System and method for tracking web interactions with real time analytics

Abstract

A device, system and method is provided for monitoring a user's interactions with Internet-based programs or documents. Content may be extracted from Internet server traffic according to predefined rules. Extracted content may be associated with a user's Internet interaction. The user's Internet interaction may be stored and indexed. The user's Internet interaction may be analyzed to generate a recommendation provided to a contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user for guiding the user's interaction, for example, in real-time. Traffic other than Internet server traffic may also be used.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for monitoring a user's interactions with Internet-based programs or documents, the method comprising:
 extracting by a web analyzer executed by a processor of one or more processors content from Internet server traffic according to predefined rules, the Internet server traffic captured by a capture server executed by a processor, the Internet server traffic accessed by one or more computers each executing a processor; 
 storing a mapping table with entries that map interactions, for a plurality of users, to a first user identifier and one or more second user identifiers; 
 correlating users to respective content based on the first user identifier and the one or more second user identifiers; 
 from the content correlated to a user, associating by the web analyzer the extracted content with one or more of a user's Internet interaction sessions, each user's Internet interaction session comprising data extracted from a series of Internet web pages accessed by the corresponding user using the user's computer; 
 attaching user-related profile data to Internet interaction sessions;  
 storing and indexing the user's Internet interaction sessions in a database by the web analyzer; 
 automatically comparing, by a the web analyzer using a processor of the one or more processors, one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions to one or more modeled sessions comprising data relating to Internet web pages, the comparison to generate a recommendation of one or more future session paths from the modeled sessions for guiding the user's Internet interactions, each future session path comprising a path of Internet web pages; and 
 providing by an automated agent the recommendation of the future session paths from the modeled sessions on screen to a contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user during a telephone call initiated by the user between the contact center agent and the user; and 
 providing by the automated agent on screen to the contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with the user during the telephone call, data regarding an Internet interaction session identified as being by the user and being relevant to the call. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  comprising identifying the user by text captured on a screen element of a webpage used in the one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined rules define content to be extracted according to parameters selected from the group consisting of: a title of webpage(s), date/time webpage(s) created, product(s) viewed, prices offered, product categories (used vs. new, wholesale vs. retail, etc.), customer search words, customer highlighting or selection of products, a type of web object, the presence or frequency of certain key-words, how long ago a webpage was viewed, the amount of time a webpage is viewed, a number of times or which different items are selected on a webpage, and the order in which the webpage was viewed. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  comprising generating a summary of the user's past or current Internet interaction sessions and providing said summary to the contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user for guiding the user's Internet interaction. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the summary comprises data selected from the group consisting of: a description of the user's interaction sessions, product viewed, and prices offered. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  comprising, using a web player, providing the agent with a playback of the user's past or current Internet interaction sessions during the telephone call between the agent and the user. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  comprising capturing the Internet server traffic using wherein the capture server comprises a passive sniffing device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Internet server traffic is captured over one media channel and the agent and user communicate over another media channel. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information analyzed in the user's Internet interaction sessions includes keywords the user used for searching. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recommendation includes information for technical support, selling, “up-selling,” “cross-selling,” or filling in surveys. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recommendation is provided to the contact center agent in real-time. 
     
     
       12. A system for monitoring a user's interactions with Internet-based programs or documents, the system comprising:
 a web analyzer executed by a processor to extract content from Internet server traffic according to predefined rules, the Internet server traffic captured by a capture server executed by a processor; 
 a mapping table storing entries that map interactions, for a plurality of users, to a first user identifier and one or more second user identifiers; 
 a customer resolver executed by a processor to correlate users to respective content based on the first user identifier and the one or more second user identifiers; 
 the web analyzer to associate, from the content correlated to a user, the extracted content with one or more of a user's Internet interaction sessions, each user's Internet interaction session comprising data extracted from a series of Internet web pages accessed by the corresponding user; 
 the web analyzer to attach user-related profile data to Internet interaction sessions; 
 the web analyzer to index the user's Internet interaction sessions,;  
 automatically compare one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions to one or more modeled sessions comprising data relating to Internet web pages by executing a web analyzer to generate a recommendation of one or more future session paths from the modeled sessions for guiding the user's Internet interactions and to provide the recommendation of the future session paths from the modeled sessions on screen to a contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user during a telephone call initiated by the user between the agent and the user, each future session path comprising a path of Internet web pages; 
 an automated agent providing to the contact center agent during the telephone call, data regarding an Internet interaction session identified as being relevant to the call; and 
 a storage device to store the one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  comprising wherein the capture server comprises a passive sniffing device to capture the Internet server traffic. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12  comprising a first media channel over which the Internet server traffic is captured and a second different media channel over which the agent and user communicate. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12  comprising a computer and telephone operated by the user, wherein an Internet connection at the a user's computer is monitored for Internet server traffic and the telephone call between the contact center agent and the user telephone triggers the processor to send the contact center agent the recommendation. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 12  comprising a text capturing module, wherein the text capturing module identifies the user by capturing text on a screen element of a webpage used in the one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processor generates a summary of the user's past or current Internet interaction sessions provided to the contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user for guiding the user's Internet interaction. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 12  comprising a workstation operated by the contact center agent, the workstation having a display and a web player, wherein the display uses the web player displays a playback of the user's past or current Internet interaction sessions during the telephone call between the agent and the user. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 12  comprising a semi-automated and semi-live contact center agent. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more modeled sessions are real-life sessions generated by interactions of one or more other users. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more modeled sessions are generated in a computer-training environment by a trainer. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more modeled sessions are retrieved from a pool of sessions that most closely matches features used in the user's current Internet interaction session. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more modeled sessions include a fixed linear path of webpages to browse. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more modeled sessions include a dynamic tree-structure of paths, where each chosen webpage path leads to a different predicted modeled future session path. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information analyzed in the user's Internet interaction sessions includes product details viewed. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 1  comprising automatically and passively determining the user identity of the extracted content, by the web analyzer using the processor, by passively sniffing the Internet server traffic. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 1  comprising displaying to the agent, during the telephone call between the agent and the user, a key-value summary of the extracted content associated with one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 1  comprising receiving, the predefined rules from a user which determines the web elements to be extracted on a web page. 
     
     
       29. A method for monitoring a user's interactions with Internet-based programs or documents, the method comprising:
 extracting a webpage screen element, by a web analyzer using a processor, from Internet server traffic according to predefined rules, the Internet server traffic captured by a capture server executed by a processor, the Internet server traffic accessed by one or more computers each executing a processor; 
 from webpage screen elements correlated to a user, associating by the web analyzer the extracted webpage screen element with one of a plurality of a user's Internet interaction sessions, the screen elements extracted from a series of Internet web pages accessed by users using the computers; 
 attaching user-related profile data to Internet interaction sessions; 
 storing and indexing the plurality of the user's Internet interaction sessions; 
 automatically analyzing, by the web analyzer using the processor, the plurality of the user's Internet interaction sessions to generate a recommendation for guiding the user's Internet interactions, the recommendation comprising a path of Internet web pages; and 
 providing the recommendation, which is generated based on said automatically analyzing the user's plurality of Internet interaction sessions, on screen to a contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user during a telephone call initiated by the user between the agent and the user and providing data regarding an Internet interaction session identified as being by the user and being relevant to the call. 
 
     
     
       30. A method for monitoring a user's interactions with Internet-based programs or documents, the method comprising:
 extracting by a web analyzer executed by a processor of one or more processors content from Internet server traffic according to predefined rules, the Internet server traffic captured by a capture server executed by a processor, the Internet server traffic accessed by one or more computers each executing a processor;   storing a mapping table with entries that map interactions, for a plurality of users, to a first user identifier and one or more second user identifiers;   correlating users to respective content based on the first user identifier and the one or more second user identifiers;   from the content correlated to a user, associating by the web analyzer the extracted content with one or more of a user's Internet interaction sessions, each user's Internet interaction session comprising data extracted from a series of Internet web pages accessed by the corresponding user using the user's computer;   attaching user-related profile data to Internet interaction sessions;   storing and indexing the user's Internet interaction sessions in a database by the web analyzer;   automatically comparing, by the web analyzer using a processor of the one or more processors, one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions to one or more modeled sessions comprising data relating to Internet web pages, the comparison to generate a recommendation of one or more future session paths from the modeled sessions for guiding the user's Internet interactions, each future session path comprising a path of Internet web pages;   providing by an automated agent the recommendation of the future session paths from the modeled sessions on screen to a contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with said user during a telephone call initiated by the user between the contact center agent and the user; and   providing by the automated agent on screen to the contact center agent while the contact center agent is communicating with the user during the telephone call data regarding an Internet interaction session ongoing during the telephone call which is identified as being by the user.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30 comprising identifying the user by text captured on a screen element of a webpage used in the one or more of the user's Internet interaction sessions. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 30 wherein the capture server comprises a passive sniffing device.