System and method for monitoring variations in a target web page

1. A system for automatically monitoring variations in a target web page, comprising:

a local computer system executing a web browser;

a plugin executed by the web browser of the local computer system, the plugin causing the web browser to:

display the target web page in the web browser, and

allow a user to select one or more elements of the target web page for which the user desires automatic variance detection; and

a remote computer system in communication with the local computer system, the remote computer system:

receiving the one or more elements selected by the user using the plugin,

processing the target web page to automatically compare, over a period of time, sections of code representations of the target web page and pixel rendering of the one or more elements of the target web page to respective benchmark iterations of the target web page, to identify whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied, and

generating and transmitting a report to the user indicating whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied;

wherein the plugin displays a graphical representation and the code representations of the target web page, such that: (i) variances in the one or more elements of the target web page that are not visible in the code representations of the target web page are visible in the graphical representation of the target web page; and (ii) other variances in the one or more elements of the target web page that are not visible in the graphical representation of the target web page are visible in the code representations of the target web page, and

wherein the remote computer system determines analytics relating to the one or more elements of the target web page, the analytics including: a first number of times the one or more elements of the target web page are shown to an audience; a second number of times the one or more elements are correctly rendered by the target web page in accordance with a corporate brand standard; and a third number of times the one or more elements are incorrectly rendered by the target web page in violation of the corporate brand standard.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plugin causes the web browser to generate a first display region displaying the target web page and a plugin panel below the target web page.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first display region allows the user to select the one or more elements of the target web page by clicking on the one or more elements and defining an inspector element for each of the one or more elements.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plugin panel generates a recorder element for each of the inspector elements and displays a list of each recorder element.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plugin generates an inspector detail panel which allows the user to define detailed information about each inspector element.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the plugin transmits information about the inspector elements and the recorder elements to the remote computer system.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the remote computer system processes the information about the inspector elements and the recorder elements to control the automatic variance detection for the one or more elements of the target web page.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plugin causes the web browser to:

allow the user to select a link on the target web page;

display a linked web page corresponding to the link in the web browser; and

allow the user to select one or more further elements of the linked web page for which the user desires additional automatic variance detection.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the remote computer system:

receives the one or more further elements selected by the user using the plugin;

processes the linked web page to automatically identify whether the one or more further elements of the linked web page have been varied; and

indicates whether the one or more further elements of the linked web page have been varied in the report.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plugin causes the web browser to:

display a benchmark view and a variance output view, wherein the benchmark view displays the target web page at a point in time when the user sets a benchmark, and the variance output view displays the target web page in real-time; and

indicate on at least one of the benchmark view or the variance output view whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the benchmark view and the variance output view are each a graphical view of the target web page.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein in the graphical view, the one or more elements of the target web page having been varied comprise: a change in image content, a distorted or blurry image, a change in image location, a change image size, or a changed text.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the benchmark view and the variance output view are each an HTML code view of the target web page.

14. A method for automatically monitoring variations in a target web page, comprising:

providing a local computer system executing a web browser and a plugin executed by the web browser of the local computer system;

displaying the target web page in the web browser;

allowing a user to select one or more elements of the target web page for which the user desires automatic variance detection;

receiving at a remote computer system in communication with the local computer system the one or more elements selected by the user using the plugin;

processing the target web page to automatically compare, over a period of time, sections of code representations of the target web page and pixel rendering of the one or more elements of the target web page to respective benchmark iterations of the target web page, to identify whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied;

generating and transmitting a report to the user indicating whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied;

displaying a graphical representation and the code representations of the target web page, such that: (i) variances in the one or more elements of the target web page that are not visible in the code representations of the target web page are visible in the graphical representation of the target web page; and (ii) other variances in the one or more elements of the target web page that are not visible in the graphical representation of the target web page are visible in the code representations of the target web page; and

determining analytics relating to the one or more elements of the target web page, the analytics including: a first number of times the one or more elements of the target web page are shown to an audience; a second number of times the one or more elements are correctly rendered by the target web page in accordance with a corporate brand standard; and a third number of times the one or more elements are incorrectly rendered by the target web page in violation of the corporate brand standard.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating a first display region displaying the target web page and a plugin panel below the target web page.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first display region allows the user to select the one or more elements of the target web page by clicking on the one or more elements and defining an inspector element for each of the one or more elements.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating a recorder element for each of the inspector elements and displaying a list of each recorder element.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating an inspector detail panel which allows the user to define detailed information about each inspector element.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising transmitting information about the inspector elements and the recorder elements to the remote computer system.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising processing at the remote computer system the information about the inspector elements and the recorder elements to control the automatic variance detection for the one or more elements of the target web page.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

allowing the user to select a link on the target web page;

displaying a linked web page corresponding to the link in the web browser; and

allowing the user to select one or more further elements of the linked web page for which the user desires additional automatic variance detection.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

receiving the one or more further elements selected by the user using the plugin;

processing the linked web page to automatically identify whether the one or more further elements of the linked web page have been varied; and

indicating whether the one or more further elements of the linked web page have been varied in the report.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

displaying a benchmark view and a variance output view, wherein the benchmark view displays the target web page at a point in time when the user sets a benchmark, and the variance output view displays the target web page in real-time; and

indicating on at least one of the benchmark view or the variance output view whether the one or more elements of the target web page have been varied.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the benchmark view and the variance output view are each a graphical view of the target web page.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein in the graphical view, the one or more elements of the target web page having been varied comprise: a change in image content, a distorted or blurry image, a change in image location, a change image size, or a changed text.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the benchmark view and the variance output view are each an HTML code view of the target web page.