Website changes to scalability, capacity, server impact, bandwidth and end-user presentation based on a triggered event
View Patent ↗Methods for altering content on a Web site in accordance with triggering events. Normal and alternate versions of Web site content are created, where the alternate version is a less complex and computationally expense and utilizes a reduced amount of bandwidth to be transmitted to users. When an event occurs, all or portions of the Web site are switched from the normal version to their respective alternate versions to reduce server load and bandwidth requirements so a high number of users can be served the pages. The switch from normal to alternate versions may be for all visitors of selected classes of visitors, such as those from certain geographic regions.
1. A computer-implemented method for altering Web site content in accordance with the occurrence of an event, comprising:
serving normal versions of Web pages;
monitoring for a severe weather event that causes a high demand for said Web pages, the severe weather event associated with a particular geographic region; and
upon the occurrence of said event automatically switching from a normal version of predetermined pages to an alternate version of said predetermined pages, the predetermined pages corresponding to the particular geographic region;
serving the alternate versions of said predetermined pages in response to requests for the predetermined pages from users located in the geographic region;
serving the normal version of the said predetermined pages in response to requests for the predetermined pages from users located outside the geographic region,
wherein the normal versions have a first level of content, and the alternate versions have a second level of content that is less than the first level of content.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein all geographic regions are served an alternate version of the Web site home page.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second level of content comprises a reduced amount of graphics as compared to said first level of content.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said graphics are displayed in 256 colors or less.
5. The method of claim 1 , where said alternate versions are static Web pages.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising reducing database calls for information to be supplied in said alternate versions.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing information related to said event in said alternate versions of a said predetermined pages; and
providing only links to other information that would otherwise be displayed on said normal versions of said predetermined pages in said alternate versions.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the HTML base in said alternate versions to reduce backward compatibility with older browsers that are supported by said normal versions.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alternate version communicates an urgency of said event.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said event is non-recurring and causes an increase in demand for said predetermined pages.
11. A computer implemented method of increasing a number of pageviews that can be served by a Web server, comprising:
monitoring for a severe weather event that causes a higher demand for predetermined pages served by the Web server, the severe weather event associated with a particular geographic region;
preparing normal and alternate versions of said predetermined pages, said predetermined pages corresponding to the particular geographic region, the normal versions have a first level of content, and the alternate versions have a second level of content that is less than the first level of content;
after sensing said event, switching from the normal version of said predetermined pages to said alternate version of said predetermined pages;
serving said alternate versions of said predetermined pages to visitors of the Web site from geographic locations identified as being affected by said event; and
serving said normal versions of said predetermined pages to visitors of the Web site from geographic locations identified as not affected by said event.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising serving an alternate version of the Web site home page.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said second level of content comprises a reduced amount of graphics as compared to said first level of content, and wherein said graphics are displayed in 256 colors or less.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising reducing database calls for information to be supplied in said alternate versions and wherein said alternate versions are static Web pages.
15. A computer-implemented method of operating a Web site to adjust content served thereby in accordance with an event that causes higher user demand for predetermined pages, comprising:
monitoring for current and/or forecasted severe weather events that cause higher user demand for said predetermined pages, the severe weather events associated with a particular geographic region;
switching from a normal version of said predetermined pages to an alternate version of said predetermined pages after determining the existence of said severe weather event and/or a forecast of said severe weather event, the predetermined event;
serving said normal version of said predetermined pages in response to requests from users located outside the geographic region; and
serving said alternate version of said predetermined pages in response to requests from users located inside the geographic region until said current event concludes and/or said forecast of said event concludes, and thereafter resuming serving said normal version of said predetermined pages in response to requests from within the geographic region.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising serving said alternate version of said predetermined pages to specific classes of users visiting the site.
17. The method of claim 16 , said specific classes of users comprise users from predetermined geographic regions where said event occurs and/or is forecasted to occur.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
preparing said normal and said alternate versions of said predetermined pages in advance of said event, said normal version having a first level of content, and the alternate version having a second level of content that is less than the first level of content.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said second level of content comprises a reduced amount of graphics as compared to said first level of content, and wherein said graphics are displayed in 256 colors or less.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising reducing database calls for information to be supplied in said alternate version and wherein said alternate version is a static Web page.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein said event that causes said high demand for Web pages is a breaking news event in a geographic region.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
changing home pages of said alternative versions of said predetermined pages;
changing said alternate versions of said predetermined pages to include an event locator selector and changes to map looping; and
changing how said Web pages are placed into and out of said normal version and said alternate version.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alternate version of said predetermined Web pages is served in anticipation of said event.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said alternate version of said predetermined Web pages is served to a geographic region based upon a severe weather forecast for said geographic region.
25. The method of claim 7 , wherein said information related to said event communicates an urgency of said event.