Matching visitors as leads to lead buyers

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by one or more computer systems, information regarding a visitor to a website;

accessing, by the one or more computer systems, a plurality of filters, each of the filters being associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer;

selecting, by the one or more computer systems, at least one of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, comprising:

for each of the filters:

determining, by the one or more computer systems, whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter; and

when the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, selecting, by the one or more computer systems, the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead;

for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, accessing, by the one or more computer systems, information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter, the potential revenue being computed using at least:

a filter value for the filter representing an amount per lead generated from the filter to be paid by the lead buyer associated with the filter to the lead matcher;

a match-sent ratio for the filter representing a proportion of visitors matched to the filter actually sold as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter by the lead matcher;

a reject-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors offered by the lead matcher for sale as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter whom the lead buyer rejects; and

a return-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors whom the lead buyer associated with the filter buys as leads from the lead matcher but later returns;

comparing, by the one or more computer systems, the potential revenues to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyers associated with the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead with each other; and

based on the comparison, selecting, by the one or more computer systems, one or more particular ones of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead as filters to which to match the visitor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein for each of the filters, the match-sent ratio, the reject-lead rate, and the return-lead rate are estimated based on one or more statistical models.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, for each of the filters:

the statistical models estimating the match-sent ratio employ a Bayesian credibility or hierarchical Bayes approach or a discrete choice model; and

the statistical models estimating the reject-lead rate and the return-lead rate are one or more feature-based statistical models.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on the maximum number of leads that the lead buyer has committed to buy over a particular time period.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on a quality of the visitors previously sold to the lead buyer as leads.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the visitor comprises information associated with the visitor or information submitted by the visitor via one or more web pages of the website.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising presenting an advertisement to the visitor, wherein the information regarding the visitor further comprises the advertisement presented to the visitor.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selling some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, for each of the filters to which the visitor is matched:

presenting the filter to the visitor by identifying on a web page of the website the lead buyer associated with the filter;

soliciting information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor; and

receiving information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selling some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched and which the visitor has selected.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

13. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to:

access information regarding a visitor to a website;

access a plurality of filters, each of the filters being associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer;

select at least one of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, comprising:

for each of the filters:

determine whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter; and

when the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, select the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead;

for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, access information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter, the potential revenue being computed using at least:

a filter value for the filter representing an amount per lead generated from the filter to be paid by the lead buyer associated with the filter to the lead matcher;

a match-sent ratio for the filter representing a proportion of visitors matched to the filter actually sold as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter by the lead matcher;

a reject-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors offered by the lead matcher for sale as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter whom the lead buyer rejects; and

a return-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors whom the lead buyer associated with the filter buys as leads from the lead matcher but later returns;

compare the potential revenues to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyers associated with the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead with each other; and

based on the comparison, select one or more particular ones of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead as filters to which to match the visitor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein for each of the filters, the match-sent ratio, the reject-lead rate, and the return-lead rate are estimated based on one or more statistical models.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein, for each of the filters:

the statistical models estimating the match-sent ratio employ a Bayesian credibility or hierarchical Bayes approach or a discrete choice model; and

the statistical models estimating the reject-lead rate and the return-lead rate are one or more feature-based statistical models.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on the maximum number of leads that the lead buyer has committed to buy over a particular time period.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on a quality of the visitors previously sold to the lead buyer as leads.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the information regarding the visitor comprises information associated with the visitor or information submitted by the visitor via one or more web pages of the website.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to present an advertisement to the visitor, wherein the information regarding the visitor further comprises the advertisement presented to the visitor.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to sell some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to transmit the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions, for each of the filters to which the visitor is matched, to:

present the filter to the visitor by identifying on a web page of the website the lead buyer associated with the filter;

solicit information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor; and

receive information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to sell some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched and which the visitor has selected.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to transmit the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

25. One or more computer-readable storage media possessing structure and embodying software that is operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

access information regarding a visitor to a website;

access a plurality of filters, each of the filters being associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer;

select at least one of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, comprising:

for each of the filters:

determine whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter; and

when the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, select the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead;

for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, access information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter, the potential revenue being computed using at least:

a filter value for the filter representing an amount per lead generated from the filter to be paid by the lead buyer associated with the filter to the lead matcher;

a match-sent ratio for the filter representing a proportion of visitors matched to the filter actually sold as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter by the lead matcher;

a reject-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors offered by the lead matcher for sale as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter whom the lead buyer rejects; and

a return-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors whom the lead buyer associated with the filter buys as leads from the lead matcher but later returns;

compare the potential revenues to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyers associated with the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead with each other; and

based on the comparison, select one or more particular ones of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead as filters to which to match the visitor.

26. The media of claim 25 , wherein for each of the filters, the match-sent ratio, the reject-lead rate, and the return-lead rate are estimated based on one or more statistical models.

27. The media of claim 26 , wherein, for each of the filters:

the statistical models estimating the match-sent ratio employ a Bayesian credibility or hierarchical Bayes approach or a discrete choice model; and

the statistical models estimating the reject-lead rate and the return-lead rate are one or more feature-based statistical models.

28. The media of claim 25 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on the maximum number of leads that the lead buyer has committed to buy over a particular time period.

29. The media of claim 25 , wherein the potential revenue to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead is further based on a quality of the visitors previously sold to the lead buyer as leads.

30. The media of claim 25 , wherein the information regarding the visitor comprises information associated with the visitor or information submitted by the visitor via one or more web pages of the website.

31. The media of claim 30 , wherein the software is further operable to present an advertisement to the visitor, wherein the information regarding the visitor further comprises the advertisement presented to the visitor.

32. The media of claim 25 , wherein the software is further operable to sell some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched.

33. The media of claim 32 , wherein the software is further operable to transmit the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

34. The media of claim 25 , wherein the software is further operable, for each of the filters to which the visitor is matched, to:

present the filter to the visitor by identifying on a web page of the website the lead buyer associated with the filter;

solicit information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor; and

receive information from the visitor concerning the visitor's level of interest in the filter presented to the visitor.

35. The media of claim 34 , wherein the software is further operable to sell some or all of the information regarding the visitor as a lead to the one or more lead buyers associated with the filters to which the visitor has been matched and which the visitor has selected.

36. The media of claim 35 , wherein the software is further operable to transmit the information regarding the visitor to the lead buyers to whom the lead is being sold.

37. A system comprising:

means for accessing information regarding a visitor to a website;

means for accessing a plurality of filters, each of the filters being associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer;

means for, for each of the filters:

determining whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter; and

when the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, selecting the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead; and

means for, for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, accessing information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter, the potential revenue being computed using at least:

a filter value for the filter representing an amount per lead generated from the filter to be paid by the lead buyer associated with the filter to the lead matcher;

a match-sent ratio for the filter representing a proportion of visitors matched to the filter actually sold as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter by the lead matcher;

a reject-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors offered by the lead matcher for sale as leads to the lead buyer associated with the filter whom the lead buyer rejects; and

a return-lead rate for the filter representing a proportion of visitors whom the lead buyer associated with the filter buys as leads from the lead matcher but later returns;

means for comparing the potential revenues to be obtained by the lead matcher from the lead buyers associated with the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead with each other; and

means for, based on the comparison, selecting one or more particular ones of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead as filters to which to match the visitor.