Method of tracking software application internet downloads
A method of tracking software application downloads over the internet in which clicking on a web advertisement for a software application causes a user's device web browser to link to a tracking server which creates a unique identifier which is stored by the user's device browser, and also on the tracking server together with an indication of the web page including the advertisement. The user's device web browser then downloads the desired software application which includes executable code which, upon first execution, suspends the downloaded application and starts the browser, directing it to the tracking server and sending the unique identifier to the tracking server together with identification of the device and downloaded software application. The tracking server then uses the unique identifier to correlate the information on the downloaded application with the information originally stored at the time of clicking on the web advertisement.
1. A method for tracking download of a software application over the Internet from an application server to a user's mobile device in response to the user's selection on the user's mobile device of an advertisement that advertises the software application, the method comprising:
delivering to the user's mobile device the advertisement that advertises the software application;
in response to the user clicking on the advertisement, establishing a link between a web browser on the user's mobile device and a tracking server;
creating at the tracking server an ID dataset comprising at least one of a unique identifier and identification of the advertisement;
receiving the ID dataset from the tracking server at the user's mobile device over the link;
storing the ID dataset received from the tracking server on the user's mobile device using the web browser on the user's mobile device;
the tracking server further redirecting the web browser on the user's mobile device to the application server;
downloading the software application from the application server to the user's mobile device;
activating the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
deactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
suspending execution of the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
reactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
establishing a link between the user's mobile device and the tracking server;
transmitting the ID dataset from the user's mobile device to the tracking server over the link;
correlating at the tracking server the ID dataset received from the user's mobile device with the ID dataset created by the tracking server;
delivering, based on the correlating, a browser-executable code from the tracking server to the user's mobile device; and
resuming, using the browser-executable code, the execution of the suspended downloaded software application.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the ID dataset on the user's mobile device in the form of at least one of a cookie and a client-side database item.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the browser-executable code from the tracking server, retrieving, using the web browser on the user's mobile device, the ID dataset stored on the user's mobile device;
passing the ID dataset to the suspended downloaded software application; and
resuming the execution of the suspended downloaded software application.
4. The method according of claim 1 , further comprising storing the ID dataset created by the tracking server on the tracking server.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including the advertisement in a webpage.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including in the ID dataset at least one of: a date and time of the user's selection of the advertisement, a type of the user's mobile device, identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device, and an IP address used by the user's mobile device when selecting the advertisement.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the ID dataset includes identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device, including in the identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device at least one of an identity of a webpage or application including the advertisement, an identity of a publisher of the advertisement, and a name of an advertising campaign.
8. A method for tracking download of a software application over the Internet from an application server to a user's mobile device in response to the user's selection on the user's mobile device of an advertisement that advertises the software application, the method comprising:
delivering to the user's mobile device the advertisement that advertises the software application;
in response to the user clicking on the advertisement, the user's mobile device to creating an ID dataset comprising at least one of a unique identifier and identification of the advertisement;
storing the ID dataset on the user's mobile device using a web browser on the user's mobile device;
redirecting the web browser on the user's mobile device to the application server;
downloading the software application from the application server to the user's mobile device;
activating the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
deactivating the web browser the user's mobile device;
suspending execution of the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
reactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
establishing a link between the user's mobile device and the tracking server;
transmitting the ID dataset from the user's mobile device to the tracking server;
delivering a browser-executable code from the tracking server to the user's mobile device; and
resuming, using the browser-executable code and the web browser on the user's mobile device, execution of the suspended downloaded software application.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising including in the ID dataset at least one of: a unique hardware device identifier of the user's mobile device, an identifier of the downloaded software application, or a combination of the two; a date and time of the user's selection of the advertisement; a type of the user's mobile device; identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device; and an IP address used by the user's mobile device when the user selects the advertisement.
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program comprising executable program code which causes a user's mobile device and a tracking server to execute a method of tracking download of a software application over the Internet from an application server to the user's mobile device in response to the user's selection on the user's mobile device of an advertisement that advertises the software application, the method comprising:
delivering to the user's mobile device a clickable advertisement that advertises the software application;
in response to the user clicking on the advertisement establishing a link between a web browser on the user's mobile device and a tracking server;
creating at the tracking server an ID dataset comprising at least one of a unique identifier and identification of the advertisement;
receiving the ID dataset from the tracking server at the user's mobile device over the link;
storing the ID dataset received from the tracking server on the user's mobile device using the web browser on the user's mobile device,
the tracking server further redirecting the web browser on the user's mobile device to the application server;
downloading the software application from the application server to the user's mobile device;
activating the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
deactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
suspending execution of the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device; and
reactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
establishing a link between the user's mobile device and the tracking server;
transmitting the ID dataset from the user's mobile device to the tracking server over the link; and
delivering a browser-executable code from the tracking server to the user's mobile device; and
resuming, using the browser-executable code and the web browser on the user's mobile device, execution of the suspended downloaded software application.
11. A method for tracking download of a software application over the Internet from an application server to a user's mobile device in response to the user's selection on the user's mobile device of an advertisement that advertises the software application, the method comprising:
delivering to the user's mobile device the advertisement that advertises the software application;
in response to the user clicking on the advertisement establishing a link between a web browser on the user s mobile device and a tracking server;
creating at the tracking server a data set comprising at least one of a unique identifier and identification of the advertisement;
storing the data set on the tracking server;
transmitting the unique identifier or identification of the advertisement from the tracking server to the user's mobile device over the link;
storing the unique identifier or identification of the advertisement on the user's mobile device using the web browser on the user's mobile device;
the tracking server further redirecting the web browser on the user's mobile device to the application server;
downloading the software application from the application server to the user's mobile device;
activating the software application on the user's mobile device;
deactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
suspending execution of the downloaded software application on the user's mobile device;
reactivating the web browser on the user's mobile device;
establishing a link between the user's mobile device and the tracking server;
the tracking server further creating a browser-executable code;
transmitting the browser-executable code from the tracking server to the user's mobile device;
executing the browser-executable code on the user's mobile device using the web browser on the user's mobile device;
retrieving using the web browser on the user's mobile device the data set stored by the web browser on the user's mobile device;
resuming the execution of the suspended downloaded software application;
passing the retrieved data set to the software application; and
transmitting the retrieved data set to the tracking server.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing the unique identifier or identification of the advertisement on the user's mobile device in the form of at least one of a cookie and a client-side database item.
13. The method of claim 11 further comprising including the advertisement in a webpage.
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising including in the data set at least one of: a date and time of the user's selection of the advertisement, a type of the user's mobile device, identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device, and an IP address used by the user's mobile device when selecting the advertisement.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, when the data set include the identification of the delivery of the advertisement to the user's mobile device, including in the data set at least one of an identity of a webpage or application including the advertisement, an identity of a publisher of the advertisement, and a name of the advertising campaign.