Software system and methods for generating and graphically representing web site usage data

Abstract

A web site analysis tool provides a variety of features for facilitating the analysis and management of web sites. A mapping component scans a web site and generates a site map which graphically depicts the nodes and links of the web site. A usage analysis component analyses an access log associated with the web site to generate one or more types of web site usage data reflective of how the web site is browsed by visitors. This web site usage data may include, for example, node and link activity data reflective of the frequencies with which specific nodes and links are accessed, respectively, and exit point data reflective of the frequencies with which specific nodes serve as exit points for leaving the web site. The usage data is displayed within the site maps, preferably using a color coding method in which different colors represent different levels or ranges of a particular type of activity.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of facilitating the analysis of web site usage patterns, comprising: 
 generating a site map that includes graphical representations of nodes and links of a web site;    analyzing an access log associated with the web site to generate at least one type of web site usage data reflective of how the web site is used by visitors thereof; and    modifying a display attribute of at least some of said graphical representations to graphically represent the at least one type of web site usage data within the site map.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein modifying a display attribute comprises modifying a color attribute of at least some of the graphical representations of nodes and links.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein modifying a display attribute further comprises modifying a visibility attribute of at least some of the graphical representations.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein modifying a display attribute comprises modifying a size attribute of at least some of the graphical representations.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data comprises link activity data reflective of frequencies with which specific links of the web site are followed.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data comprises node activity data reflective of frequencies with which specific nodes of the web site are accessed.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data comprises exit point data reflective of frequencies with which specific nodes serve as exit points for exiting the web site.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data comprises entry point data reflective of frequencies with which specific nodes serve as entry points to the web site.  
     
     
         9 . A computer program which, when executed by a computer, is capable of performing the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         10 . A screen display generated according to the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method for facilitating the viewing and analysis of web site usage data, the web site usage data based at least in-part on historical records of accesses by visitors to the web site, the method comprising: 
 generating a graphical map of the web site, the map including graphical representations of user-accessible content objects of the web site, and including graphical representations user-selectable links between content objects of the web site, the graphical representations of content objects and links arranged within the map to show a general organizational structure of the web site; and    color-coding at least some of the graphical representations of the content objects and/or of the links within the map such that different colors represent different levels of usage by visitors to the web site.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising displaying a color-coding key in association with the map, the color coding key indicating assignments of the colors to the visitor usage levels.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 presenting a user with a variable control which allows the user to interactively adjust respective thresholds of at least some of the visitor usage levels; and    modifying display colors of the graphical representations of the links and/or the content objects within the map in response to adjustments by the user of the variable control.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the web site usage data comprises link activity data, and wherein the method comprises color coding at least some of the graphical representations of links such that different link colors represent different respective link usage levels by visitors to the web site.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising displaying numerical values within the site map in conjunction with the graphical representations of the links, the numerical values indicating respective usage levels of individual links.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising hiding graphical representations of links that fall below a minimum link usage level.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising presenting a user with a variable control to allow the user to interactively adjust the minimum link usage level.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising color-coding at least some of the graphical representations of the content objects within the map such that different content object colors represent different respective ranges of content object access levels.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising color-coding at least some of the graphical representations of the content objects within the map such that different content object colors represent different levels of web site exit events by visitors to the web site.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein color-coding comprises making application program interface calls to modify display attributes of map objects.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the graphical representations of content objects comprise respective icons, and the graphical representations of links comprise lines which interconnect pairs of content object icons.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the graphical representations of content objects comprise respective content object icons, and wherein generating the graphical map comprises positioning the content object icons within the map such that icons of child content objects are spaced at angular intervals around the icons of their respective immediate parent content objects.  
     
     
         23 . A screen display generated according to the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         24 . A computer program which, when executed by a computer, is capable of performing the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         25 . A computer system programmed to perform the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         26 . A computer program which facilitates the analysis of web site usage, comprising, on a computer-readable medium: 
 a first component which scans the web site and parses documents of the web site to identify at least an organizational structure of content objects and links of the web site, and which generates a site map which includes graphical representations of the content objects and links; and    a second component which superimposes the web site usage data onto the site map by at least color-coding the graphical representations of the content objects and/or the links to indicate visitor usage levels.    
     
     
         27 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the second component displays a color-coding key in association with the map, the color coding key indicating assignments of the colors to visitor usage levels.  
     
     
         28 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the second component presents a user of the computer program with a variable control which allows the user to interactively adjust respective thresholds of at least some of the visitor usage levels, and modifies display colors of the graphical representations of the links and/or the content objects within the map in response to adjustments by the user of the variable control.  
     
     
         29 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the web site usage data comprises link activity data, and the second component color codes at least some of the graphical representations of links such that different link colors represent different respective link usage levels by visitors of the web site.  
     
     
         30 . The computer program according to  claim 29 , wherein the second component displays numerical values within the site map in conjunction with the graphical representations of the links, the numerical values indicating respective usage levels of individual links.  
     
     
         31 . The computer program according to  claim 29 , wherein the second component hides graphical representations of links that fall below a minimum link usage level.  
     
     
         32 . The computer program according to  claim 31 , wherein the second component presents a user of the computer program with a variable control to allow the user to interactively adjust the minimum link usage level.  
     
     
         33 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the second component color-codes at least some of the graphical representations of the content objects within the map such that different content object colors represent different respective ranges of content object access levels.  
     
     
         34 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the second component color-codes at least some of the graphical representations of the content objects within the map such that different content object colors represent different levels of web site exit events by visitors to the web site.  
     
     
         35 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the second component superimposes the web site usage data onto the site map by making application program interface calls to the first component.  
     
     
         36 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the graphical representations of content objects comprise respective icons, and the graphical representations of links comprise lines which interconnect pairs of content object icons.  
     
     
         37 . The computer program according to  claim 26 , wherein the graphical representations of content objects comprise respective content object icons, and the first component positions the content object icons within the map such that icons of child content objects are spaced at angular intervals around the icons of their respective immediate parent content objects.  
     
     
         38 . A computer-implemented method of facilitating the analysis of web site usage patterns, comprising: 
 analyzing an access log associated with a web site to generate at least one type of web site usage data indicative of how the web site is used by visitors thereof; and    generating a graphical display that includes graphical representations of elements of the web site, wherein generating the graphical display comprises color coding at least some of the graphical representations of elements of the web site to graphically depict the at least one type of web site usage data.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data is link activity data.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein color coding at least some of the graphical representations comprises color coding graphical representations of links of the web site to indicate usage levels of such links.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data is node activity data.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein color coding at least some of the graphical representations comprises color coding graphical representations of nodes of the web site to indicate usage levels of such nodes.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data is exit point data reflective of frequencies with which specific nodes serve as exit points for exiting the web site.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein color coding at least some of the graphical representations comprises color coding graphical representations of nodes of the web site to reflect said frequencies with which specific nodes serve as exit points.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one type of web site usage data comprises a representation of a complete navigation path followed by a visitor during browsing of the web site.  
     
     
         46 . A screen display generated according to the method of  claim 38 .  
     
     
         47 . A computer program which, when executed by a computer, is capable of performing the method of  claim 38 .  
     
     
         48 . A computer system programmed to perform the method of claim  38 .