System and method for presenting targeted content

Abstract

A method and system for presenting targeted content to users over the internet is provided. The method includes enabling a user to sign into a website. An identifier is generated for the user, if the user is signing into the website for the first time. Information corresponding to the user is mined and the information is linked to the user. Further, verification is made to determine whether the generated identifier matches with existing identifiers. If the generated identifier matches with an existing identifier, then existing information corresponding to the matched identifier is linked to the user. Targeted content is presented to the user by processing at least the information linked to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, performed by a first backend computer system comprising a plurality of modules including a first module, for providing an entity of content targeting a specific user to the first module operating a first website, the first backend computer system having access to a database storing, for each user of a plurality of users, a respective user identifier used to identify the respective user and a respective set of user identification information identifying the respective user, the stored plurality of users including a first user, the database storing, for the first user, a first user identifier used to identify the first user and a first set of user identification information identifying the first user, the method comprising steps of:
 receiving, by the first backend computer system, from a second source of user information, a second set of identification information of the first user identifying the first user;   matching, by the first backend computer system, the received second set of identification information of the first user with the stored first set of user identification information of the first user;   acquiring, by the first backend computer system, an entity of content targeting the first user using activity data of the first user captured by the second source of user information, the activity data of the first user adapted to identify prior activities of the first user captured by the second source of user information; and   incorporating, by the first backend computer system, through the first module, the acquired entity of content targeting the first user into a content page of the first website displayable on a user terminal visiting the first website.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the entity of content targeting the first user using the activity data of the first user captured by the second source of user information, comprises:
 receiving, by the first backend computer system, from the second source of user information, a first set of data packets derived using the activity data of the first user captured by second source of user information; and   acquiring, by the first backend computer system, the entity of content targeting the first user using the received first set of data packets.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second source of user information comprises a second backend computer system operating a second website; and
 wherein the activity data of the first user is adapted to identify prior activities which the first user conducted on the second website as captured by the second backend computer system.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first backend computer system comprises the second backend computer system as a second module operating the second website; 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the activity data of the first user captured by the second backend computer system comprises purchase-related activity data of the first user identifying prior purchase-related activities of the first user which the first user conducted on the second website. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the purchase-related activity data of the first user comprises purchase data of the first user identifying at least one merchandise item which the first user previously purchased from the second website through visiting the second website. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the matching of the received second set of identification information of the first user with the stored first set of user identification information of the first user, comprises steps of:
 acquiring, by the first backend computer system, a second user identifier using the received second set of identification information of the first user;   checking, by the first backend computer system, whether the second user identifier satisfactorily matches with the first user identifier of the first user stored in the database; and   determining, by the first backend computer system, that the received second set of identification information of the first user matches with the stored first user identifier of the first user if the checking operation returns a positive result.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second user identifier, as acquired by the first backend computer system, is included in the received second set of identification information of the first user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the checking of whether the received second user identifier satisfactorily matches with the stored first user identifier of the first user, comprises:
 deciding whether the received second user identifier exactly or partially matches with the stored first user identifier of the first user;   if, by the deciding operation, the received second user identifier is found to be an exact match with the stored first user identifier of the first user, then returning a positive result;   otherwise if, by the deciding operation, the received second user identifier is found to be a partial match with the stored first user identifier of the first user, and if the partial match is found to be satisfactory to link the received second user identifier with the partially matched first user identifier of the first user, then returning a positive result; and   otherwise returning a non-positive result.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user is a friend of a second user in an online social network of the second user and the second user is visiting the first website through a user terminal of the second user; and
 wherein the incorporating of the acquired entity of content targeting the first user into a content page of the first website, comprises:
 receiving, by the first backend computer system, from a social networking platform implementing the online social network of the second user, social networking information of the first user indicating that the first user is a friend of the second user; 
 forming, by the first backend computer system, the content page such that the content page is a personal content page personal to the second user, and incorporating the acquired entity of content targeting the first user into the personal content page; and 
 sending, by the first backend computer system, the personal content page of the second user to the user terminal of the second user for the personal content page of the second user to be presented on the user terminal of the second user. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first website comprises a social networking platform implementing the online social network of the second user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the entity of content targeting the first user, as incorporated into the personal page of the second user, comprises a set of one or more gift recommendations targeting the first user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the entity of content targeting the first user, as acquired by the first backend computer system, comprises an advertisement targeting the first user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein collaborative filtering is used to generate the entity of content targeting the first user as acquired by the first backend computer system, and the employed collaborative filtering uses the activity data of the first user captured by the second source of user information.