Soliciting user feedback regarding one or more web pages of a website without obscuring visual content

• US 7,827,487 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OpinionLab Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nickerson, Rand B., Treschl, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US10/870,024
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/711, 705/10
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

One embodiment includes a system for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website. The system includes a first icon viewable with the particular web page independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page. The first icon includes a bar located proximate an edge of the particular web page and having a length that is at least approximately equal to a length of the edge of the particular web page. Substantially all visual content of the particular web page is unobscured by the first icon. A user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least a predefined amount of time causes a second icon to become viewable with the particular web page. The second icon requests the user to select the first icon to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page. A selection of the first icon causing a feedback window to become viewable to the user. The feedback window solicits feedback from the user.

Claims

1. A system for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website, the system comprising:

a first icon viewable with the particular web page independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the first icon comprising a bar located proximate an edge of the particular web page and having a length that is at least approximately equal to a length of the edge of the particular web page, substantially all visual content of the particular web page being unobscured by the first icon, a user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least a predefined amount of time causing a second icon to become viewable with the particular web page, the second icon requesting the user to select the first icon to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page, a selection of the first icon causing a feedback window to become viewable to the user, the feedback window soliciting from the user feedback comprising one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page; and

software associated with the feedback window operable to receive from the user for reporting to a website owner one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection of the first icon further causes the first and second icons to become unviewable and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the particular web page.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is further operable to require the user to provide one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole in order to provide one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more page-specific subjective ratings each comprise one of:

an overall page-specific subjective rating of the particular web page as a whole;

or

a page-specific subjective rating of one or more particular aspects of the particular web page as a whole.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a particular aspect of the particular web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein association of the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page makes the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page more usable by the website owner.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is operable to obtain background data concerning a computer system of the user for reporting to the website owner along with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user, the background data for the user facilitating resolution of one or more issues reflected in the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a brightness of the first icon increases in response to the user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least the predefined amount of time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the edge of the particular web page is a top edge, bottom edge, right edge, or left edge of the particular web page.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located outside the particular web page within a browser window.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular web page comprises a wall-to-wall web page.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located over a portion of the particular web page within a browser window.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user, the first icon remaining viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the particular web page.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is incorporated into software of the particular web page and the user need not download software separate from the particular web page to provide the feedback.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the user pointer being moved from the first icon causes the second icon to become unviewable.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular webpage is one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the first icon being viewable with each particular web page, the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning each particular web page as a whole allowing the website owner to identify one or more particular web pages of the website for which one or more page-specific subjective ratings are notable relative to page-specific subjective ratings for other particular web pages of the website.

18. A method for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website, the method comprising:

using a first icon viewable with the particular web page independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the first icon comprising a bar located proximate an edge of the particular web page and having a length that is at least approximately equal to a length of the edge of the particular web page, substantially all visual content of the particular web page being unobscured by the first icon, a user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least a predefined amount of time causing a second icon to become viewable with the particular web page;

using the second icon to request the user to select the first icon to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page, a selection of the first icon causing a feedback window to become viewable to the user;

using the feedback window to solicit from the user feedback comprising one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page; and

using software associated with the feedback window to receive from the user for reporting to a website owner one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selection of the first icon further causes the first and second icons to become unviewable and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the particular web page.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the software associated with the feedback window to require the user to provide one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole in order to provide one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more page-specific subjective ratings each comprise one of

an overall page-specific subjective rating of the particular web page as a whole;

or

a page-specific subjective rating of one or more particular aspects of the particular web page as a whole.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a particular aspect of the particular web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein association of the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page makes the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page more usable by the website owner.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the software associated with the feedback window to obtain background data concerning a computer system of the user for reporting to the website owner along with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user, the background data for the user facilitating resolution of one or more issues reflected in the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein a brightness of the first icon increases in response to the user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least the predefined amount of time.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the edge of the particular web page is a top edge, bottom edge, right edge, or left edge of the particular web page.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located outside the particular web page within a browser window.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the particular web page comprises a wall-to-wall web page.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located over a portion of the particular web page within a browser window.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the particular web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user, the first icon remaining viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the particular web page.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is incorporated into software of the particular web page and the user need not download software separate from the particular web page to provide the feedback.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the software associated with the feedback window is incorporated into a web browser of the user.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the user pointer being moved from the first icon causes the second icon to become unviewable.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the particular webpage is one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the first icon being viewable with each particular web page, the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning each particular web page as a whole allowing the website owner to identify one or more particular web pages of the website for which one or more page-specific subjective ratings are notable relative to page-specific subjective ratings for other particular web pages of the website.

35. Software for receiving page-specific user feedback concerning a particular web page of a website, the software embodied on computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

generate a first icon viewable with the particular web page independent of input from a user subsequent to the user accessing the particular web page, the first icon comprising a bar located proximate an edge of the particular web page and having a length that is at least approximately equal to a length of the edge of the particular web page, substantially all visual content of the particular web page being unobscured by the first icon, a user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least a predefined amount of time causing a second icon to become viewable with the particular web page, the second icon requesting the user to select the first icon to provide page-specific user feedback concerning the particular web page, a selection of the first icon causing a feedback window to become viewable to the user, the feedback window soliciting from the user feedback comprising one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page; and

receive from the user for reporting to a website owner one or more of;

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole;

one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page from the user for reporting to a website owner;

or

one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole and one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

36. The software of claim 35, wherein the selection of the first icon further causes the first and second icons to become unviewable and to remain unviewable while the user remains on the particular web page.

37. The software of claim 35, further operable to require the user to provide one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole in order to provide one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page.

38. The software of claim 35, wherein the one or more page-specific subjective ratings each comprise one of:

an overall page-specific subjective rating of the particular web page as a whole;

or

a page-specific subjective rating of one or more particular aspects of the particular web page as a whole.

39. The software of claim 38, wherein a particular aspect of the particular web page as a whole comprises content, design, or usability.

40. The software of claim 35, wherein association of the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning the particular web page as a whole with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page makes the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page more usable by the website owner.

41. The software of claim 35, further operable to obtain background data concerning a computer system of the user for reporting to the website owner along with the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user, the background data for the user facilitating resolution of one or more issues reflected in the one or more page-specific open-ended comments concerning the particular web page received from the user.

42. The software of claim 35, wherein a brightness of the first icon increases in response to the user pointer being placed on the first icon for at least the predefined amount of time.

43. The software of claim 35, wherein the edge of the particular web page is a top edge, bottom edge, right edge, or left edge of the particular web page.

44. The software of claim 35, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located outside the particular web page within a browser window.

45. The software of claim 35, wherein the particular web page comprises a wall-to-wall web page.

46. The software of claim 35, wherein the bar located proximate the edge of the particular web page is located over a portion of the particular web page within a browser window.

47. The software of claim 35, wherein the particular web page is not viewable in its entirety within a browser window of the user, the first icon remaining viewable in the browser window in response to the user scrolling to a previously unviewable portion of the particular web page.

48. The software of claim 35, incorporated into software of the particular web page and the user need not download software separate from the particular web page to provide the feedback.

49. The software of claim 35, incorporated into a web browser of the user.

50. The software of claim 35, wherein the user pointer being moved from the first icon causes the second icon to become unviewable.

51. The software of claim 35, wherein the particular webpage is one of a plurality of particular web pages of the website, the first icon being viewable with each particular web page, the one or more page-specific subjective ratings concerning each particular web page as a whole allowing the website owner to identify one or more particular web pages of the website for which one or more page-specific subjective ratings are notable relative to page-specific subjective ratings for other particular web pages of the website.