Method, device and computer program product for identifying visitors of websites
A method of identifying a visitor of a website in a wide area network is presented. An information signal is received which has been generated in response to the visitor visiting the website. The website visited is identified from the information signal. A network address of the visitor is determined. By using the network address, a database is searched to identify an organization with which the visitor is associated. A report is provided which includes information pertaining to the website visited and the organization with which the visitor is associated.
1. A method of providing visitor information of visitors of websites in a wide area network, each website of said websites having been associated with a unique monitoring code identifying each of said websites, the method comprising:
providing a first database;
providing a second database, said second database containing organization information about network addresses and associated organizations;
receiving, from a visitor of a website, an information signal comprising said monitoring code of the visited website, the monitoring code having been provided to the visitor by the website visited;
identifying the visited website from said information signal;
determining a network address of said visitor;
storing, in said first database, website visit information including the network address of said visitor and any web pages visited by said visitor on said website;
searching, by using said network address, said second database to identify an organization with which the visitor is associated;
generating a report by collecting, in said second database, information pertaining to the organization associated with the network address of the visitor stored in the first database; and
providing a report.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the website visit information in said first database in addition includes information about at least one of the following: time/date for the website visit, duration of the website visit, and another website/web page from which the visitor initiated the website visit.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the organization information in said second database in addition to network address includes information about at least one of the following: organization name, registration number, VAT number, postal address, street address, www address, email address, telephone number, telefax number, a number of employees, and Internet Service Provider.
4. A computer-readable medium, storing a set of instructions, executed by a processor, for performing the method as claimed in claim 1 .
5. A device for providing visitor information of websites in a wide area network, the device comprising:
a registration module for generating unique monitoring codes, the registration module being arranged to provide the unique monitoring codes to websites, each unique monitoring code being associated with one website for identification;
a tracking module for receiving and detecting an information signal from a visitor of a website, the information signal comprising a network address of the visitor and a unique monitoring code associated with the website, the tracking module being arranged to identify the visited website by detecting the unique monitoring code and the network address of the visitor,
a first database for storing website visit information including said network address of said visitor and any web pages visited by said visitor on said website;
a second database containing organization information about network addresses and associated organizations; and
a report engine for generating a report by collecting, in said second database, information pertaining to the organization associated with the network address of the visitor stored in the first database, and for providing a report to an address associated with the website, said report including information pertaining to the website and the organization with which the visitor is associated.
6. A device as defined in claim 5 , wherein identifying the website visited further includes detecting the monitoring code included in the information signal, and querying a lookup table that maps monitoring codes to websites.
7. A device as defined in claim 5 , wherein said report is provided in the form of an electronic or paper report listing to a user desiring to monitor visits to the website.
8. A device as defined in claim 5 , wherein the network address determined for said visitor is an IP address of a web client used by said visitor for visiting the website.