EP1732038A2 - Method and tracking system of a client-server network for ordering a product at an online shop - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves transmitting information regarding an activation of links from a client (2) to a tracking system. Another information relevant to an order of a product by a user (1) is transmitted from an online shop to the system, and the information is assigned in the system, when the user orders the product in the shop. An evaluation of the link is effected in the system based on a preset criterion and using the information. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a computer program, which is programmed to perform a method of ordering a product when the program is implemented on a client-server system (2) a client server system comprising a client assigned to a user and a tracking system.

Description

• eine von einem dem Online-Shop zugeordneten Werbepartner bereitgestellte Netzwerkseite mittels eines einem Benutzer zugeordneten Client über das Kommunikationsnetzwerk angefordert wird;
• die angeforderte Netzwerkseite über das Kommunikationsnetzwerk an den Client übermittelt und dem Benutzer angezeigt wird;
• der Benutzer einen auf der angezeigten Netzwerkseite dargestellten und dem Online-Shop zugeordneten Link aktiviert.

The present invention relates to a method for ordering a product at an online shop connected to a communication network, to which is assigned a number of advertising partners comprising at least one advertising partner and connected to the communication network

• a network page provided by an affiliate associated with the online store is requested via the communications network via a client associated with a user;
• the requested network page is transmitted to the client via the communications network and displayed to the user;
• the user activates a link displayed on the displayed network page and associated with the online store.

• der Client eine von dem Werbepartner bereitgestellte Netzwerkseite, auf der ein dem Online-Shop zugeordneter Link dargestellt ist, über das Kommunikationsnetzwerk anfordert;
• der Client Mittel zum Empfangen der angeforderten Netzwerkseite über das Kommunikationsnetzwerk und zur Ausgabe der Netzwerkseite an den Benutzer aufweist;
• der Client Mittel zum Aktivieren des auf der angezeigten Netzwerkseite dargestellten und dem Online-Shop zugeordneten Link durch den Benutzer aufweist.

The invention also relates to a tracking system for use in a client-server system. The client-server system comprises a client associated with a user, an online store to which at least one product is associated, a number of advertising partners associated with the online store comprising at least one advertising partner, the tracking system and a communication network by means of which Communication between the client, the advertising partner, the tracking system and the online store is possible, where

• the client requests a network page provided by the affiliate on which a link associated with the online store is displayed via the communication network;
• the client comprises means for receiving the requested network page over the communication network and for outputting the network page to the user;
• the client comprises means for activating the user's link displayed on the displayed network page and associated with the online store.

An online store is operated by a provider of products (goods or services). In this case, the online shop typically comprises a server in a communication network, for example the Internet. The online shop has network pages assigned by one also be connected to the communication network client can be requested. These network pages are also referred to as web pages and contain information regarding the products offered, such as selling price and technical details. A user of the online shop, that is, a potential customer, can buy a product offered by the online shop by requesting by means of the client a network page describing the product from the online store, selecting the product, and ordering an order regarding the selected one Product to buy the product.

An online shop should in particular also be understood as a provider of information. In this case, the information is the products of the online store. Ordering a product can also be the request for information. Such information includes, for example, news, stock market reports, pictures and music files.

Access to information itself can also be seen as the product of an online shop. For example, the online shop can offer access to a protected area. For example, a user orders this product by registering with the online store. The protected area may contain information that is only available to registered users. Ordering a product goes beyond what is commonly understood, for example, when buying a product, in the meaning used here. In particular, the ordering of a product is not necessarily tied to the payment of a purchase price.

The network pages which can be transmitted from the online shop to the client are usually stored in a memory area assigned to the online shop or are generated dynamically as a function of the request by the user.

During an ordering process, user-specific data is transmitted by the client to the server of the online shop, which describes, for example, an address and a bank account of the user. By means of this data, the online shop causes the provider of the products to send the selected products to the user and, for example, to debit the corresponding purchase price from a bank account of the user.

To describe the content of a network page, a so-called page description language is used. Nowadays, the standardized page description language HTML (Hypertext Mark up Language) is predominantly used. HTML allows you to describe the content and appearance of a network page in the form of a so-called HTML document. If, for example, the user makes a request to the online shop by means of the client, the online shop transmits the HTML document containing the requested information, for example descriptions, sales price and a view of a product, to the client. If the information transmitted to the client by means of the HTML document is to be presented to a user, then the network page or the HTML document is fed to a so-called browser. A browser is a computer program that is capable of interpreting HTML documents and displaying them on a data display device, for example a computer display, by means of a suitable graphical user interface.

In order to make potential customers aware of the online shop or products offered by the online shop, so-called advertising partners are assigned to the online shop. An advertising partner is the operator of a server that provides network pages that have a so-called link to the online store. In the following, this server itself is referred to as an advertising partner. Such a link can be activated by a user of the client. This causes the client associated with the user to be automatically prompted to request a network page from the online store. The network page requested in this way can be, for example, the main page, the so-called home page, of the online shop or a network page provided or dynamically generated by the online shop, which has, for example, a description of a product. If the online shop is assigned a tracking system, the request of the network side of the online store - usually unnoticed by the user - indirectly via the tracking system. So the tracking system knows about which link, from which advertising partner etc. the user has reached the online shop. It is conceivable that the tracking system moreover further information about the activation of the link are available.

Such a link is often displayed by means of a so-called advertising banner on the network side of the advertising partner. If the user activates this banner, a network page of the online shop is requested by the client assigned to the user.

The advertising partner can be designed, for example, as a so-called search engine. A search engine is a server connected to the communication network to which the user sends a request in the form of a search term by means of the client. Based on predefinable rules, the search engine determines information that is associated with the search term, depending on the transmitted search term. The search engine causes the information thus obtained (the search result) to be transmitted to the client via a network page. For this purpose, an HTML document is automatically generated in dependence on the information determined by the server, which is finally transmitted to the client and displayed to the user by means of the browser. Frequently, advertising banners are also displayed on the network pages generated by the search engines as a function of a request for information, the banners in turn being able to be made available by servers of special service providers via the Internet.

If the user buys a product from the online shop, the advertising partner generally receives compensation, as the user has been made aware of the online shop by the advertising partner. For example, the amount of compensation may depend on the percentage of the product's profit or purchase price. The remuneration can also correspond to a fixed amount of money. Placing links with advertising partners costs money and is only worthwhile if it results in a corresponding turnover with the advertised product (so-called return on investment).

It is also possible that the user has requested a network page from the online store and is purchasing a product at a later date without being alerted to the online store via a link displayed on a network page of the advertising partner. In this case, the advertising partner is not entitled to any compensation for the order placed. Customers who do not have a link, but directly accessing the network site of the online store, are particularly valuable for the online store, since they do not cost the placement of the link.

In order to determine whether the user was led to the online shop by the advertising partner, it is conceivable that the advertising partner transmits data to the client of the user when activating the link by means of which the client requests a network site of the online shop causes the client to store this data on a memory space associated with the client. This data may include, for example, an identification of the advertising partner. Upon request, the client can submit the stored data to the requester. If the requestor is the online shop, he can recognize whether the advertising partner is entitled to remuneration by checking whether the information contains an identification of the advertising partner, or whether any stored information is actually available to the client.

However, this method means that a server (here: the online shop) from a client (here: the client assigned to the user) can request data that has been transmitted from another server (here: the advertising partners) to the client. Such a procedure is not desirable for security reasons (for example, for privacy reasons), since this method makes it difficult to prevent a server from also requesting other data from the client.

To avoid this problem, usually a so-called cookie is used. If the user activates a link and requests a network page from the advertising partner via the client, the advertising partner will arrange for additional information in addition to the network page the client are transmitted and this information is stored in a memory area associated with the client. The information stored in this way is called a cookie. This is also called "setting a cookie". A cookie can also be set if the client activates a link displayed on a network page. If the client again requests a network page from the advertising partner, the cookie can be transmitted to the advertising partner together with the request from the client. A cookie is usually implemented in such a way that it can only be returned to the advertising partner who has arranged the client to set the cookie.

• Der Benutzer hat bei dem Online-Shop kein Produkt gekauft und somit fordert der Online-Shop den dem Benutzer zugeordneten Client nicht zur Übersendung des Cookie an den Werbepartner auf.
• Der Benutzer wurde nicht über den Werbepartner zu dem Online-Shop geführt und weist deshalb kein von dem Werbepartner gesetztes Cookie auf.

In order to determine by means of a cookie when a product is ordered, whether the user was led to it via an advertising partner of the online shop, the online shop causes the client to set the advertising partner assigned to the online shop the cookie set by this advertising partner to send. If the advertising partner then receives the cookie from the client, the advertising partner sends a message (so-called compensation claim) to the online shop, which then initiates a payment. If the advertising partner does not receive a cookie from the client, then he does not send a message to the online shop to receive any compensation. In particular, a cookie will not be sent to the affiliate if at least one of the two conditions is met:

• The user has not purchased a product from the online store and thus the online shop does not request the client assigned to the user to send the cookie to the advertising partner.
• The user has not been directed to the online store through the affiliate and therefore does not have a cookie set by the affiliate.

A cookie usually has a specifiable "lifetime" (for example, for reasons of data protection law), which describes a period of time during which the cookie should exist. After expiration, the cookie is automatically deleted by the client. Such a term of a cookie is for example 30 days.

A cookie can also be assigned a so-called confidentiality level. A confidentiality level of a cookie is determined, for example, depending on the type of data stored in the cookie. The more confidential the data, the greater the level of confidentiality. A browser, in turn, may provide the option to only set cookies of a certain level of confidentiality, or to send only cookies of certain confidentiality levels to a server requesting a cookie set at the client.

It is possible for a user to request from the advertising partner a network page having a link to the online store, the advertising partner to set a cookie at the client, but not to buy a product first. If the user requests a network page from the online shop at a later time by means of the client, without in this case following a link of the advertising partner, for example by direct selection of the online shop, and the user now orders a product, Thus, it is possible in the method described above that the advertising partner still receives a fee, if the life of the advertising partner set cookies have not been exceeded and the cookie has not been deleted.

If a user once again follows the link of an advertising partner within the lifetime of the first set cookie, no new cookie will be set but the already existing cookie will be updated so that the lifetime is reset to the specified value (eg 30 days again).

Typically, an online store has several advertising partners associated with it. Thus, when a product is ordered from the online store, the advertising partner must be determined via whose link the user was led to the online shop.

In order to determine the advertising partner in this case in a conducted order of a product by the user at the online store, over whose link the user was led to the online store, the advertising partner sets again at the client a cookie, on its network side Activation of the link displayed there, the user is led to the online store. If the user subsequently orders - or as described above, at a later time within the term of the cookie - a product at the online shop, the online shop initiates the client, that of the advertising partner, via whose link the user to the online -Shop, set cookie, to submit to this advertising partner. The affiliate who receives this cookie will then send a message to the online store, which will identify the affiliate and pay him / her compensation.

It is customary today for one or more of the advertising partners assigned to the online shop to be associated with a so-called tracking system. The term "tracking system" is a common name of a computer set up in a network environment running a computer program that realizes the method of tracking, ie the tracking and evaluation of the behavior of a user in the network. As a tracking system so a server of a communication network (eg. The Internet) is called, which can track the user behavior, for example, in online shops and evaluate. Information about the user (eg address, job, age, income, creditworthiness, etc.), information about purchased products (eg type, quality, price, etc.) as well as information about how the user accesses the online Shop has arrived (eg by direct input of the Internet address of the online shop (www.online-shop.de), by a link, type of link, placement of links, etc) are taken into account. Such a tracking system can be reached, for example, at http://www.zanox.de or at http://www.affilinet.de. On the one hand, a tracking system enables an online shop to select one or more of the advertising partners assigned to the tracking system. On the other hand, an online shop can deposit links and / or advertising banners there, which can then be displayed by potential advertising partners registered in the tracking system on their network pages. For example, a tracking system manages the advertising partners of an online shop. In this case, the online shop itself does not necessarily have to have information about the identity of the advertising partners themselves. However, the tracking system is expediently to inform the online shop regularly about the advertising partners currently assigned to the online shop.

If one or more of the advertising partners assigned to the online shop is assigned to a tracking system, then in the case of a product ordered by a user, the online shop initiates the client, all cookies stored there, from an advertising partner assigned to the tracking system the client has been set to submit to the respective advertising partner. In turn, advertisers who receive a copy of the client's cookie will send a message to the tracking system. The tracking system evaluates these messages and sends a bundled compensation claim to the online shop. Also in this case, there is the above-described problem of unwanted multiple compensation.

Currently, there are almost all conceivable forms and mixed forms of the above arrangements of advertising partners on the market. In particular, the case arises that an online store advertising partners of multiple tracking systems, as well as advertising partners who are not connected to any tracking system, are assigned. Almost always, if an online shop is assigned to several advertising partners and one or more advertising partners is not assigned a tracking system, the determination of the advertising partner, via whose link the user was led to the online shop and through the mediation finally the order of a Products came about, not possible. This leads for example to the above-mentioned multiple payments.

The form and content of the links displayed on the network page provided by an affiliate associated with the online shop can be specified by the online shop and / or by the tracking system. For this purpose is For example, it is customary for the advertising system to book certain key terms or search words from the tracking system and assign them to a specific form and content of a link. If the user then enters the booked search term via the client on the network page provided by the advertising partner, or if the posted keyword is displayed on the network page provided by the advertising partner, the corresponding link associated with the key term or the search term is displayed. The booking of keywords or search words at the advertising partners is subject to a charge and can be settled according to various criteria, such as the number of clicks. In this respect, the tracking system or the online shop has a great interest in booking the most effective keywords or keywords and assign them as effectively as possible suitable links. The aim is to book such key words or keywords that are often entered or emerge, and on the other as often as possible lead to ordering the product by the user at the online store.

In order to be able to check the effectiveness of the placement of the links with the advertising partners, it is known from the prior art to use the cookies stored on the clients. After a product has been ordered by a user via the client, an attempt is made to obtain a corresponding cookie or its content from the client. On the basis of the content of the cookie, it can then be determined whether the user came to the online shop via a link displayed on the network page provided by an advertising partner and, if so, which key terms or search words for representing the link on the advertising partner's provided network page. In this way, it is theoretically possible to establish a link between the links to the ordered products on the network pages provided by the advertising partners and to evaluate them accordingly.

In practice, however, it is common for users to regularly delete cookies stored on their clients. For privacy reasons, this should not and should not be prevented. However, this means that in such a case the effectiveness of the placement of the links can not be verified.

In addition, cookies have only a limited lifespan and are automatically deleted after the lifetime has been exceeded on the client. Thus, if there is a longer period of time between activating the link displayed on the network page provided by the affiliate and the actual ordering process that exceeds the lifetime of the cookie, the effectiveness of the placement of the links on the network pages provided by the advertisers can no longer be checked ,

This means that while it would theoretically be possible to check and evaluate the effectiveness of the placement of the links on the network pages provided by the advertising partners. In practice, however, this is only possible in very few cases.

Based on this prior art, the present invention, the object of providing a way to create a simple and inexpensive way the effectiveness of the placement of links on Check the network pages provided to the advertising partners and evaluate accordingly.

• automatisch mindestens eine Information bezüglich der Aktivierung des Links von dem Client an ein dem Link zugeordnetes und mit dem Kommunikationsnetzwerk verbundenes Tracking-System gesendet wird;
• automatisch von dem Tracking-System Informationen bezüglich der Aktivierung des Links bei dem Client abgelegt werden;
• bei einer Bestellung des Produkts bei dem Online-Shop automatisch Informationen betreffend die Bestellung von dem Online-Shop an das Tracking-System über das Kommunikationsnetzwerk übermittelt werden;
• in dem Tracking-System die Informationen betreffend die Bestellung bei dem Online-Shop mit den bei dem Client abgelegten Informationen bezüglich der Aktivierung des Links verknüpft werden;
• die Informationen betreffend die Bestellung bei dem Online-Shop einer eindeutigen Kennung des Benutzers zugeordnet werden;
• die einander zugeordneten Informationen betreffend die Bestellung bei dem Online-Shop und die eindeutige Kennung des Benutzers dem Tracking-System zur Verfügung gestellt werden; und
• in dem Tracking-System anhand der Informationen betreffend die Bestellung die eindeutige Kennung des Benutzers mit den bei dem Client abgelegten Informationen bezüglich der Aktivierung des Links verknüpft wird.

To solve this problem is proposed starting from the method of the type mentioned that

• automatically sending at least one information regarding the activation of the link from the client to a tracking system associated with the link and connected to the communication network;
• information about the activation of the link is automatically stored by the tracking system at the client;
• upon ordering the product at the online store, information regarding the order is automatically transmitted from the online store to the tracking system via the communication network;
• in the tracking system the information relating to the order at the online store is linked to the information stored on the client relating to the activation of the link;
• the information relating to the order at the online store being associated with a unique identifier of the user;
• the information associated with each other concerning the order at the online shop and the unique identifier of the user are made available to the tracking system; and
• in the tracking system based on the information concerning the order, the unique identifier of the user is linked to the information stored on the client relating to the activation of the link.

According to the invention, a method is proposed which allows a simple and effective way of a long-term evaluation of the ordering activities of individual customers, as well as the effectiveness of the links. This goes hand in hand with a reduction of the data traffic related to the order of the product via the communication network. This is achieved by avoiding the placement of unprofitable or inefficient links in advertising partners and the associated data traffic via the communication network.

The invention is based on the fact that at least once the order of a product completely, that is from activating the link on the storage of information regarding the activation of the link (eg in the form of a cookie) at the client to the order of the product at the online store without having the cookie deleted has to be executed. Due to special processing of the provided information in the tracking system, it is possible for subsequent orders of a product by the user at the online shop to process the information associated with the order even in relation to the previous orders and activations of Set to left if a cookie set on the client has already been deleted.

The process begins by the user activating the link on the affiliate's affiliate network page. The request of the network side takes place indirectly via the tracking system, which contains information regarding the activation of the link, for example in the form of a Cookies used by the client. The network site of the online shop is transmitted to the client and output to the user. The user then orders the product from the online shop. The online shop transmits information regarding the order to the tracking system. The information includes, for example, an order ID of the order. The tracking system knows that this order has come about because of the activation of the link and may relate to the information regarding the activation of the link concerning the information concerning the order. The mutually associated information can be stored in the tracking system, for example in the form of a table. The table includes as entries, for example, the order ID and information on the activation of the link, such as the advertising partner, the search word (if the advertising partner is a search engine), the browser used at the client, the day and time of activation, etc. In the online shop, after the order is placed, the order ID is assigned to a unique identifier of the user, for example a customer number. This can be an existing customer number or a new customer number. The order ID and the assigned customer number are then transferred from the online shop to the tracking system. The tracking system then links the customer number with the information concerning the activation of the link using the order ID. The order ID thus represents the information used in the tracking system to link the information relating to the activation of the link with the information concerning the order. In the tracking system, therefore, the order-dependent information (order ID) in a relation to the customer-dependent information (customer number) comprising generally several orders are placed.

For all subsequent orders can then be based on the unique identifier of the user eg. In the form of the customer number an assignment of the executed order to the information regarding the activation of a link to be executed. This works even if the client no more cookie is stored. This allows a long-term, complete and reliable assessment of the effectiveness of the links.

The information concerning the order, in particular the customer number of the user and the order ID, can either be transmitted from the online shop to the tracking system immediately after the order has been placed. However, it is also conceivable that the information relating to the order will be transmitted to the tracking system at a later date, for example, regularly in the evening or once a week or in the month. It is possible to transmit the information regarding various orders bundled to the tracking system. In addition to the order ID, information regarding the size of the order, in particular the number and value of the ordered product, may be transmitted to the tracking system as information relating to the order.

On the basis of the order-related information, in particular on the order ID of the order, it is possible to link to the information regarding the activation of the link. This is still possible even if, in the meantime, a cookie set by the tracking system on the client has either been deleted by the user or because the cookie has been exceeded. All information required to create the link exists with the tracking system. That's it For the first time it is possible to check and evaluate an evaluation of the effectiveness of the placement of links on the network pages provided by the advertising partners even if the cookie set on the client has already been deleted. This makes it possible for the first time to place the links on the network pages provided by the advertising partners in such a way that they lead as often as possible to an order of the product at the online shop associated with the link. As a result, the useless traffic (useless because tracking a user's order activity anyway is not possible because a cookie was deleted at the client) can be significantly reduced over the communication network. The process ensures that all transmitted data and information can actually be used to evaluate the buying behavior of a user. In addition, for example, the marketing or advertising budget of the online store can be used much more efficiently than before.

If in the method according to the invention the cookie set on the client has been deleted, for example because the browser used by the user has changed in the meantime, the information relating to the order, in particular the order number (order ID) of the ordered product, is retrospectively applied to the User (customer number) closed. For this purpose, the online shop also transmits the corresponding customer numbers to the tracking system for all order numbers. For each order number can then be closed via the customer number on the previous behavior of the user in the client-server network, in particular on the activated by the user, on the provided by the advertising partners network pages links.

If the inventive method is executed for the first time and for the first time a link between the two actions on the Internet (activation of a link and ordering a product) is to be made, initially the information stored in a cookie regarding the activation of the link is used. This information can then be used to correlate the activation of the link, on the one hand, with the user as the buyer of the product, on the other hand. The information relating to the activation of the link is preferably stored together with the information relating to the order of the product, which in particular comprises an order ID, and the unique identifier of the user together with information about the link in a memory area associated with the tracking system is. The stored information, in particular the information relating to the activation of the link, are then available on the basis of the unique identifier of the user for all subsequent orders, so that then can be dispensed with the transmission of the content of a cookie. Then, the assignment of the two actions in the Internet takes place solely on the basis of the stored information.

Whereas in the prior art every time a connection between two actions on the Internet, namely the activation of the link on the one hand and the order of the product on the other hand, is to be established, information regarding the activation of the link (eg in the form of a cookie) of the Client must be transferred to the tracking system, this is required in the invention only for the first order and not all subsequent orders. If such a cookie can not be transferred, for example, because the user has deleted the cookie on the client or if the cookie has reached its maximum lifetime and was therefore automatically deleted, in the prior art a connection between the two actions on the Internet can not be established. If, on the other hand, a connection between the two actions on the Internet has been established in the invention once with the aid of a cookie, according to the invention this connection can be established at any time using the unique identifier of the user even if no cookie is transmitted or can be transmitted ,

An advantage of the invention is that in the tracking system complete information regarding the ordering of products by certain customers can be recorded in the long term and thus be available for a reliable and long-term evaluation of the buying behavior of the customers. The procedure works even if a cookie stored in a client assigned to the customer has been deleted and thus the information stored therein is no longer available.

A further advantage of the invention is that the information contained in a cookie can only be accessed by the unit which has also initiated the setting of the cookie. Thus, if in the present invention, the tracking system has caused the setting of the cookie in the client, the information of the cookie can be read only by the tracking system. However, because the information of the cookie is stored in a memory area assigned to the tracking system in the invention, any units of the client-server system can access it. As a result, even a cross-system tracking evaluation of the buying behavior of users and a corresponding rating would be possible.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that an evaluation of the link is automatically executed in the tracking system as a function of at least one predefinable criterion and using the unique identifier of the user and the information stored on the client with respect to the activation of the link and to what extent the link has led to an order of the product by the user within a specifiable period of time.

Such a further developed method makes possible a particularly long-term observation of the purchasing behavior of the users and evaluation of the efficiency of links. The observation and evaluation period can be several months and even several years. Such a long observation and evaluation period would not be possible in the prior art, since the maximum permissible lifetime of cookies would be far exceeded. Only by the long-term observation of the buying behavior of the user and evaluation of the links, however, are particularly reliable statements about the buying behavior of a user or the efficiency of a link possible.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the client be further connected to the online shop by the activation of the link via the tracking system and the at least one information regarding the activation of the link, which is automatically sent from the client to the tracking system is in an information that the client has arrived by activating the link to the online store. According to this embodiment, the user does not reach the network side assigned to the advertising partner after activating the link directly, but indirectly via the tracking system to the latter Online store, from where the network page of the online shop assigned to the link is transferred to the client. This has the advantage that the tracking system knows exactly that the user has reached the online shop by activating a link. In addition, the tracking system gets in this way information about the nature and content of the link and the advertising partners. This information can also be used for a later evaluation of the buying behavior of the user and evaluation of the link.

The information regarding the activation of the link can be stored in any form at the client. Advantageously, the information relating to the activation of the link is stored in the form of a cookie at the client. The setting of cookies is triggered by activating the link. Activating the link also causes the automatic forwarding of the user to the network site assigned to the online shop via the tracking system. By forwarding to the network site of the online shop, the tracking system receives the necessary information for the content of the cookie. The content of the cookie includes, for example, a unique identifier of the client that can be assigned by the tracking system. Also, the content of the cookie may contain information about the link. In a memory assigned to the tracking system, at least part of the content of the cookie is stored and associated with this edge information. The edge information includes, for example, the date and time of activation of the link, a keyword that has appeared on the network page provided by the affiliate, and / or a search term that resulted in displaying the link on the network page provided by the affiliate. In addition, the edge information can be a unique identifier of the Advertising partners, and / or a unique identifier of the user, for example in the form of a network address of the client include.

Preferably, the information concerning the order, which is automatically transmitted from the online shop to the tracking system, includes an order ID. Furthermore, it is proposed that the information concerning the order at the online shop and the information stored with the client regarding the activation of the link be stored in a table associated with the tracking system. The table includes, for example, the order ID of the order and the associated information as to whether the order is due to the activation of a link or not.

Advantageously, the user's unique identifier is a customer number associated with the user. The information concerning the order at the online shop can be assigned to a unique identifier of the user, in particular the customer number, in any server of the communication network, for example in the tracking system. It is proposed that the information relating to the order at the online shop in the online shop be assigned to a unique identifier of the user, in particular the customer number. On the basis of the information available to the user (name, address, bank details, billing address, delivery address, etc.), the online shop can assign the user a specific customer number. This can be an existing customer number or a newly assigned customer number.

If the assignment of information regarding the order at the online store to the unique identifier the user takes place in the online shop, the tracking system for providing the information associated with each other concerning the order at the online shop and the unique identifier of the user comprises a transmission of the information associated with each other to the tracking system. If the assignment of the information relating to the order at the online shop to the unique identifier of the user in the tracking system, such information is not required.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmission of the mutually associated information concerning the order at the online shop and the unique identifier of the user from the online shop to the tracking system takes place offset in time to the ordering process. Preferably, the time offset is in the range of a few minutes to several days. The information assigned to one another can be communicated together for several orders.

The information concerning the order can be transmitted in any way from the online shop to the tracking system. It is conceivable, for example, a transmission over a separate network from the communication network, such as a mobile network or any other telecommunications network. Preferably, however, the information concerning the order is transmitted from the online shop to the tracking system via the communication network, in particular via the Internet.

Advantageously, the link is an advertisement banner displayed on the network side of the advertising partner, through which the Product, a particular product group comprising the product and / or the online store offering the product is advertised. The banner is preferably displayed only on certain network pages of the advertising partner. It is conceivable, for example, to display the advertising banner only on those network pages on which one or more predefinable key terms are contained. It is also conceivable to display the banner only on those network pages that were transmitted to the user and displayed there on the basis of a search query for a predefinable search word. The presentation of the advertising banner on the network side of the advertising partner is thus dependent on predefinable key terms or search words. Likewise, the form and content of the banner may depend on predefinable key words or keywords.

Preferably, the advertising partner is a search engine used to find network pages with a particular content in the communication network based on at least one search term. It is proposed that the content of the link and / or a link of a particular online shop with the link is selected depending on the search term. Preferably, the result of the evaluation of the link is taken into account when selecting the content of the link and / or linking a particular online shop with the link. In this embodiment, the presentation and form and content of the banner would be dependent on the entered search word. In particular, it is conceivable to dynamically generate the content of the advertising banner as a function of the entered search word. Thus, therefore, the representation of the link on the network side associated with the search engine and the content of the link would depend on the at least one search term. It is advantageous if an assignment of a link to certain Search words, that is a placement of the links on the network pages of the advertising partners, depending on the result of the evaluation. This can promote effective placements and prevent ineffective placements.

If the advertising partner is a search engine, it is conceivable that as information regarding the activation of the link, the at least one search term is transmitted to the tracking system. This search term can be taken into account when evaluating the link and used to determine the effectiveness of the links placed on the network pages of the advertising partners. Certain placements of links that never or only rarely lead to a product order can thus be prevented. Conversely, such links can be further promoted by links that lead to a product order above average, by these links are also placed on the corresponding search words associated network pages of other advertising partners. In this way, the marketing and advertising expenditures of the online shop can be used particularly effectively. In addition, the amount of data transmitted over the communication network is consistently reduced, as ineffective placement of links and thus the transmission of the content of these ineffective links to the user and the output or presentation of the link is inhibited by the user. The data to be transmitted via the communication network is reduced to the actually beneficial links.

Instead of using a cookie, the tracking system can also receive information about the user in other ways. So it is conceivable, for example, that the information regarding the activation of the link (eg a unique Identification of the user, the client and / or a running on the client and used to display the network pages browser) stored in the tracking system and used immediately for the evaluation of the link. Currently, such information about the user, such as a unique identifier of the browser used or a device address of the client (a so-called MAC address) transmitted only limited. However, it is conceivable that in the future this information may be transmitted without restrictions and used by the tracking system to obtain information about the user. In particular, against the background that it is becoming increasingly important to ensure security in the client-server system, it is quite conceivable that this information (at the expense of anonymity in the client-server system) will be transmitted in the future without any restrictions. Of course, the invention can also be realized with other unique identifiers, for example a browser ID.

Of particular importance is the realization of the invention in the form of a computer program. In this case, the computer program is executable on at least one computing device or a computer, in particular on a microprocessor of a server of the communication network, and suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. In particular, to execute the method according to the invention, parts of the computer program can run on different computing devices, for example on servers and clients of a client-server system. The invention is therefore realized by the computer program, so that this computer program represents the invention in the same way as the method which the computer program is suitable for executing.

The computer program is preferably stored on a memory element. A memory element may, in particular, be a random access memory, a read-only memory or a flash memory. The memory element can also be designed as a floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) and / or as at least one memory area assigned to at least one component of the client-server system.

The object underlying the present invention is also achieved by a client-server system comprising a tracking system according to the invention. The tracking system has means for realizing the method according to the invention. The means are preferably designed as a computer program that runs on a computing device of a server of the tracking system.

Figur 1

ein erfindungsgemäßes Client-Server-System, dessen Komponenten an das Internet angeschlossen sind;

Figur 2

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens gemäß einer ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;

Figur 3

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens gemäß einer zweiten bevorzugten Ausführungsform; und

Figur 4

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Ergänzen des Verfahrens gemäß Fig. 2 oder 3.

Other features, applications and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the drawing. All described or illustrated features, alone or in any combination form the subject matter of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency and regardless of their formulation or representation in the description or in the drawing. Show it:

FIG. 1

a client-server system according to the invention whose components are connected to the Internet;

FIG. 2

a flowchart of a method according to the invention according to a first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3

a flow diagram of a method according to the invention according to a second preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 4

a flowchart of a method for completing the method of FIG. 2 or 3.

A plurality of clients and servers are connected to a communication network in the form of the Internet and communicate via the Internet. These clients and servers in their entirety form a multimedia information system, the so-called WWW (World Wide Web). Network pages provided within the WWW are addressable by means of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). A URL is composed, inter alia, of the name of the server providing the network page, a directory (at least virtual) and a name assigned to the network page, for example the HTML document. A URL allows the network page associated with this URL to be dialed from a client. For this purpose, a user inputs, for example by means of a keyboard, the URL in a special input field of a special computer program, a so-called browser. The client then generates a request to the corresponding server, which in turn transmits the requested network page to the client. There, the transmitted network page is then represented, for example, by means of the browser. A browser is a computer program that is capable of HTML documents to interpret and display on a display by means of a suitable graphical interface.

A URL can also be assigned to an executable computer program on the server instead of a network page. Such a computer program is for example a so-called perl-script. A perl-script is a sequence of instructions encoded in the Perl programming language. When a client calls a URL associated with such a computer program, that computer program is run on the server. The execution of the computer program may also provide for transmission of information to the client, for example in the form of a network page. Of course, the computer program can also be implemented in another language, in particular in another script language, for example as java-script.

In an HTML document, it is possible to specify URLs of other network pages or HTML documents. Such URLs are referred to as links or links. If links are displayed to a user by means of a browser, the user has the option of selecting a displayed link and of displaying the network page corresponding to the selected URL by means of the browser. Of course, the selected network page can be on a different server.

Often, a second server, for example an advertising partner, is instructed by a first server, for example by an online shop, to display a link to a network page of the online shop on network pages which are transmitted by the advertising partner to a client requesting this network page. Such a link may be, for example, a so-called banner ad, which advertises by means of a textual and / or graphical representation for a product to be purchased via the online shop or a service brokered via the online shop. If the advertising partner is configured as a search engine, the online shop can instruct the advertising partner to display a link to a network page assigned to the online shop on a network page generated as a function of a search term entered by a user. This is also known as "placing a link" or "booking a search word". Typically, an online shop orders directly or indirectly via a so-called tracking system several advertising partners to represent links on their network pages.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a client-server system which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. A client 2 assigned to a user 1 has a memory area 3 and is connected to a communication network, which is designed, for example, as the Internet 4. The client 2 is designed, for example, as a desktop computer or as a laptop. The client 2 can also be configured as a so-called pocket computer or as a mobile telephone. The client 2 has means, not shown in FIG. 1, which enable the user 1 to interact with the client 2. Such means are for example a keypad for input, a pointing device (for example a so-called computer mouse), a touch screen or a microphone and for output a display or a loudspeaker.

The client-server system further includes a plurality of advertising partners 5, 6 connected to the Internet 4. The advertising partners 5, 6, for example, as Search engines (eg Google, Yahoo, Excite, etc.) be configured. The advertising partners 5, 6 can also be so-called information servers that provide general information, such as news, or topic-related information, for example on medical topics or on the subject of motor vehicles available.

In Figure 1 tracking systems 7, 8, and an online store 9 are also shown, which are also connected to the Internet 4. An online shop 9 can deposit links and / or advertising banners in a tracking system 7, 8, which are then displayed by potential advertising partners 5, 6 registered with the tracking system 7, 8 on their network pages. A tracking system 7, 8 thus manages the advertising partners 5, 6 of an online shop 9. The online shop 9 itself does not necessarily have to possess information about the identity of the advertising partners 5, 6 in this case. Expediently, however, the tracking system 7, 8 will regularly inform the online shop 9 about the advertising partners 5, 6 currently assigned to the online shop 9.

In the client-server system shown in FIG. 1, the advertising partners 5 are assigned to the tracking system 7 and the advertising partners 6 to the tracking system 8. Of course, this is just one example of a possible design of the client-server system. The invention relates to any number of an online shop 9 associated advertising partners 5, 6, which in turn can be assigned in any constellations of any number of tracking systems 7, 8 itself. It is also possible that individual advertising partners 5, 6 no tracking system 7, 8 are assigned.

Several computer programs run on the client 2, which enable the client 2 to exchange data with other components of the client / server system, that is to say the advertising partners 5, 6, the tracking systems 7, 8 and the online shop 9. One of these programs is for example a browser, by means of which the user 1 via the client 2 requested network pages are displayed to the user 1. If the advertising partner 5, 6 is designed, for example, as a search engine, the user 1 by means of the client 2 by entering a particular search word from the advertising partners 5, 6 certain information in the form of a hit list with addresses of network pages on which the search word is included or requesting a topic corresponding to the search term. The advertising partner 5, 6 transmits the requested information in the form of a network page on which the hit list is displayed. This is for example coded in the page description language HTML. If the client 2 receives the network page, it is prepared by the browser and displayed to the user 1 by means of the display.

The operation of the inventive client-server system in carrying out the method according to the invention will be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to FIG.

The method starts in a step 100. In a step 102, the user 1 requests, by means of the client 2 (for example, by entering a URL in a text input field provided in the browser), a network page from an advertising partner 5, 6 assigned to the online shop 9 , Such an advertising partner 5, 6 may be, for example, a so-called shopping portal, which has a plurality of links to various online shops 9 Provides. The user 1 - starting from the home page of the shopping portal - for example, ordered by industry, one or more links to one or more online stores 9 displayed. In an alternative example, for example, a specific search word could be entered on the start page of a search engine and the search could be started.

An advertising partner 5, 6 can in the broadest sense be any provider that provides network pages for retrieval by a client 2 by means of a server assigned to the provider. Providers of such network pages are, for example, commercial providers of information, but also private individuals who want to achieve financial gain by presenting links to online shops 9 on one or more of the network sites offered by them or who achieve this by making their network pages available in the Internet is free. In particular, the advertising partner 5, 6 but also be a search engine, wherein the call of a particular network page by the client 2 includes a search word and on the search engine the client 2 made available to the network page a list of other network pages or links to these further network pages, in particular the URLs of these other network pages.

The advertising partner 5, 6 causes in a step 104 that the network page of the advertising partner requested by the user 1 by means of the client 2 is transmitted to the client 2. For example, a dynamically generated network page with a hit list for the previously entered search word is transmitted to the client 2. In a step 106, the content of the network page, for example by means of a client 2, is provided to the user 1 running browser, issued. This network page contains a link to the online shop 9, for example in the form of an advertising banner, which is presented to the user 1 together with the network page. Of course, it is possible that the user 1 previously by means of the client 2 several other network pages and / or the same network page multiple requests from the advertising partners 5, 6 and, for example, reads the user 1 displayed by the browser on the monitor content without the link to activate the online shop 9.

Finally, in a step 108, the user 1 activates the link to the online shop 9 displayed on the network side. By activating the link, in a step 110 by the client 2 via the tracking system 7, 8 a corresponding network page of the online Shops 9 requested. In addition, in step 110, the client 2 transmits information regarding the link to the tracking system 7, 8. This information can, for example, consist in the fact that the tracking system 7, 8 is informed simply by the request of the network side of the online shop 9 that the client 2 has reached the online shop 9 by activating the link. The information concerning the link may also include additional information, such as information about the advertising partner 5, 6, to which the network page is assigned, on which the activated link was displayed, information about a search word that has led to the presentation of the link , Information on the date and / or time of activation of the link or information regarding the client 2, the browser or the user 1.

Activation of the link on the network side assigned to the advertising partner 5, 6 first causes the tracking system 7, 8 in a step 112 at the client 2 To set a cookie by the tracking system 7, 8 sends certain information to the client 2 and causes it to store this information in a step 114 in the form of a cookie, for example in the memory area 3. The setting of the cookie can take place in that a computer program stored on the tracking system 7, 8 is executed, for example as a perl script. The execution of the perlscript can be triggered by requesting a URL associated with this perl-script. The cookie may include the time, the date, an identification of the network site, and / or an identification of the link (eg, the banner displayed on the network page). In addition, in step 112, certain information concerning the link that the tracking system 7, 8 has previously received from the client 2 is stored in the tracking system 7, 8. This stored information includes, for example, information about the advertising partner 5, 6, to which the network page is assigned, on which the activated link was displayed, information about a search word, which led to the presentation of the link, information about the date and / or time of activation the link and / or information concerning the client 2, the browser or the user 1, in particular a unique identifier of the user 1 or of the client 2 assigned by the tracking system 7, 8.

The information stored in the cookie may contain information relating to an identification of the advertising partner 5, 6, an identification of the activated link, a time, and / or a date. The information stored in the tracking system 7, 8 in the step 108 is stored in a memory system 7, 8 associated memory area. In particular, it can be provided that this information is such be stored that an association with the stored in the client 2 cookie is possible.

Activation of the link on the network page assigned to the advertising partner 5, 6 also causes the online shop 9, in a step 116, to transmit the content of the network page requested by activation of the link to the client 2. This network page is, for example, the home page of the online shop 9 or a network page containing a description of a product offered by the online shop 9. The content of the network page of the online shop 9 is output to the user 1 in a step 118 by means of a browser via a display.

As a result, the user 1 may or may not order the product at the online store 9. It is assumed that the user 1 sometime on the network side of the online shop 9 passes. This can be done either immediately after activating the link displayed on the network page of the advertising partner 5, 6 (see step 118) or at a later time. In order to return to the network page of the online shop 9 at a later time, the user 1 can, for example, enter the URL of the network page directly into the browser. In a step 120, the user 1 is located on the network side of the online shop 9. The dotted connection lines to steps 114 and 118 are intended to illustrate that between the step 120 and the steps 114 and 118 also a longer period, for example several days , Weeks or even months, may lie. In order to ensure proper functioning of the method according to the invention, however, the user 1 must complete the method according to the invention at least once, ie from activating the link to to order the product at the online store. For subsequent orders, the user 1 can then access directly the home page of the online store 9, for example by entering the URL of the online store 9 in the browser, whereby thanks to the present invention still a complete and long-term record of the purchase activities of the user 1 is possible.

In a step 122, the user 1 then orders the product. Triggered by the order, the online shop 9 is prompted in a step 124 to transmit at least one item of information regarding the order to the tracking system 7, 8. This is preferably done via the Internet 4. The information includes in particular an order number (so-called order ID). The information may also include information about the type, the number and / or the price of the product ordered.

The tracking system 7, 8 requests in a step 126 from the client 2, the content of the stored there cookies. If a cookie is stored on the client 2, which should at least be the case in order to ensure the proper functioning of the invention, the client 2 transmits the content of the cookie to the tracking system 7, 8 in a step 128. the tracking system 7, 8 receives from the client 2, in the simplest case, can exist in a statement whether a cookie is stored on the client 2 or not. Based on this information, the tracking system 7, 8 learns whether the user 1 who ordered the product has activated a link before ordering or not, and if so, which link has been activated. By activating a link, the user 1 causes the online shop 9 costs, since the payment for the placement of the links in the advertising partners 5, 6 usually on the number of clicks is calculated. So-called existing customers are particularly valuable for the online shop 9 since they access the online shop 9 directly (for example by entering the URL in a browser) and order the product without first assigning them to one of the advertising partners 5, 6 Network page displayed link. The number of existing customers should be increased by a suitable choice of the placement of the links.

The information relating to the order (eg order ID) in the tracking system 7, 8 together with information about whether the user has come by activating the link or directly to the network side of the online shop 9, in a table in the Tracking system 7, 8 or stored in a memory area associated therewith (not shown). In the simplest case, the table thus includes, for example, one or more order IDs and associated information regarding the activation of the link (link was activated before ordering: yes / no).

Time offset to the order, for example after a few seconds, minutes, hours or even days or weeks, a corresponding customer number of the user 1 is assigned in the online shop 9 of the order made (for example, the order ID). The customer number with the assigned order ID is transmitted to the tracking system 7, 8.

The transmission of the customer number of the user 1 and the order ID to the tracking system 7, 8 can either - as shown in Figure 2 - immediately (a few seconds or minutes) after the order of the product. However, it is also conceivable that the transmission of the customer number at predeterminable times, for example. Regularly once a day (eg in the evening), takes place. It is possible that the customer numbers and associated order IDs of several Orders also different users 1 summarized and bundled together to the tracking system 7, 8 are transmitted. In the tracking system 7, 8, the unique identifier of the user 1 (eg, the customer number) and the information relating to the order (eg, order ID) is stored.

On the basis of the order ID, the tracking system then assigns the unique identifier of the user 1 (for example, customer number) to the information concerning the activation of the link (was a link activated in advance of the order and, if so, which one?). While the order ID is only assigned to the products ordered as part of an order, the customer number can include several, even temporally spaced, orders for products. New orders are then without the need for additional information from cookies on the basis of the customer number assigned to the already stored in the tracking system 7, 8 data.

The information on the activation of the links displayed on the network pages of advertising partners 5, 6 and on the order of the product at the online shop 9 are collected and stored in the tracking system 7, 8 for the corresponding customer numbers over a certain period of time. The period can also be relatively long, for example. Selected for several years. However, in order not to overload the storage space available on the tracking system 7, 8 and to have as up-to-date data as possible, it is recommended to delete at least the older data from time to time. The stored data can either all be deleted at certain times or only those data that have exceeded a certain age are deleted.

On the basis of these data, an evaluation of the links displayed on the network pages of the advertising partner 5, 6 can then be carried out at certain times as to whether and to what extent the link within a predeterminable period of time for ordering the product at the online shop 9 associated with the link led by the user 1. In this way it can be determined, for example, which advertising partners 5, 6 represent a particularly efficient placement of links and which search words allow particularly efficient placement of links, and which advertising partners and / or search words have led to a below-average or above-average order. Of course, other or additional criteria can be used for the evaluation. The evaluation of the link also allows to promote efficient links placement and, for example, to extend to other advertisers 5, 6 and reduce inefficient links placement, for example, by eliminating such placements. In this way it is possible to use the online shop 9 available budget for advertising and marketing particularly efficient. Another very important advantage is to be seen in a reduction of data traffic over the Internet 4, since it is dispensed with a transmission of inefficient links and the associated network pages. In particular, given the rapidly increasing traffic over the Internet 4, this is a very important aspect of the present invention.

The evaluation of the link is continued in a step 130, where the tracking system 7, 8 establishes a link between the activation of the link (information from the client 2 and the cookie) and the unique identifier of the user 1 (eg customer number). To establish the link, the information concerning the Order (eg order ID) used, the tracking system 7, 8 previously received from the online store 9. Finally, in a step 132, the actual evaluation of the link by the contents of the memory of the tracking system 7, 8, where information about the search word, the advertising partners 5, 6, the product, the sales, date and / or time are included , be evaluated. In a step 134, the method is then terminated.

For the exchange of information between clients and servers described above, a variety of mechanisms are known, which of course depend on the underlying communication network 4 and the communication protocols used for the communication. The use of cookies and the corresponding exchange of information is only one of many possibilities, especially if the communication network is the Internet 4. Of course, further embodiments of the method according to the invention and of the client-server system according to the invention are possible.

In a further order (see step 122), the online shop 9 again transmits at least one item of information relating to the order (eg order ID) to the tracking system 7, 8. In addition, in the online shop 9, an assignment of the Order related information (eg, order ID) to the unique identifier of the user 1. The data associated with each other are transmitted to the tracking system 7, 8. Based on the customer number, the user 1 or the order triggered by him can be assigned to the previous orders and the previous activations of links, and the link can be correspondingly evaluated without the content of the cookie from the client 2 being redirected to the tracking system 7, 8 transferred, that must be read out. The clear link between activated link and order can be made solely on the basis of the customer number.

The flow chart of an alternative embodiment of a method according to the invention is shown in FIG. The same steps are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. The method illustrated in FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 2 in particular in that the tracking system 7, 8 does not set a cookie on the client 2. Rather, the information relating to the activation of the link which the tracking system 7, 8 receives from the client 2 is stored in a memory area assigned to the tracking system 7, 8 in a step 140. In this case, in particular, this information includes information as to whether and when a link has been activated and what type of activated link is. In addition, the information may also include a unique identifier of the user 1, the client 2 (eg an IP address permanently assigned to the client 2) or the browser (eg a browser ID). Furthermore, the information may also contain information about the activated link, the search term entered by the user 1 before the presentation of the link, and / or the advertising partner 5, 6.

Another difference is that to rate the link no longer requires the content of the cookie from the client 2 must be requested. Instead, in a step 142, the information previously stored in the memory area in step 140 is loaded to be available for evaluation of the link. The actual evaluation of the link is as in the method shown in Figure 2.

FIG. 4 shows the flowchart of a possible supplement to the method according to the invention. It is proposed to carry out further steps subsequent to step 132 (evaluation of the link by the tracking system 7, 8). These include, for example, a step 150 in which information about the result of the evaluation is transmitted to the online shop 9. This is preferably done via the Internet 4. In this way, the online shop 9 is always informed about the efficiency of the links placed and may possibly take appropriate measures to improve the efficiency.

Alternatively or additionally, suitable measures are automatically taken by the tracking system 7, 8 in a step 152 to improve the efficiency of the placement of the links. These measures include, for example, in a step 154 an automatic termination of inefficient placements, wherein the links can be terminated both only in terms of their associated keyword and as regards the advertising partner 5, 6. In addition, particularly efficient placements can be improved by booking the link with the search term associated with it with other advertising partners 5, 6. Cancellation of existing placements or placement of new placements may be done by automatically generated emails sent to the recipient (electronic messages) or by automatically generated documents. From step 152, it is also possible to branch to step 150 in order to inform the online shop 9 about the measures introduced for improving the efficiency.

Claims (17)

A method of ordering a product at an online shop (9) connected to a communications network (4) to which is assigned a set of advertising partners (5, 6) comprising at least one advertising partner (5, 6) connected to the communications network (4) , in which a network page provided by an advertising partner (5, 6) assigned to the online shop (9) is requested via the communication network (4) by means of a client (2) assigned to a user (1) via the communication network (4); - The requested network page via the communication network (4) to the client (2) is transmitted (104) and the user (1) is displayed (106); the user (1) activates a link (108) displayed on the displayed network page and associated with the online shop (9), characterized in that - Automatically at least one information regarding the activation of the link from the client (2) to a link associated with the communication network (4) connected tracking system (7, 8) is sent (110); - Information on the activation of the link at the client (2) are automatically stored by the tracking system (7, 8); - in the case of an order (122) of the product at the online shop (9), information concerning the order is automatically transmitted from the online shop (9) to the tracking system; in the tracking system (7, 8), the information relating to the order at the online shop (9) is linked to the information stored on the client (2) relating to the activation of the link (130); the information relating to the order at the online shop (9) is assigned to a unique identifier of the user (1); - the information associated with each other concerning the order at the online shop (9) and the unique identifier of the user (1) are made available to the tracking system (7, 8); and - In the tracking system (7, 8) based on the information relating to the order, the unique identifier of the user (1) with the client (2) stored information relating to the activation of the link is linked. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the tracking system (7, 8) in dependence of at least one predetermined criterion and using the unique identifier of the user (1) and stored at the client (2) information with regard to the activation of the link, an evaluation of the link is automatically carried out (132) as to whether and to what extent the link has led to an order of the product by the user (1) within a predefinable period of time. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the client (2) by the activation of the link via the tracking system (7, 8) to the online shop (9) is further connected and the at least one information regarding the activation of the link sent automatically by the client (2) to the tracking system (7, 8) consists of information that the client (2) has reached the online shop (9) by activating the link. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the information relating to the activation of the link in the form of a cookie at the client (2) are stored. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the information concerning the order, which are automatically transmitted from the online shop (9) to the tracking system, include an order ID. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the information relating to the order at the online shop (9) and the information stored at the client (2) regarding the activation of the link in a table in the tracking system (7 , 8) are stored. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the unique identifier of the User (1) is a customer number assigned to the user (1). Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the information relating to the order in the online shop (9) in the online shop (9) are assigned to a unique identifier of the user (1). A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the provision of the mutually associated information concerning the order at the online shop (9) and the unique identifier of the user (1) the tracking system (7, 8) transmitting the information associated with each other concerning the order at the online shop (9) and the unique identifier of the user (1) to the tracking system (7, 8). A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the transmission of the mutually associated information concerning the order at the online shop (9) and the unique identifier of the user (1) to the tracking system (7, 8) offset in time to the ordering process he follows. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the time offset is in the range of a few minutes to several days. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the link is an advertising banner displayed on the network side of the advertising partner (5, 6), by which the product, a certain product group comprising the product and / or the online shop (9 ), which offers the product, is advertised. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the advertising partner (5, 6) is a search engine which is used for finding network pages with a specific content in the communication network (4) based on at least one search word. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the content of the link and / or a link of a particular online shop (9) is selected with the link depending on the search word. The method of claim 13 or 14, characterized in that in the selection of the content of the link and / or the link of a particular online shop (9) with the link, the result of the evaluation of the link is taken into account. Tracking system (7, 8) for use in a client-server system, a client (2) assigned to a user (1), an online shop (9) to which at least one product is assigned, at least one advertising partner (5, 6) comprising a number of advertising partners (5, 6) associated with the online shop (9), the tracking system (7, 8) and a communication network (4) by means of which a communication between the client (2) , the advertising partner (5, 6), the tracking system (7, 8) and the online shop (9) is possible, wherein the client (2) requests a network page provided by the advertising partner (5, 6) on which a link associated with the online shop (9) is displayed, via the communication network (4); the client (2) means for receiving the requested network page via the communication network (4) and to the output of the network side to the user (1); - The client (2) comprises means for activating the link displayed on the displayed network page and the online shop (9) by the user (1), characterized in that - The tracking system (7, 8) comprises means for receiving at least one of the client (2) via the communication network (4) transmitted information regarding the activation of the link; - The tracking system (7, 8) comprises means for storing information regarding the activation of the link at the client (2); - the tracking system (7, 8) has means for, when ordering (122) the product at the online shop (9), receiving information concerning the order of the product from the online store (9); - the tracking system (7, 8) has means for linking the information relating to the order at the online shop (9) with the information stored at the client (2) regarding the activation of the link; - The tracking system (7, 8) means for receiving associated information relating to the order at the online store (9) and the unique Identifier of the user (1); and - The tracking system (7, 8) comprises means for linking the unique identifier of the user (1) with the information stored at the client (2) regarding the activation of the link, wherein the link is based on the information relating to the order. Tracking system (7, 8) according to claim 16, characterized in that the tracking system (7, 8) comprises means for carrying out the method according to one of claims 2 to 15.

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