that a number of recipients in the first segment that clicked a link included in the first electronic message during the time period is larger than a number of recipients in the second segment that clicked a link included in the second electronic message during the time period, and

based on determining that the number of recipients in the first segment is larger;

selecting a list of recipients from the group of recipients that does not include recipients in the first segment, and

performing at least one of;

(i) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients immediately after determining that the time period has elapsed and the number of recipients in the first segment is larger, or

(ii) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients at a time that is subsequent to the time period and that is specified via the graphical interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients comprises providing, to the user device and via the graphical interface, an additional option to prevent transmission of the first electronic message to the list of recipients, wherein the controller server causes the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message based on an absence of a selection of the additional option.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the list of recipients from the group of recipients comprises selecting recipients in the second segment and selecting recipients not included in the first segment or the second segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the list of recipients from the group of recipients comprises excluding the recipients in the first segment, and excluding recipients in the second segment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the user device and via the graphical interface, an additional input indicating that the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of clicks, wherein the controller server determines that the number of recipients in the first segment is larger based on receiving the additional input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first electronic message and the second electronic message comprises at least one of:

subject lines for the first electronic message and the second electronic message;

identifications of senders for the first electronic message and the second electronic message;

or

delivery times for the first electronic message and the second electronic message.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein providing the graphical interface comprises:

generating the graphical interface by performing operations comprising;

(i) providing a first option for selecting at least one of;

different subject lines for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

different identifications of senders for the first electronic message and the second electronic message, or

different delivery times for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

(ii) providing a second option for selecting one of;

determining the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of clicks, or

determining the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of opened electronic messages,

(iii) providing a third option for selecting one of;

including, in the list of recipients, recipients in the second segment, or

excluding, from the list of recipients, the recipients in the second segment, and

(iv) providing a fourth option for selecting one of;

transmitting a selected one of the first electronic message and the second electronic message to the list of recipients immediately after determining that the time period has elapsed and the number of recipients in the first segment is larger, or

the time subsequent to the time period for transmitting the selected one of the first electronic message and the second electronic message, and

transmitting the generated graphical interface from the controller server to the user device via a data network;

wherein the second input is received by the controller server from the user device and identifies values selected via the transmitted graphical interface for the first option, the second option, the third option, and the fourth option,

wherein the controller server selects, based on the received value for the first option, the first electronic message and the second electronic message for the test transmission,

wherein the number of recipients in the first segment that clicked the link included in the first electronic message during the time period is determined based on the received value for the second option indicating that the effectiveness is to be determined based on the number of clicks,

wherein the list of recipients is selected based on the received value for the third option,

wherein the controller server causes the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients at the time corresponding to the received value for the fourth option.

8. A system comprising:

an email distribution server;

a controller server communicatively coupled to the email distribution server via a data network, the controller server comprising;

a memory comprising a data structure in which data identifying a group of recipients and program instructions are stored, and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory,

wherein the processor is configured for executing the program instructions and thereby performing operations comprising;

providing a graphical interface having selectable options for a test transmission;

controlling transmission of electronic messages based on variations in attributes of the electronic messages, wherein controlling the transmission of the electronic messages comprises;

receiving, via the graphical interface, a first input indicating a size of at least one of a first segment or a second segment,

determining that the indicated size is impermissible based on an option for the test transmission being specified via the graphical interface,

preventing the indicated size from being used for the test transmission,

receiving, via the graphical interface, a second input identifying information for the test transmission, wherein the information comprises;

 

identification of the group of recipients, the first segment of the group, and the second segment of the group,

 

identification of a first electronic message to send to the first segment and a second electronic message to send to the second segment, the second electronic message having a difference from the first electronic message that is perceptible by a recipient, and

 

identification of a time period over which to determine an effectiveness of the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

performing the test transmission by causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the first segment and to transmit the second electronic message to the second segment,

determining that a number of recipients in the first segment that clicked a link included in the first electronic message during the time period is larger than a number of recipients in the second segment that clicked a link included in the second electronic message during the time period, and

based on determining that the number of recipients in the first segment is larger;

 

selecting a list of recipients from the group of recipients that does not include recipients in the first segment, and

 

performing at least one of;

 

(i) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients immediately after determining that the time period has elapsed and the number of recipients in the first segment is larger, or

 

(ii) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients at a time that is subsequent to the time period and that is specified via the graphical interface,

wherein the email distribution server is configured for transmitting, responsive to instructions from the controller server, the first electronic message to the first segment during the time period, the second electronic message to the second segment during the time period, and the first electronic message to the list of recipients subsequent to the time period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients comprises providing, via the graphical interface, an additional option to prevent transmission of the first electronic message to the list of recipients, wherein the controller server is configured for causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message based on an absence of a selection of the additional option.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein selecting the list of recipients from the group of recipients comprises selecting recipients in the second segment and selecting recipients not included in the first segment or the second segment.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein selecting the list of recipients from the group of recipients comprises excluding the recipients in the first segment, and excluding recipients in the second segment.

12. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising receiving, via the graphical interface, an additional input indicating that the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of clicks, wherein the controller server is configured for determining that the number of recipients in the first segment is larger based on receiving the additional input.

13. The system of claim 8,

wherein providing the graphical interface comprises:

generating the graphical interface by performing operations comprising;

(i) providing a first option for selecting at least one of;

different subject lines for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

different identifications of senders for the first electronic message and the second electronic message, or

different delivery times for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

(ii) providing a second option for selecting one of;

determining the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of clicks, or

determining the effectiveness is to be determined based on a number of opened electronic messages,

(iii) providing a third option for selecting one of;

including, in the list of recipients, recipients in the second segment, or

excluding, from the list of recipients, the recipients in the second segment, and

(iv) providing a fourth option for selecting one of;

transmitting a selected one of the first electronic message and the second electronic message to the list of recipients immediately after determining that the time period has elapsed and the number of recipients in the first segment is larger, or

the time subsequent to the time period for transmitting the selected one of the first electronic message and the second electronic message, and

transmitting the generated graphical interface from the controller server to a user device via the data network;

wherein the second input is received by the controller server from the user device and identifies values selected via the transmitted graphical interface for the first option, the second option, the third option, and the fourth option,

wherein the controller server is configured for selecting, based on the received value for the first option, the first electronic message and the second electronic message for the test transmission,

wherein the number of recipients in the first segment that clicked the link included in the first electronic message during the time period is determined based on the received value for the second option indicating that the effectiveness is to be determined based on the number of clicks,

wherein the list of recipients is selected based on the received value for the third option,

wherein the controller server is configured for causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients at the time corresponding to the received value for the fourth option.

14. A method performed by a controller server of an email communication system, wherein the method controls transmission of electronic messages based on variations in attributes of the electronic messages, wherein controlling the transmission of the electronic messages comprises:

receiving, by the controller server, a first input indicating a size of at least one of a first segment or a second segment used in a test transmission;

determining, by the controller server, that the indicated size is impermissible based on an option for the test transmission being specified via a graphical interface; and

preventing, by the controller server, the indicated size from being used for the test transmission;

receiving a second input identifying information for the test transmission, wherein the information comprises;

identification of a group of recipients, the first segment of the group, and the second segment of the group,

identification of a time period over which to determine an effectiveness of a first electronic message and a second electronic message, and

identification of the first electronic message to send to the first segment and the second electronic message to send to the second segment, the second electronic message having a difference from the first electronic message that is perceptible by a recipient wherein the difference between the first electronic message and the second electronic message comprises at least one of;

subject lines for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

identifications of senders for the first electronic message and the second electronic message, or

delivery times for the first electronic message and the second electronic message,

performing, by the controller server and based on receiving the second input, the test transmission by communicating instructions to an email distribution server, wherein the instructions cause the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the first segment and to transmit the second electronic message to the second segment,

determining that a number of recipients in the first segment that, during the time period, either (i) clicked a link included in the first electronic message or (ii) opened the first electronic message is larger than a number of recipients in the second segment that, during the time period, (i) clicked a link included in the second electronic message or (ii) opened the second electronic message, and

based on determining that the number of recipients in the first segment is larger;

selecting a list of recipients from the group of recipients that does not include recipients in the first segment, and

performing at least one of;

(i) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients immediately after determining that the time period has elapsed and the number of recipients in the first segment is larger, or

(ii) causing the email distribution server to transmit the first electronic message to the list of recipients at a time that is subsequent to the time period and that is specified via the graphical interface.