Web analytics data ranking and audio presentation

Tools and techniques are provided to obtain web analytics data, identify data events likely to be of interest to a user, rank identified data events, summarize data events in a form suitable for transmission to a cell phone or other limited-display mobile device, and interacting with a user of such a mobile device by sending data event summaries to the user, receiving commands from the user, and so on. Data normally presented on a computer display can be summarized into a audible format for presentation over a mobile phone speaker. Methods, systems, and other embodiments are described.

BACKGROUND

Web analytics systems and methods gather data about web site usage, for presentation to system users. A leading web analytics provider is Omniture, Inc., of Orem, Utah, the owner of the present invention. Omniture provides web analytics technology under its mark SiteCatalyst™. Information about Omniture and other web analytics providers, and about related technology and concepts, is readily available online, e.g., through the Google® search engine. Some related concepts are also identified by U.S. trademark application Ser. No. 78232138 for the mark SITECATALYST, in a description of services reading as follows:Market research; conducting online market research surveys relating to customer and employee satisfaction and attitude, and organizational climate or effectiveness; preparing business reports electronically relating to customer and employee satisfaction and attitude, organizational climate or effectiveness, and the use of web sites; collection, reporting, analysis and integration of data related to the use of websites and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns; computerized database management; licensing of computer software (class 35);Computer services, namely, consultation services related to web sites; computer and website diagnostic services; tracking, analyzing, evaluating and advising others regarding website design, implementation, usability, functioning, performance, and optimization; performance monitoring services, website diagnostic services; managing and optimizing website performance and the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns; technical support, namely, monitoring network systems (class 42).

Other related concepts will be known or apparent through other sources, not least of which are references such as those of record in the present patent application.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides tools and techniques for identifying data likely to be important to users of web analytics services, ranking such data, and presenting such data interactively to users through limited-capacity or severely-limited-capacity channels. For instance, the invention provides a method of an artificial intelligence or other program using a computer processor in a web analytics system to analyze and present data representative of human activity in a web site, by obtaining data which represent human physical activity in a web site, identifying data events by analyzing the data, ranking data events relative to each other according to a web analytics system user's expected interest in them, creating summaries of data events, and sending the web analytics system user a summary of a higher ranked data event before sending the user a summary of a lower ranked data event. The method may compensate for a channel's low capacity by presenting the analytics system user with summaries of more interesting data events before presenting that user with summaries of less interesting data events.

A web analytics system of the invention analyzes and presents data representing human activity in a web site, using a data obtaining component for obtaining visual data which represent human physical activity in a web site, the data comprising electrical signals corresponding to visitor peripheral devices and visitor activities directing the peripheral devices to take action within the web site, an event identifying component for identifying at least two data events by analyzing the data, each identified data event relating to a data pattern in a manner that satisfies at least one interest criterion of the web analytics system as evident from system user actions, a ranking component for ranking at least two of the identified data events relative to each other according to interest criterion, a summarizing component for creating summaries of each of at least two ranked data events, the summaries configured for transmission over a low capacity channel, and a sending component for sending a web analytics system user, over a low capacity channel, a summary of a higher ranked data event before sending the user a summary of a lower ranked data event.

Accordingly, a method is provided for a web analytics system user to use a low capacity channel to receive from the web analytics system at least one data summary reporting on human activity in a web site, by physically operating a mobile device to make a connection to the web analytics system over the low capacity channel and to begin a session with the web analytics system; and receiving at least two data summaries of visual data, the summaries presented by the web analytics system over the low capacity channel through an output hardware component of the mobile device, without the user first specifying during this session any of the following: which data should be summarized in those summaries, what order those summaries should be presented in; thus the web analytics system automatically presents a summary of more interesting data before presenting a summary of less interesting data.

An audible summary of web site activity can be produced for a user, by obtaining visual data which represent human physical activity in a web site; identifying at least two data events by analyzing the data; ranking at least two of the identified data events relative to each other according to the user's expected interest in them; and creating at least one audible summary of at least one ranked data event, which may then be sent to the user.

These examples are merely illustrative. The present invention is defined by the claims, and even though this summary helps provide a basis for claims, to the extent this summary conflicts with the claims ultimately granted, those claims should prevail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Introduction

The present invention provides tools and techniques to help users of web analytics systems conveniently obtain updates, change report focus, and otherwise interact with their web analytics system even when the powerful visual interface they might prefer to use is not available. The invention provides summaries of web activity which are tailored for presentation over a cell phone, PDA, or other device whose capabilities—especially graphics and visualization—are more limited than a personal computer.

The invention is illustrated in discussions below and in the drawing figures by specific examples, but it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the invention may depart from these examples. For instance, specific features of an example may be omitted, renamed, grouped differently, repeated, instantiated in hardware and/or software differently, performed in a different order, or be a mix of features appearing in two or more of the examples.

Definitions of terms are provided explicitly and implicitly throughout this document. Terms do not necessarily have the same meaning here that they have in general usage, in the usage of a particular industry, or in a particular dictionary or set of dictionaries. The inventor asserts and exercises his right to be his own lexicographer.

For instance, the “capacity” of a channel is to be considered relative to the information conveying capacity of a commonly used alternative. For web analytics, one such alternative is a computer workstation having at least a fifteen inch color monitor and other standard peripherals, and having a cable, DSL, or higher bandwidth connection to the Internet. Thus, some examples of “limited-capacity channels” as that term is used herein include channels constrained by limited visual bandwidth, such as in architectures using Wireless Application Protocol and/or Wireless Markup Language to permit some web browsing on a cell phone, PDA, or other mobile device. Transforming a rich visual presentation from a form suitable for presentation through the computer workstation monitor into a form suitable for presentation on the screen of a mobile device requires sampling the image, compressing data for transmission, omitting some data, and/or otherwise reducing the information that is visually presented to the user within a given period of time.

As used herein, a “severely-limited-capacity channel” is one which normally carries less information than another channel because of a difference in the targeted human sense. For instance, an audio channel has severely-limited-capacity relative to a visual channel because sound normally conveys less information in a given time period than sight. As many have noted, a picture is worth a thousand words; in some cases, it may be worth even more. A “low capacity channel” is one which has limited-capacity or severely-limited-capacity.

As used herein, “visual data” means data which has conventionally been presented solely or primarily in some visual form, although it may or may not be presented in visual form to a particular user of the present invention or in a particular embodiment of the present invention. Visual data is not necessarily data in a visually-oriented file format such as a bitmap, JPEG, or other picture format; the data may instead be a list of data points, or a table of numeric values, or a relational database record, for instance. Some examples of visual data include: purchase conversions and averages of the type conventionally presented in funnel graphs; revenue data conventionally presented in bar graphs or line graphs; product data showing product counts in relation to orders, revenue, or the like and conventionally presented in bar graphs or line graphs; data conventionally presented in Gantt chart, pie chart, tree, node-and-link, map, plot, or other graphical formats; data conventionally presented through the use of visualization software, rendering software, and/or animation software; tabular, matrix, histogram, trended, spectral, or other numeric data; data of the types illustrated inFIGS. 1-3or reminiscent thereof. Data that is not “visual data” includes natural language texts (which are primarily or solely presented as sounds or as written words, not as images), sound files, music, and the like. Although visualizations of such data can be made, such data have conventionally been presented in audible form—or in some written form that represents spoken words—rather than being presented in visual form.

As used herein, “action taken within a web site” includes, without limitation, one or more of the following: navigating within the website, into it, or out of it; viewing a product or service description; displaying a newsletter; displaying a web page; placing an order for one or more goods and/or services; revising an order; canceling an order; requesting a refund; providing a credit card number, bank account number, PayPal® (mark of PayPal, Inc.) account name, and/or other funds transfer information; checking an account balance; checking a history of financial transactions and/or orders.

Methods and More

FIGS. 4 and 5are flowcharts illustrating methods of the present invention for using a computer processor in a web analytics system to analyze and present data representative of human activity in a web site, and the steps illustrated therein will now be discussed. Note, however, that other drawings and discussion of other embodiments herein may also aid understanding of method embodiments, just as an understanding of methods will sometimes aid understanding of system or other non-method embodiments. Accordingly, reference is made here not only toFIGS. 4 and 5, but also to other figures.

During a data obtaining step402, a web analytics system606obtains data702which represent user604activity in a web site602. The activity data702may be in the form of electrical signals representing items such as a path taken by a web site visitor604through the web site602, web site pages704displayed to the user, products and/or services ordered by visitors604on the web site, and/or revenue transfers authorized by visitors604, to give just a few examples. More generally, any activity or item of a type conventionally tracked by web analytics may be represented in the activity data702, depending of course on the particular embodiment and its implementation. Thus, the data702may include signals corresponding to physical objects and activities external to the web analytics system606, including a visitor's peripheral device(s)706(mouse, keyboard, screen, modem, etc.) and visitor604activities directing a peripheral device to take action within the web site602.

Activity data may be obtained automatically using software and/or hardware familiar in the art. For example, the web analytics system606may include a data obtaining component708which is implemented using computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software. Suitable software708may function to extract data702about the web site602from a logfile712maintained by a web server714. In addition, or alternately, data collection software708may collect information about user activity by using HTML-tagged716pages704of the web site602. Activity data may also be obtained by such automatic steps in combination with manual steps (tagging, copying, testing) by a web site administrator or other technical personnel, in which case the collection is still deemed “automatic” herein, as it is not fully manual.

During an event identifying step404, the web analytics system606identifies data events by analyzing the activity data702. Identified data events718relate to some data pattern in a manner that satisfies at least one user interest criterion of the web analytics system. That is, the system606identifies data events according to what it understands or expects to be of interest to the system user608. For example, in some embodiments the system identifies it as a data event718when some obtained data702differs from corresponding historic data in at least a specified manner, such as by a specified absolute amount or a specified percentage; when data702is forecast to at least meet a specified target value; when data702is forecast to miss a specified target value; when data702spikes by differing in at least a specified manner (e.g., absolute amount, percentage, deviation or other statistical measure) from neighboring data702. An absence of data702may also be an event718, as when no recent (as defined by default or expressly by the user) data702of a specified type was obtained402. Forecasting may be done using familiar tools, such as trend line analysis or other statistical tools. Target values are specified by a user608, although not necessarily by the particular user to whom the system will presently report410.

In some embodiments, data event(s)718may relate to one or more of the following: cart opens, abandoned carts, orders, a revenue average, a unit average, an order average, revenue during a selected time period, units of a selected product ordered, carts opened for a selected product, a relation between revenue produced by products and units sold or orders made for individual products, a top-performing product, billing, campaigns, targets, page views, alerts, visits, entries and exits, paths taken by visitors, cross selling, visitor profiles. More generally, data events718may relate, without limitation, to any data value or condition tracked or determined by a web analytics system familiar in the art.

Data events may be identified404automatically using software and/or hardware. For example, the web analytics system606may include a data event identification component720which is implemented in various embodiments using computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software which looks for data702meeting the conditions described in the preceding paragraph, and/or meeting other conditions of interest. As with obtaining data, identifying data events is considered “automatic” when partially or fully automated.

By way of example, in some embodiments the component720identifies any of the following as a data event: new activity data702of a type the user608has bookmarked is obtained402; new data of a type the user has set an alert on is obtained; new data of a type the user has placed in a dashboard is obtained; new data of a type the user expressly requested during a prior session is obtained; data not yet sent to the present user has been sent410to other people608who belong to the same organization as the user608. For present purposes, sending410a data summary722is one way to send data702; sending410raw data702is another way to send data.

As indicated, the system606user608can generally do more than merely receive summaries722. Depending on the embodiment, the user608may also be able to interact504in other ways, such as by setting an alert724, placing data in a dashboard726, bookmarking728data, setting a data target730, and so on for other interactions which are noted expressly herein and/or known in prior web analytics systems.

During an event ranking step406, the web analytics system606ranks data events718relative to each other according to the web analytics system user's expected interest in them, so that more interesting events can be presented410to the user608before less interesting ones. Events718may be ranked, for example, based on at least one of the following: a default ranking which can be overridden; a ranking specified by the user608or by a system606administrator, site administrator, or web administrator; prior requests by this user and/or other users608for particular types of data702; bookmarks728, alerts724, and/or dashboards726specified by or for the user608. Some embodiments lower a data event's ranking for the particular user608if that user renames data702as “not applicable”, that is, not worth tracking or the like. Some embodiments rank406data events “by company” (that is, using rules and/or heuristics specified by a corporation or other organization for all users608belonging to the organization), and also rank data events718by individual users608, and the ranking by company applies unless it is overridden by the individual user ranking. Some embodiments raise a data event's ranking for particular data702for a given user608if that user does504one or more of the following: places an alert on the data, bookmarks the data, requests more information about the data, requests or provides information about calendar events that may affect the data, instructs the web analytics system to send another user the data, places a report on the data in a dashboard, sets a target for the data. Ranking may be implemented in various embodiments using computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software732which operates as noted here. Ranking406data events is considered “automatic” when it is partially or fully automated.

During a data summarizing step408, the web analytics system606creates summaries722of data events718, which may include summaries of data702and descriptions of the conditions used in identifying404the events. In some embodiments, the summaries are configured for transmission410over a low capacity channel, such as a cell phone610connection or a wireless PDA610connection. Some embodiments create408an audible summary of visual data. In some embodiments, the web analytics system606prepares408reports722for subdivisions of an entity (a.k.a., an organization as that term is used herein) and prepares408a roll-up report for the entity including a plurality but not necessarily all of its subdivisions, the identifying step identifies404different values for a data702variable in different subdivision reports, and the summary722informs the user608that different values were identified, as the user might not otherwise notice the value difference(s). Summarizing408may be implemented in various embodiments using computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software734which operates as noted here. Summarizing408of data events is considered “automatic” when it is partially or fully automated.

By way of example, artificial intelligence or other software code within the novel web analytics system606might produce402,404,408and provide410to a user608the following textual and/or generated-speech summary722of visual data702that is shown in conventional graphical form inFIG. 8: “The revenue for this month shows that you have consistently surpassed your revenue of 4 weeks prior. The revenue for today is currently at $1,242,673 and is forecasted at $6M which would surpass the revenue of 4 weeks prior.” This summary722may be provided in place of, or as a supplement to, providing the data to the user in graphical form on a laptop computer or other device that has a more powerful display than the user's mobile device610. Likewise, the system606might generate the following textual and/or generated-speech summary722in place of, or to supplement, the data702that is shown in conventional graphical form inFIG. 9: “The orders for the first 17 days of July lag behind the orders for the 4 weeks prior with the 4thlagging by 4,500. The orders for the rest of July closely follow the orders for the 4 weeks prior. The worst day was short by 550 and the best was over by 1,200.”

During a sending step410, the web analytics system606sends the user608one or more summaries722of data702. In some embodiments, the user specifies expressly which summaries to send. In some embodiments, the web analytics system606sends the user a summary of a higher ranked406data event718before sending the user608a summary of a lower ranked data event. Thus, the web analytics system may compensate for a channel's low capacity by presenting the user with summaries of more interesting data events before presenting summaries of less interesting data events.

In some embodiments, the sending step410sends over a low capacity channel to a mobile device610having a display screen748of lower resolution than 640 by 480 pixels in either dimension, and the summary722includes a low-resolution image of visual data to display on the screen748. In some embodiments, the sending step sends to a device610having a speaker750and having no display screen with more than 400 pixels along any one dimension (the device may or may not have a smaller screen), and the summary722includes an audible summary of visual data702.

More generally, the system606includes a user interface736which sends and receives commands738, summaries722, and other items724-730to and from the user's mobile device610, and hence to and from the user608. The user interface736may be implemented using computer processing and memory hardware710, configured by software which operates as noted herein. The illustrated user interface includes a command I/O component740for receiving user commands (spoken, key-tone, packet, or otherwise) and directing their performance by the system606; a sending component742for transmitting over a cell phone connection, wireless IP connection, or the like to a mobile device; a receiving component744for receiving over a cell phone connection, wireless IP connection, or the like; and a speech component746for generating audible summaries722.

Hardware-only implementations of the user interface736and/or other system606components such as components708,720,732,734may also be possible for a given embodiment. The general trade-offs between software and hardware functionality, with their attendant cost, implementation time, and other concerns, can be applied by those of skill to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4and the foregoing description generally reflect the perspective of the web analytics system606. However, some steps described above have counterparts in the user's perspective, as illustrated inFIG. 5. Thus, the invention provides methods for a web analytics system user608to use a low capacity channel to receive from the web analytics system606at least one data summary reporting on human activity in a web site.

During a connecting step502, the user608physically operates the mobile device610to make a connection to the web analytics system606over the low capacity channel and to begin a session with the web analytics system. This may be accomplished by dialing a dedicated number, surfing to a dedicated interface site on an IP network, or otherwise. A network I/O component754in the mobile device610provides connectivity, in the form of a channel which may be low capacity, such as a limited-capacity or severely-limited-capacity channel.

During an interacting step504, the user608interacts with the web analytics system606through the mobile device610. This may include, for example, giving504voice commands738which result in data summaries722being presented410by the web analytics system over the low capacity channel through an output hardware component of the mobile device, such as a display screen748and/or a speaker750. Depending on the embodiment, other interactions504may include giving commands to adjust the play speed of an audible data summary722presentation, adjust the volume of an audible data summary presentation, repeat an audible data summary presentation, pause an audible data summary presentation, send a data summary presentation to a specified other person through email or voicemail, for instance, and/or to command the system606to provide more detail about some data702that was summarized in a data summary, such as data of that type for a different period, or raw data rather than a summary.

Commands are given through a command I/O component752, which may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software to present command options, receive command input, provide status information, and the like. Depending on the embodiment, commands may be entered in the command I/O component752by speaking them so they are directed into a speech recognition module (which might be located in the system606interface736), by pressing buttons which send electrical signals, by pressing a stylus to a touch screen748, or by other computer-human interaction facilities.

During a receiving step506that corresponds to the sending step410, the user608receives one or more summaries722of visual data. The summaries are presented410by the web analytics system606over the low capacity channel through an output hardware component748,750of the mobile device. In some embodiments, this is done without the user first specifying during this session which data should be summarized in the summaries and/or what order those summaries should be presented in.

Systems and More

In addition to the observations above, the following may aid understanding of systems, devices, configured media, and process products of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the web analytics system606, which is used to analyze and present data representing human604activity in the web site602, includes a data obtaining means710,708for obtaining visual data (as defined above) which represent human physical activity in the web site, the data702comprising signals corresponding to visitor peripheral devices706and visitor activities directing the peripheral devices to take action within the web site. The data obtaining means includes computer processing and memory hardware710configured by at least one of the following: software708which extracts data about the web site602from a web server714logfile712, software708which collects information702using tagged pages704of the web site602.

In some embodiments, the web analytics system606includes an event identifying means710,720for identifying at least two data events by analyzing the data, each identified data event relating to a data pattern in a manner that satisfies at least one interest criterion of the web analytics system. The event identifying means includes computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software720, which determines when data satisfies one or more (or some specified number, e.g., two, three, four, five, etc.) of the following conditions: data702differs from corresponding historic data in at least a specified manner as discussed above; data702is forecast to at least meet a specified target value; data702is forecast by the system606to miss a specified target value; data702spikes by differing in at least a specified manner from neighboring data; no recent data702of a specified type (units, hits, sales, subscriptions, etc.) was obtained; new data702of a type a user608has bookmarked is obtained; new data702of a type a user608has set an alert on is obtained; new data702of a type a user608has placed in a dashboard is obtained; new data702of a type a user608expressly requested504during a prior session with the system6060is obtained402; data702(including data events718) not yet sent to a particular user608has been sent to other people608who belong to the same organization (defined herein as a business, agency, institution, professional network, project team, task force, club, etc.) as the particular user.

In some embodiments, the web analytics system606includes a ranking means710,732for ranking at least two of the identified data events relative to each other according to interest criterion. The ranking means includes computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software732, which determines data event718ranks according to one or more (or some specified number, e.g., two, three, four, five, etc.) of the following criteria: a data event concerning a target730is ranked higher than a data event not involving any target; a data event concerning revenue is ranked higher than a data event not involving revenue; a data event concerning data on which an alert724is set is ranked higher than a data event not involving any alert; a data event concerning data which differs substantially (e.g., by a specified percentage, absolute amount, or statistical measure) from historic data and has an associated calendar event (e.g., end of quarter, holiday, natural disaster) is ranked higher (or lower) than a data event not involving a substantial difference from historic data; a data event concerning data in a user-defined dashboard is ranked higher than a data event concerning other data; a data event for data which was specifically investigated by the web analytics system user608during a prior session is ranked higher than a data event not involving specific investigation by the user, wherein any of the following are an example of specific investigation: specifically requesting a summary of the data, specifically requesting more information about the data after receiving a summary of the data, bookmarking a summary of the data, sending a summary of the data to another user. Other ranking rules or heuristics732, whether default and/or user-administrator-defined, may also be used in some implementations.

In some embodiments, the web analytics system606includes a summarizing means710,734for creating summaries of each of at least two ranked data events. The summaries722may be configured for transmission over a low capacity channel. The summarizing means includes computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software734, which produces one or more (or some specified number, e.g., two, three, four, five, etc.) of the following audible summary statements722in response to the indicated condition of a given data702variable: a statement to the effect that the variable is falling gradually; a statement to the effect that the variable is falling sharply; a statement to the effect that the variable is rising gradually; a statement to the effect that the variable is rising sharply; a statement to the effect that the variable is likely to hit its target; a statement to the effect that the variable is likely to miss its target; a statement to the effect that the variable is different than its historic value for a stated prior time; a statement to the effect that the variable has spiked; a statement to the effect that no data was obtained for the variable; a statement whether an expected upturn for the variable occurred; a statement whether an expected downturn for the variable occurred.

In some embodiments, the web analytics system606includes a sending means710,742for sending a web analytics system user, over a low capacity channel, a summary of a higher ranked data event before sending the user a summary of a lower ranked data event. Suitable sending means include computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software742, which transmits410over a mobile phone610or other mobile device610connection to at least one of: a display748of a mobile device, a speaker750of the mobile device. Suitable sending means include computer processing and memory hardware710configured by software742,746, which automatically controls the pitch and emphasis of generated speech. For instance, in some embodiments the sending means does at least one of the following: emphasizes a verb in an audible data summary722which reports on a relationship between data and a data pattern (e.g., “sales are rising”), emphasizes a noun in an audible data summary722which reports on at least two compared items (e.g., “this month gadgets outsold widgets two-to-one”).

Some embodiments of the invention include or provide one or more (possibly audible) summaries722of web site activity702, which are produced for a user608by a process like that illustrated inFIG. 4, or another process discussed herein. For example, audible summaries722according to the invention may be produced by obtaining402visual data702which represent human604physical activity in a web site602; identifying404data events718by automatically analyzing the data; ranking406data events relative to each other according to the user's expected interest in them; and creating408at least one audible summary of at least one ranked data event. The summary production process may further include sending410the user the audible summary of the ranked data event, whereby the web analytics system606produces the audible summary for the user.

Summaries722thus produced, or otherwise produced with the invention, may include one or more statements like those noted above, e.g., a statement to the effect that a variable is falling, a statement to the effect that the variable is falling gradually, a statement to the effect that the variable is falling sharply, a statement to the effect that a variable is rising, a statement to the effect that the variable is rising gradually, a statement to the effect that the variable is rising sharply, a statement to the effect that a variable is likely to hit its target, a statement to the effect that the variable is likely to miss its target, a statement to the effect that a variable is different than its historic value for a stated prior time, a statement to the effect that a variable has spiked, a statement to the effect that no data was obtained for a variable, a statement whether an expected upturn for a variable occurred, a statement whether an expected downturn for the variable occurred. The variable may be a data702variable such as revenue, conversions, product units, unique visitors, visits, page views, or other variables tracked by familiar web analytics systems. The audible summary may contain audible emphasis on one or more words, the emphasis having a position in the summary (e.g., which word is emphasized in a sentence), the position being set during the creating step408.

Other embodiments of the invention are in the form of a computer-readable storage medium710, volatile or nonvolatile, fixed or removable, which is configured by at least software, to work in conjunction with a processor to perform a process for analyzing and presenting data that represents human activity in a web site, the process including obtaining402visual data, identifying404data events, ranking406identified data events, creating408summary(ies), and/or sending410summary(ies) to the user.

As noted above, steps and other features are not necessarily limited to a particular embodiment, except as required for operability and/or required by the claims. Thus, the features of methods, process products, and/or systems may likewise appear in one another and/or in configured storage media.

CONCLUSION

Although particular embodiments of the present invention are expressly illustrated and described herein as methods, for instance, it will be appreciated that discussion of one type of embodiment also generally extends to other embodiment types. For instance, the descriptions of web site analytics methods also help describe web site analytics systems. It does not follow that limitations from one embodiment are necessarily read into another.

Headings are for convenience only; information on a given topic may be found outside the section whose heading indicates that topic. All claims as filed are part of the specification and thus help describe the invention, and repeated claim language may be inserted outside the claims as needed.

It is to be understood that the above-referenced embodiments are illustrative of the application for the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. While the present invention has been shown in the drawings and described above in connection with the exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.

As used herein, terms such as “a” and “the” and designations such as “mobile device” and “ranking” are inclusive of one or more of the indicated item or step. In particular, in the claims a reference to an item generally means at least one such item is present and a reference to a step means at least one instance of the step is performed.