Customize a user interface of a web page using an expertise level rules engine

#This patent application is related to the following patent application concurrently filed herewith, also assigned to The Go Daddy Group, Inc.: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/944,636, “WEB PAGE CUSTOMIZATION BASED ON EXPERTISE LEVEL OF A USER”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/944,645, “WEB PAGE CUSTOMIZATION BASED ON SEARCH ENGINE SEARCH TERM”.

#The present invention relates to methods for determining one or more expertise levels of a User for one or more topics on a Web page, and customizing the Web page, an email or a routing system for a customer service center call according to the expertise level of the User for the relevant topic.

#The Internet is a worldwide network of computers and computer networks arranged to allow for the easy and robust exchange of information or topics between the users of the computers. Hundreds of millions of people around the world have access to computers connected to the Internet via one of the hundreds of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Content providers may place multimedia information, i.e. graphics and sounds, and other forms of data on servers located at specific locations on the Internet. The information on a server may be accessed over the Internet by a User in order to retrieve the information. A client application, such as a browser or a smart client, may be used by the User to transmit and receive information from the server. The information may be communicated to the User in any desired format, but is often presented to the User in the form of a Web page.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of information through a process for customizing a Web page based on a User's expertise level;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of information through a process for customizing an email based on a User's expertise level;

#FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of information through a process for routing calls in a customer service call center based on a User's expertise level;

#The present invention will now be discussed in detail with regard to the attached drawing figures which were briefly described above. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth illustrating Applicants' best mode for practicing the invention and for enabling one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without many of these specific details. In other instances, well-known machines and process steps have not been described in particular detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Unless otherwise indicated, like parts and processes are referred to with like reference numerals.

#With reference to FIG. 1, the flow of information through processes for designing, customizing and transmitting a Web page, and its associated User interface, is illustrated. One or more User related data may be used as inputs into a Rules Engine 107. The User related data may include, but is not limited to, search terms entered by the User into a search engine 100, past products purchased by the User 101, the path the User used to navigate through the Web site 102, the number of visits to the Web site 103, the length of time since the last visit 104 (usage patterns), demographics of the User 105 and/or a self declared expertise level of the User 106. The User related data may be gathered from the current visit to the Web site, previous visits to the Web site or from other Web sites that have accessible data regarding the User.

#The topics on most Web pages tend to be related, but may be different enough that a User may be familiar with some of the topics while unfamiliar with other topics. For example, on a Web page operated by an Internet domain name registrar that offers various Internet services, one topic may be related to registering domain names, a second topic may deal with hosting accounts, while yet a third topic discusses information regarding email accounts, all on the same Web page. A User may easily have different levels of expertise for each of the topics on a single Web page. The number and combination of topics on a Web page are only limited by the imagination and desire of the Web site operator.