Electronically distributing promotional and advertising material based upon consumer internet usage

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for electronically identifying a consumer without requiring consumer registration, the method comprising: embedding a unique identifier within a web site address, the unique identifier uniquely identifying an email recipient; including the web site address in an electronic mail message sent to the email recipient, wherein the web site address provides the email recipient with access to one or more web sites; establishing a connection between a client computer used by the email recipient to receive the email and a server computer providing access to the one or more web sites, in response to the email recipient selecting a reference to the web site address included in the electronic mail message; providing the unique identifier to the server computer by way of sending the web site address to the server computer in a request submitted by the client computer to access said one or more web sites, independent from any consumer profile information previously stored on the client computer; parsing the web site address in the request, to retrieve the unique identifier embedded in the web site address; identifying the email recipient based on the retrieved unique identifier; and tracking the email recipient's movement within the one or more web sites by associating the unique identifier with information that defines consumer activity within said one or more web sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of tracking the email recipient's movement within said one or more web sites comprises: storing in at least one log file the unique identifier in association with the information that defines consumer activity; and extracting the information that defines consumer activity based on said association to track consumer movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating the unique identifier with information that defines consumer activity comprises: identifying an IP address of the client computer, wherein the IP address is automatically logged in correspondence with the information that defines consumer activity; and associating the unique identifier with the IP address such that the information that defines consumer activity can be extracted based on the association between the IP address and the unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating the unique identifier with information that defines consumer activity comprises: identifying connection specific information related to the established connection between the client computer and the one or more web sites, wherein the connection specific information is automatically logged in correspondence with the information that defines consumer activity; and associating the unique identifier with the connection specific information such that information that defines consumer activity can be extracted based on the association between the connection specific information and the unique identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier identifies a consumer's electronic mail address.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more web sites include a plurality of links to other web pages located at a plurality of web servers.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages includes a link to a web page from where the consumer purchases merchandise.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages includes a link to a web page from where the consumer electronically views images of merchandise.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages includes a link to a web page from where the consumer electronically contacts a seller.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein information about the consumer's movement within the one or more web sites is stored in a log file.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the log file includes the addresses of the one or more web sites.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the log file includes information regarding number of times the consumer accesses a particular web site.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the log file includes information regarding any purchase the consumer makes while visiting the one or more web site.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the log file includes duration of the consumer's visit to a particular web site.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: developing a consumer master database based upon the log file; querying the master database; and determining consumer preferences.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a plurality of segments including an email look up segment that includes a listing of a plurality of consumer electronic mail addresses with corresponding unique identifiers.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a consumer information segment that contains consumer related information.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a promotional material segment that includes information regarding promotional materials.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a purchasing segment that includes information regarding purchases made by the consumers.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a URL segment that includes a plurality of URLs with corresponding keywords and plurality of keycodes associated with the keywords.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the master database includes a credit card segment that includes consumer credit card number, date and amount of purchase by consumer.

22. Computer executable process stored in a computer readable medium for identifying a consumer without requiring consumer registration, the process comprising: embedding a unique identifier within a web site address, the unique identifier uniquely identifying a consumer; establishing a connection between the consumer's computer and a server computer providing access to one or more web sites, in response to a consumer selecting a reference to the web site address forwarded by way of electronic mail; providing the unique identifier to the server computer by way of sending the website address to the server computer to access the one or more web sites, independent from any consumer profile information previously stored on the client computer; parsing the web site address to retrieve the unique identifier embedded in the web site address; and tracking the consumer's movement within the one or more web sites by associating the unique identifier with information that defines consumer activity within said one or more web sites.

23. The computer executable process of claim 22, wherein the act of tracking consumer movement within said one or more web sites comprises: storing in a log file the unique identifier in association with the information that defines consumer activity within said one or more web sites; searching the log file for the unique identifier; and extracting the information that defines consumer activity based on its association with the unique identifier to track consumer movement.

24. The computer executable process of claim 22, wherein the act of associating the unique identifier with information that defines consumer activity comprises: identifying an IP address used for establishing the connection between the consumer's computer and the one or more web sites, wherein the IP address is automatically logged in correspondence with the information that defines consumer activity; and associating the unique identifier with the IP address such that the information that defines consumer activity can be extracted based on the association between the IP address and the unique identifier.

25. The computer executable process of claim 22, wherein the act of associating the unique identifier with information that define consumer activity comprises: identifying connection specific information related to the established connection between the consumer's computer and the one or more web sites, wherein the connection specific information is automatically logged in correspondence with the information that defines consumer activity; and associating the unique identifier with the connection specific information such that data that defines consumer activity can be extracted based on the association between the IP address and the unique identifier.

26. Computer executable process steps according to claim 22, wherein the unique identifier identifies a consumer's electronic mail address.

27. Computer executable process steps according to claim 22, wherein the one or more web sites include a plurality of links to other web pages located at a plurality of web servers.

28. Computer executable process steps according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages located at a plurality of web servers includes a link to a web page from where the consumer can purchase merchandise.

29. Computer executable process steps according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages includes a link to a web page from where the consumer can electronically view images of merchandise.

30. Computer executable process steps according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of links to other web pages includes a link to a web page from where the consumer may electronically contact a seller.

31. Computer executable process steps according to claim 22, wherein information about the consumer's movement within the one or more web sites is stored in a log file.

32. Computer executable process steps according to claim 31, wherein the log file includes the addresses of the one or more web sites.

33. Computer executable process steps according to claim 31, wherein the log file includes information regarding number of times the consumer accesses a particular web site.

34. Computer executable process steps according to claim 31, wherein the log file includes information regarding any purchase the consumer makes while visiting the one or more web site.

35. Computer executable process steps according to claim 31, wherein the log file includes the duration of the consumer's visit to a particular web site.

36. Computer executable process steps according to claim 31, further comprising: developing a consumer master database based upon the log file; querying the master database; and determining consumer preferences.

37. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a plurality of segments including an email look up segment that includes a listing of a plurality of consumer electronic mail addresses with corresponding unique identifiers.

38. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a consumer information segment that contains consumer related information.

39. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a promotional material segment that includes information regarding promotional materials.

40. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a purchasing segment that includes information regarding purchases made by the consumers.

41. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a URL segment for storing a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of URLs, and a plurality of key codes associated with the plurality of keywords.

42. Computer executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the master database includes a credit card segment that includes consumer credit card number, date and amount of purchase by consumer.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a consumer's credit card information.

44. The computer executable process of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier is a consumer's credit card information.

45. A method for electronically identifying a consumer without requiring consumer registration, the method comprising: receiving a consumer request to access one or more web sites implemented on at least one server computer, wherein the consumer request is submitted by way of a client computer and the request includes a web site address, sent to the consumer in an electronic mail message, with a unique identifier embedded in the web site address for uniquely identifying the particular consumer; parsing the web site address to find the unique identifier; and logging the unique identifier in one or more log files in association with information that defines consumer activity within said one or more web sites, independent from any consumer profile information previously stored on the client computer by any servers.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising: extracting the information that defines consumer activity based on its association with the unique identifier to track consumer movement.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the consumer request is received through a connection established between the consumer's computer and the one or more web sites, the method further comprising: identifying at least one of connection and environment specific information related to the established connection between the consumer's computer and the one or more web sites, wherein at least one of the connection and environment specific information is automatically logged in correspondence with the information that defines consumer activity; and associating the unique identifier with at least one of the connection and environment specific information such that information that defines consumer activity can be extracted based on the association between at least one of the connection and environment specific information and the unique identifier.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the connection and environment specific information relates to IP address of the consumer's computer.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the unique identifier relates to credit card information of the consumer.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the unique identifier relates to electronic mail address of the consumer.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the connection and environment specific information relates to an operating system executing on the consumer's computer.

52. A unique identifier embedded in a URL provided to a consumer by way electronic mail, such that when the consumer selects the URL a connection is established between a consumer computer having a first IP address and a web server providing access to one or more web sites, wherein the web server receives the URL via said established connection independent from any consumer profile information previously stored on the client computer, wherein the web server parses the URL for the unique identifier, and wherein the IP address is recorded in a log file in association with the unique identifier.

53. A computer-implemented method for electronically tracking web pages visited by an email recipient without requiring advanced registration, the method comprising: embedding a unique identifier within a uniform resource locator (URL), the unique identifier uniquely identifying an email recipient, the URL identifying one or more web pages; including the URL in form of a link in an email sent to the email recipient, wherein selecting the link provides the email recipient with access to the one or more web pages; establishing a connection between a server computer and a client computer used by the email recipient to receive the email, in response to the email recipient selecting the link, wherein the server computer provides access to the one or more web pages identified by the URL; providing the unique identifier to the server computer by way of a request submitted by the client computer to access said one or more web pages, independent from any profile information previously stored on the client computer, wherein the request includes the URL in which the unique identifier is embedded; parsing the URL in the request to retrieve the unique identifier embedded in the URL; identifying the email recipient based on the retrieved unique identifier; automatically storing the unique identifier in association with the IP address of the client computer in a log file of the server computer; and automatically storing access information about the one or more web pages visited by the email recipient in association with the IP address of the client computer in the log file of the server computer.

54. The computer-implemented method of claim 53, further comprising: extracting the access information for a particular email recipient by cross-referencing the IP address of the client computer used by the particular email recipient with respective access information and unique identifier stored in the log file in association with the IP address.

55. The computer-implemented method of claim 53, wherein the access information comprises at least one of: an address of a web page visited by the email recipient, duration of the visit, and purchase information during of the visit.

56. A computer system for electronically tracking web pages visited by an email recipient without requiring advanced registration, the system comprising: means for embedding a unique identifier within a uniform resource locator (URL), the unique identifier uniquely identifying an email recipient, the URL identifying one or more web pages; means for including the URL in form of a link in an email sent to the email recipient, wherein selecting the link provides the email recipient with access to the one or more web pages; means for establishing a connection between a server computer and a client computer used by the email recipient to receive the email, in response to the email recipient selecting the link, wherein the server computer provides access to the one or more web pages identified by the URL; means for providing the unique identifier to the server computer by way of a request submitted by the client computer to access said one or more web pages, independent from any profile information previously stored on the client computer, wherein the request includes the URL in which the unique identifier is embedded; means for parsing the URL in the request to retrieve the unique identifier embedded in the URL; means for identifying the email recipient based on the retrieved unique identifier; means for automatically storing the unique identifier in association with the IP address of the client computer in a log file of the server computer; and means for automatically storing access information about the one or more web pages visited by the email recipient in association with the IP address of the client computer in the log file of the server computer.

57. The computer system of claim 56, further comprising: means for extracting the access information for a particular email recipient by cross-referencing the IP address Of the client computer used by the particular email recipient with respective access information and unique identifier stored in the log file in association with the IP address.

58. The computer system of claim 56, wherein the access information comprises at least one of: an address of a web page visited by the email recipient, duration of the visit, and purchase information during of the visit.

59. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer-executable process stored for electronically tracking web pages visited by an email recipient without requiring advanced registration, the computer-executable process comprising: embedding a unique identifier within a uniform resource locator (URL), the unique identifier uniquely identifying an email recipient, the URL identifying one or more web pages; including the URL in form of a link in an email sent to the email recipient, wherein selecting the link provides the email recipient with access to the one or more web pages; establishing a connection between a server computer and a client computer used by the email recipient to receive the email, in response to the email recipient selecting the link, wherein the server computer provides access to the one or more web pages identified by the URL; providing the unique identifier to the server computer by way of a request submitted by the client computer to access said one or more web pages, independent from any profile information previously stored on the client computer, wherein the request includes the URL in which the unique identifier is embedded; parsing the URL in the request to retrieve the unique identifier embedded in the URL; identifying the email recipient based on the retrieved unique identifier; automatically storing the unique identifier in association with the IP address of the client computer in a log file of the server computer; and automatically storing access information about the one or more web pages visited by the email recipient in association with the IP address of the client computer in the log file of the server computer.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, wherein the computer-executable process further comprises: extracting the access information for a particular email recipient by cross-referencing the IP address of the client computer used by the particular email recipient with respective access information and unique identifier stored in the log file in association with the IP address, wherein the access information comprises at least one of: an address of a web page visited by the email recipient, duration of the visit, and purchase information during of the visit.