Online Advertising System and Method

• US 20070233565A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iCrossing, Inc. (The Hearst Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iCrossing, Inc. (The Hearst Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramamrutham, Narayanan, Herzog, Jeff, Chevalier, Chris
• Application Number:
  US11/614,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation

Abstract

An online advertising system and method permits a business or individual to create an online advertisement, market the advertisement on the internet or another communications network, and track online activity associated with the advertisement. The advertising system may include a series of websites (referred to as “area code local sites”) that provide a marketing distribution channel or network. The area code local sites may be used to provide one of the marketing channels for publication of an online advertisement created using the advertising system.

Claims

1. An online advertising method comprising:

creating an online advertisement using a web portal;

marketing the advertisement online, wherein the marketing comprises selecting a marketing strategy using the web portal; and

tracking online activity associated with the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing payment using the web portal for the selected marketing strategy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the online advertisement includes one or more offers;

and the tracking of online activity comprises tracking action in response to the one or more offers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracking of online activity is done through the web portal.

5. A system to provide an online marketing distribution network comprising:

a plurality of websites each associated with a geographic region, wherein each of the plurality of websites comprises one or more advertisements; and

wherein the one or more advertisements are selected for placement on a specific one of the plurality of websites based on a geographic correspondence of the one or more advertisements to the geographic region associated with the specific website.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each geographic region corresponds to a telephone area code.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the one or more advertisements describe products offered for sale in a physical store, and the geographic correspondence is the location of the physical graphic region associated with the specific website.