SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING A NETWORK-BASED USER REFERRAL PROGRAM

摘要

A system for implementing a referral program includes a referral tracking system capable of tracking referrals of users from participant sites to a merchant site, and capable of determining whether such referrals result in purchases. The referral program participants may select particular catalog items to recommend, and may provide encoded links on their sites to the corresponding catalog pages of the merchant site. The system may include a report generation system that provides the participants with activity reports regarding the referral and purchase activity attributable to such links.

主权项

1. A system, comprising:
a first server system that hosts a first site in a first network domain, the first site comprising an electronic catalog that includes item detail pages corresponding to respective catalog items, the item detail pages associated with corresponding uniform resource locators, said first site including functionality for users to select and purchase catalog items; a second server system that hosts a second site in a second network domain, the second site associated with a referral program participant, the second site comprising a page that includes a user-selectable link to an item detail page of the first site, the item detail page corresponding to a particular catalog item, the link comprising a uniform resource locator corresponding to the item detail page, the uniform resource locator comprising an identifier of the catalog item and an identifier of the referral program participant, the page additionally including information provided by the referral program participant about the catalog item, said information being distinct from content included on the item detail page; and a referral tracking system that is responsive to user selection of the link by recording a referral event in association with the identifiers of the referral program participant and catalog item, the referral tracking system additionally configured to determine whether the referral event results in a purchase transaction on the first site.