Abstract:
The invention is used to balance and control traffic within a single internet site or between multiple sites. A static or dynamic analysis of site usage is performed. When an under-visited portion of a site is identified, then a link or message is created on a more-visited portion of the web-site to motivate the user visiting the site to explore the under-visited portion. The portion can be a specific page of the web site, or an entire section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to both a method and an apparatus for balancing the traffic at a multi-page web site on the Internet. Specifically, the system analyzes the number of “hits” for each page of the site and can automatically nest links on more visited pages to entice the user to less visited pages. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The Internet, also referred to as an “internetwork”, in communications is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network (with packets if necessary). When capitalized, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols. 
     The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Operating costs may be reduced by providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of public records online. 
     Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also called simply “the web”. Other Internet resources exist for transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the web. In the web environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic images, audio, motion video, etc.). Information is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In addition to basic presentation formatting, HTML allows developers to specify “links” to other web resources identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URL is a special syntax identifier defining a communications path to specific information. Each logical block of information accessible to a client, called a “page” or a “web page”, is identified by a URL. The URL provides a universal, consistent method for finding and accessing this information by the web “browser”. A browser is a program capable of submitting a request for information identified by a URL at the client machine. Retrieval of information on the web is generally accomplished with an HTML-compatible browser. 
     When a user desires to retrieve a page, a request is submitted to a server connected to a client computer at which the user is located and may be handled by a series of servers to effect retrieval of the requested information. The information is provided to the client formatted according to HTML. Typically, personal computers (PCs) along with work stations are typically used to access the Internet. 
     Web sites include a home page that can provide an introduction to the web site and its contents. The web site can include many pages, a portion of which are accessible from the home page. The home page can contain links to other pages within the web site as well as links to other web sites. A single company may have multiple web sites or a single web site with multiple pages. The pages are generally grouped into directories. For example, the home page for a large corporation may have a link to pages containing product information, corporate information, job listings within the corporation, as so forth. If the product listing link is selected, then a the next web page displayed might show a directory of product families. For example, an electronics manufacturer might have a product page that gives links to additional pages on facsimile machines, with another link to pages for the company&#39;s copier machines, or digital cameras. When the facsimile link is selected, a listing might appear showing the various models of facsimile machines available. Thus, a user navigates through the company&#39;s web site. 
     Not all pages within a web site are visited with the same frequency. Carrying on the example above, maybe the site contains a total of one hundred web pages including the home page. Perhaps, twenty of those pages are devoted to facsimile machines, with three of those devoted to high speed facsimile machines. After analysis, it might be discovered that those three pages received over sixty percent of the web site&#39;s visitations or “hits.” Additionally, it might be discovered that five of the pages received no hits at all. Thus, a need exists for a method of balancing traffic within a web site. Such a method should provide an enticement or a link to motivate the user to visit the less popular pages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention controls the flow of traffic within a web site or even between multiple web sites. The system is implemented in software on a networked computer. The software program can have several attributes. It can statically respond to an initial analysis of web site traffic. Alternatively, it can dynamically track web site traffic and respond to these periodically or constantly updated traffic statistics. When a reduced number of hits is recognized for a page on a web site, then this software invention can create an additional link on either the home page or other popular page within the same site. Alternatively, the present invention might create an enticing message on a popular page that would motivate the user to visit the under-visited page. For example, if web site analysis showed that many users visited pages regarding high speed fax machines, a message or link might be nested on those pages suggesting a visit to pages with information on high speed network printers that can also scan and fax documents. The user was probably unaware of these complementary products, and thus, a new link or message would motivate the user to those pages. The creation of additional links or messages moves a page forward in the flow of the web site. In other words, as mentioned above, a user might begin his navigation with the home page, progress to the products page, select the facsimile product page and then look a specific model. If traffic for that particular model is slow, a new link could be placed on the home page or products page linking the user to that specific model&#39;s page. Thus, the user does not have to “dig as deep” into the web site before finding the specific model&#39;s page. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented as a server; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented; 
     FIG. 4 is statistical representation of traffic on a typical web site; 
     FIG. 5 is a statistical representation of traffic on a web site that has been balanced by the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the methodology employed by the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a flow chart outlining the general method of performing the analysis of web site usage. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the figures, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted. 
     Distributed data processing system  100  is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented. Distributed data processing system  100  contains a network  102 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within distributed data processing system  100 . Network  102  may include permanent connections, such as wire or fiber optic cables, or temporary connections made through telephone connections. 
     In the depicted example, a server  104  is connected to network  102  along with storage unit  106 . In addition, clients  108 ,  110 , and  112  also are connected to a network  102 . These clients  108 ,  110 , and  112  may be, for example, personal computers of network computers. For purposes of this application, a network computer is any computer, coupled to a network, which receives a program or other application from another computer coupled to the network. In the depicted example, server  104  provides data, such as boot files, operating system images, and applications to NCs  108 - 112 . NCs  108 ,  110 , and  112  are clients to server  104 . Distributed data processing system  100  may include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown. FIG. 1 is intended as an example, and not as an architectural limitation for the processes of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a data processing system which may be implemented as a server, such as server  104  in FIG. 1, is depicted in accordance to the present invention. Data processing system  200  may be a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system including a plurality of processors  202  and  204  connected to system bus  206 . Alternatively, a single processor system may be employed. Also connected to system bus  206  is memory controller/cache  208 , which provides an interface to local memory  209 . I/O bus bridge  210  is connected to system bus  206  and provides an interface to I/O bus  212 . Memory controller/cache  208  and I/O bus bridge  210  may be integrated as depicted. 
     Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge  214  connected to I/O bus  212  provides an interface to PCI local bus  216 . A number of modems  218 - 220  may be connected to PCI bus  216 . Typical PCI bus implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. Communications links to network computers  108 - 112  in FIG. 1 may be provided through modem  218  and network adapter  220  connected to PCI local bus  216  through add-in boards. 
     Additional PCI bus bridges  222  and  224  provide interfaces for additional PCI buses  226  and  228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported. In this manner, server  200  allows connections to multiple network computers. A memory mapped graphics adapter  230  and hard disk  232  may also be connected to I/O bus  212  as depicted, either directly or indirectly. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drive and the like also may be used in addition or in place of the hardware depicted. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention. 
     The data processing system depicted in FIG. 2 may be, for example, an IBM RISC/System 6000 system, a product of International Business Machines Corporation in Armonk, N.Y., running the Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX) operating system. 
     With reference now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a data processing system  300  in which the present invention may be implemented is illustrated. Data processing system  300  is an example of a client computer. Data processing system  300  employs a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures such as Micro Channel and ISA may be used. Processor  302  and main memory  304  are connected to PCI local bus  306  through PCI bridge  308 . PCI bridge  308  also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor  302 . Additional connections to PCI local bus  306  may be made through direct component interconnection or through add-in boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter  310 , SCSI host bus adapter  312 , and expansion bus interface  314  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by direct component connection. In contrast, audio adapter  316 , graphics adapter  318 , and audio/video adapter (A/V)  319  are connected to PCI local bus  306  by add-in boards inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface  314  provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter  320 , modem  322 , and additional memory  324 . SCSI host bus adapter  112  provides a connection for hard disk drive  326 , tape drive  328 , and CD-ROM  330  in the depicted example. Typical PCI local bus implementations will support three or four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. 
     An operating system runs on processor  302  and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system  300  in FIG.  1 . The operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as OS/2, which is available from International Business Machines Corporation. “OS/2” is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. An object oriented programming system such as Java may run in conjunction with the operating system and provides calls to the operating system from Java programs or applications executing on data processing system  300 . Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented operating system, and applications or programs are located on storage devices, such as hard disk drive  326  and may be loaded into main memory  304  for execution by processor  302 . 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in FIG. 3 may vary depending on the implementation. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in FIG.  3 . The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention. For example, the processes of the present invention may be applied to multiprocessor data processing system. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 provide, for illustration purposes only, a statistical review of a standard web site and a balanced web site, respectively. FIG. 4 shows the number of hits experienced per page on a typical ten page web site. For example, the home page  402  experienced over 120 hits over a predetermined amount of time. This should be expected because most users explore a web site starting with the home page. Likewise, both Product B  406  and Whitepaper C  414  had a substantial number of hits, each logging almost eighty hits for the same time period. Again, a hit is defined as a visit to a particular web page. The analysis performed could set additional requirements before logging a hit. For example, a user might have to stay on a page for more than ten seconds before a hit is logged. The analysis of FIG. 4 also shows that the Product A  404 , Product C  408 , and Whitepaper B  412  had poor visitation, each logging fewer than twenty hits. Finally, the three press releases  416 ,  418 , and  420  each had low visitation with approximately twenty hits each. 
     When the present invention is implemented, the visitation between the sites is dramatically leveled. This usage-leveling is achieved by the automatic placement of links between the most visited pages, making access to the less visited pages simpler and thus more enticing to a user. For this example, an additional link might be located on the home page  502  encouraging the visitor to explore the Press Releases  516 ,  518 , and  520 . Such a prominent display should entice more users to visit those pages. Likewise, a link on Product B page  506  could encourage a visitor to read more about that product in a particular press release. In similar fashion, Whitepaper C  514  could be nested with links to Product pages  504  and  508 . While, the discussion has focused on usage-leveling within a web site, the usage-leveling could be spread across many web sites. For example, if a company has several sites, one each for its divisions, it might choose to entice a visitor to one site to also explore another of its sites. 
     The general method of the invention is described by the flowchart  600  of FIG.  6 . An initial analysis is performed on the usage pattern within the site (step  602 ). A site analysis for usage-leveling can be applied on a one-time basis before links are automatically nested through out the site. Alternatively, the analysis could be performed on a regular basis with links established and deleted as determined by the most current analysis. Once the analysis is performed, the popular and the under-visited pages within the site are identified (step  604 ). An optional report can be generated for the administrator or other user of the system (step  606 ). Once the popular web pages or sites are identified, those pages can be provided with links to less-visited sites (step  608 ). Alternatively, or in addition to the additional links, a motivating advertisement for the other page might be placed on the popular page or site. If the link is chosen, then the visitor will be provided with the content of the linked page (step  610 ). One method of leveling might involve placing a prompt for the least popular page on the most popular page. The next to least popular page could have a link placed on the next to most popular page. Alternatively, an averaging technique could be applied. Using the example started in FIGS. 4 and 5, the three press release pages averaged about twenty hits each. Links to those pages could be established with a page having, for example, eighty hits. The particular popular page could be selected to produce an acceptable average of total hits to total pages. In this example, the four pages would have a pre-balanced average of average of one hundred and forty hits, or thirty-five hits per page. Likewise, three pages of ten hits each could be linked to a popular page having one hundred and twenty hits to produce an average of four pages with one hundred and fifty hits, or about thirty-eight hits per page on average. Of course, many different algorithms could be applied to determine the location of the links used to level usage throughout the web site or between multiple sites. Indeed, even the location and prominence of the link could be adjusted to improve the effectiveness of the present invention. Further, while the primary purpose of this invention is the leveling of usage, it could also be effectively used to drive users into certain pages. In other words, other pages could be automatically nested with links to that page, with the goal of driving its visitation higher. 
     The method  700  of analyzing the traffic at a multi-page web site is illustrated in FIG.  7 . This method generally corresponds with step  602  shown in FIG.  6 . First, the site must be polled for information (step  702 ). Once polled, the information is retrieved (step  704 ). The information retrieved can then be stored for later analysis (step  706 ). Next, an analysis, such as one described above, is performed on either a static basis (step  708 ) or a dynamic basis (step  710 ). Based on the results of such an analysis, links are nested (step  712 ) on the under-visited pages within the site. 
     It is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in a form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include recordable-type media such a floppy disc, a hard disk drive, a RAM, and CD-ROMs and transmission-type media such as digital and analog communications links. 
     The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not limited to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention the practical application and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.