System and method for enabling an advertisement to follow the user to additional web pages

1. A system, comprising:

a database server to perform operations comprising:

storing a plurality of electronic advertisements; and

one or more servers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a publisher, a request for an advertisement to be included in a first electronic document associated with the publisher on a first website;

identifying an electronic advertisement responsive to the request, the electronic advertisement including a menu item having a reference to a network location of a second electronic document on a different second website;

delivering, at a first time, the electronic advertisement to be included in the first electronic document;

receiving an indication of a user selection of the menu item of the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website.

2. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a publisher, a request for an advertisement to be included in a first electronic document associated with the publisher on a first website;

identifying an electronic advertisement responsive to the request, the electronic advertisement including a menu item having a reference to a network location of a second electronic document on a different second website;

delivering, at a first time, the electronic advertisement to be included in the first electronic document;

receiving a user selection of the menu item of the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website.

3. A system comprising:

a database server to perform operations comprising:

storing a plurality of electronic advertisements; and

one or more servers to perform operations comprising:

identifying an electronic advertisement, the electronic advertisement including a reference to a network location associated with a second electronic document on a second website;

delivering, at a first time, a first electronic document on a first website including the electronic advertisement within content of the first electronic document on the first website, wherein the first website is different from the second website;

receiving a user selection of the reference to the network location included in the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website.

4. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

identifying an electronic advertisement, the electronic advertisement including a reference to a network location associated with a second electronic document on a second website;

delivering, at a first time, a first electronic document on a first website including the electronic advertisement within content of the first electronic document on the first website, wherein the first website is different from the second website;

receiving a user selection of the reference to the network location included in the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic document comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website comprises delivering the second electronic document including the electronic advertisement.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content of the first electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the content of the second electronic document.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2 , wherein the second electronic document comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site that is different from the first web site.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2 , wherein delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website comprises delivering the second electronic document including the electronic advertisement.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2 , wherein the content of the first electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the content of the second electronic document.

13. The system of claim 3 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

14. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second electronic document comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site that is different from the first web site.

15. The system of claim 3 , wherein delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved form the different second website comprises delivering the second electronic document including the electronic advertisement.

16. The system of claim 3 , wherein the content of the first electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the content of the second electronic document.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4 , wherein the second electronic document comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4 , wherein delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website comprises delivering the second electronic document including the electronic advertisement.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4 , wherein the content of the first electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the content of the second electronic document.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a publisher, a request for an advertisement to be included in a first electronic document associated with the publisher on a first website;

identifying an electronic advertisement responsive to the request, the electronic advertisement including a menu item having a reference to a network location of a second electronic document on a different second website;

delivering, at a first time, the electronic advertisement to be included in the first electronic document;

receiving an indication of user selection of the menu item of the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website to be included within content of the second electronic document retrieved from the different second website.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the second electronic document comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site.

24. The method of claim 21 , where delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement including the menu item to the network location of the second electronic document on the different second website comprises delivering the second electronic document including the electronic advertisement.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the content of the first electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the content of the second electronic document.

26. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying an electronic advertisement, the electronic advertisement including a reference to a network location of a web page on a first website;

delivering, at a first time, an electronic document on a second website including the electronic advertisement within content of the electronic document on the second website, wherein the first website is different from the second website;

receiving a user selection of the reference to the network location included in the electronic advertisement; and

delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the web page retrieved from the first website that is different from the second website.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a menu-driven advertisement comprising a compact display format, an expanded display format, and a control element to transition between the compact display format and the expanded display format.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the web page comprises a web page from an advertiser's web site.

29. The method of claim 26 , where delivering, at a second later time, the electronic advertisement to be included within content of the web page retrieved from the first website that is different from the second website comprises delivering the web page including the electronic advertisement.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein the electronic document is hosted by a different entity than the web page.