Method and a system for managing a website using profile key patterns

1. A method for managing a web site, said web site being arranged on a server, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a set of n profile key parameters, said set of n profile key parameters defining an n-dimensional profile key, each profile key parameter corresponding to one dimension of the n-dimensional profile key, and the n-dimensional profile key forming a vector in an n-dimensional space,

creating content for the website while assigning profile key values to the content, each profile key value being associated to a profile key parameter,

allowing a plurality of visitors to visit the website,

for each visitor, monitoring the behavior of the visitor and generating a profile key for the visitor by continuously adjusting profile key parameter values in accordance with content viewed and/or actions taken by the visitor, and in accordance with the profile key values assigned to the content of the website,

storing the generated profile keys for each of the plurality of visitors in a storage device of the server,

analyzing the stored profile keys and identifying one or more patterns of profile keys, based on said analysis, said one or more patterns of profile keys forming grouped clusters in the n-dimensional space defined by the profile keys,

storing the patterns of profile keys in a storage device of the server,

allowing an additional visitor to visit the website,

monitoring the behavior of the additional visitor and generating a profile key for the additional visitor by continuously adjusting profile key parameter values in accordance with content viewed and/or actions taken by the additional visitor, and in accordance with the profile key values assigned to the content of the website,

comparing the generated profile key of the additional visitor to the stored patterns of profile keys, by measuring n-dimensional distances between the generated profile key of the additional visitor and one or more of the stored patterns of profile keys, and

categorizing the additional visitor based on the comparison step.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of assigning profile key values to the content during creation of the content for the website is performed by selecting one or more pre-sets of profile key values.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing the stored profile keys is performed using a self-organizing clustering algorithm.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the self-organizing clustering algorithm is performed using deterministic annealing.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of interpreting the stored patterns of profile keys, thereby associating human profiles to each of the stored patterns of profile keys.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the profile key parameters represent psychometric attributes, and wherein the human profiles are based on personas.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the comparing step comprises measuring n-dimensional distances between the visitor's generated profile key and one or more of the stored patterns of profile keys.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising the step of determining that there is a match between the visitor's generated profile key and a stored pattern of profile keys if the measured n-dimensional distance between the visitor's generated profile key and said stored pattern is smaller than a predefined threshold value.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the measured n-dimensional distances determines a likelihood or percentage weight match between the visitor's generated profile key and the stored patterns of profile keys.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of personalizing content presented to the visitor, based on the comparison step and/or based on the categorizing step.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

investigating whether or not the visitor is identical to a previous visitor, and

in the case that the visitor is identical to a previous visitor, continuing a previous visit of the visitor to the website.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

allowing one or more new visitors to visit the website,

for each new visitor, monitoring the behavior of a new visitor and generating a profile key for the new visitor by continuously adjusting profile key parameter values in accordance with content viewed and/or actions taken by the new visitor, and in accordance with the profile key values assigned to the content of the website,

storing the generated profile keys for each of the new visitors in a storage device of the server, and

repeating the steps of analyzing the stored profile keys and storing the patterns of profile keys, thereby obtaining updated patterns of profile keys, including information obtained from the new visitor(s).

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying a graphical representation of the patterns of profile keys.

14. A system for managing a website arranged on a server, the system comprising:

a user interface allowing an operator to define an n-dimensional profile key by selecting a set of n profile key parameters, each profile key parameter corresponding to one dimension of the n-dimensional profile key, and the n-dimensional profile key forming a vector in an n-dimensional space, and allowing an operator to create content for the website while assigning profile key values to the content, each profile key value being associated to a profile key parameter,

visitor analyzing tool adapted to monitor the behavior of visitors visiting the website, to generate profile keys for the visitors by continuously adjusting profile key parameter values in accordance with content viewed and/or actions taken by the visitors, and in accordance with the profile key values assigned to the content of the website, and to analyze the generated profile keys, thereby identifying one or more patterns of profile keys, said one or more patterns of profile keys forming grouped clusters in the n-dimensional space defined by the profile keys,

a storage device for storing the generated profile keys for each visitor and for storing the patterns of profile keys, and

a comparing module adapted to compare a generated profile key of an additional visitor to the website to stored patterns of profile key, by measuring n-dimensional distances between the generated profile key of the additional visitor and one or more of the stored patterns of profile keys, and to categorize the additional visitor based on the comparison.

15. The system according to claim 14 , said system residing on a server having the website arranged thereon.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the user interface is further adapted to display a graphical representation of patterns of profile keys to the operator.