GB2530801A

GB2530801A - Administering a family of websites

Info

Publication number: GB2530801A
Application number: GB1417496.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Diego Miguel Herrera
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-10-03
Filing date: 2014-10-03
Publication date: 2016-04-06
Also published as: GB201417496D0

Abstract

This is a method for editing or administering a plurality of daughter, or subsidiary, websites for a company using its father, or main, website. The client 401, will have a single main, or father website 402 which will have software that allows the user to either create or edit a plurality of daughter, or subsidiary websites, 403, 404, 405. There will also be a connection means that allows the father, or main, website to communicate with the daughter, or subsidiary websites. This communication may also be encrypted. The method may also be used to form an intranet, extranet or be used across a public internet. The father, or main, website may be behind a firewall. The daughter, or subsidiary, sites also do not store information about visitors. This is all stored on the father, or main, website to make it inaccessible to hackers.

Description

Administering a Family of Websites

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of administering a family of websites.

Background of the Invention

[0002] In an increasingly digital age the importance of an internet presence for a business cannot be underestimated. The position of a company in a set of search results can be crucial between a potential customer selecting that company or a competitor.

[0003] A number of things can affect the likelihood of a business appearing in a given search including location of the searcher, search terms used, prior searches, and whether the business have paid for a "prime search position".

[0004] A company may have one host website which houses a plurality of pages each for a different product (Figure 1A, 101, 102, 103). However, the host site (104) may be the only site that appears in the top search results, making new customer contact unlikely. While the plurality of pages may be indexed by a search engine they are unlikely to rank as highly as a dedicated and specialized website.

[0005] With reference to figure 1B, one solution tried is for a company to have a plurality of websites (105, 106, 107) trading as different names of spin off companies, but all part of the same mother company (108). This significantly increases the chances of a daughter site appearing in search results due to increased number of suitable websites or that the sister sites are tailored to specific purposes or search terms. Hence, attracting a specific demographic of customer.

[0006] However, from this arises the problem of managing the plurality of individual websites. In the simplest aspect, one company having three websites must then as worst (assuming completely different websites) triplicate the administration time. Furthermore, if each website comprises a shop (109) there is an increased security risk from peoples of nefarious motive hacking into the website for sales details and data mining from databases associated with those websites.

[0007] U56701343B1 discloses a system and method for automated website creation and access. As such US6701343B1 discloses a method for the rapid creation of a plurality of discrete sites which are not linked to each other, and further provides that these sites may be automatically archived if no longer used to prevent a buildup of defunct websites in search results. US6701343B1 does not teach how such a system may be used commercially, but is instead aimed at community group websites. As such US6701343B1 does not solve the problem of centrally administering a plurality of websites, nor does US6701343B1 deal with the security risk through the proliferation of sales data databases on a plurality of websites.

Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present method provides a system of administering a plurality of daughter satellite sites from a single father website. The father website may create and edit the daughter websites. The father website may also distribute content to the daughter sites and the daughter sites may in return send content back to the father website. The father website may be located behind a firewall and accessed only by an administrator or by the daughter websites in communication. The father website may therefore host sensitive information such as databases with reduced risk of data theft.

[0009] According to a first aspect there of the present invention, there is provided a method of administering a tam ily of websites comprising; at least one father site stored on a host server accessible over a network by at least one user having a device; and a plurality of daughter sites stored on a host server and editing means for a user to edit to create additional daughter sites via the father site; editing means for a user to edit the plurality of daughter sites from the father site; connection means for the father site to communicate with the plurality of daughter sites; and connection means for the plurality of daughter sites to communicate with the father site.

[0010] Preferably the communications are encrypted.

[0011] Suitably the method may be used to form an intranet.

[0012] Alternatively, the method may be used to form an extranet.

[0013] Potentially, the method may be used across a public internet.

[0014] Preferably the father site may further comprise a database.

[0015] As such the father site may be behind a firewall.

[0016] Suitably, the father site may only communicate with the daughter sites.

[0017] Preferably the method of administering a family of websites may be implemented as described by figures 2 to 7.

[0018] Other aspects are as set out in the claims herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, there will now be described by way of example only, specific embodiments, methods and processes according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 represents the prior art website management situation.

Figure 2 is a schematic of possible server or end user device hardware.

Figure 3 a flow diagram of the present method. :is

Figure 4 is a schematic of the present method.

Figure 5 demonstrates the content transfer between websites.

Figure 6 depicts the effect of implementation of the method.

Figure 7 illustrates a possible user implementation of the method.

Figure 8 illustrates a potential website administration environment a user may be presented with.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0020] There will now be described by way of example a specific mode contemplated by the inventors. In the following description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. It will be apparent however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to

unnecessarily obscure the description.

[0021] The words "comprising/comprises" and the words "having/including" when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one of more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

[0022] With reference to figure 2 a typical hardware architecture of the website host server or the user's device is illustrated by way of non-limitative example. The terminal (201) is a data processing device configured with a data processing unit (202), data outputting means such as a video display unit (VDU, 203), data inputting means such as human interface devices (204), commonly a keyboard and a pointing device (mouse), as well as the VDU itself if it is a touch screen display, and data inputting/outputting means such as the wired or wireless network connection(s) to the communication networks(s) (205), a magnetic data-carrying medium reader/writer and an optical data-carrying medium reader/writer (206).

[0023] Within the data processing unit, a central processing unit (CPU, 202) provides task co-ordination and data processing functionality. The CPU is preferably a multi-core processor having several cores, each adapted to process a respective data processing thread simultaneously with the others. Examples of multi-core processors include Intel i3, iS and i7 processors manufactured by the Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, California, USA and the AMD Phenom X2, X4 and X6 manufactured by the Advanced Micro Devices Corporation of Sunnyvale, California, USA.

[0024] Instructions and data for the CPU (202) are stored in memory means. Memory means comprises non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM 207) or Read-Only Memory (ROM' 208), in which a first set of instructions for the CPU (202), known as the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is permanently stored for initializing the terminal hardware whenever it is started up.

Memory means further comprises Random-Access Memory (RAM') in which a second set of instructions for the CPU (202), known as the Operating system (OS'), is loaded from a Hard Disk Drive (HDD' 209) unit for using the terminal whenever it is started up. The OS is for instance Windows 7 Professional, distributed by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, USA.

[0025] The HDD (209) facilitates no-volatile storage of the instructions and the data in data files. A wired and/or wireless network interface card (NIC 205) provides the interface to the network connection(s). A universal serial bus (USB 204) input/output interface facilitates connection to the keyboard and pointing devices, as well as a multitude of further USB configured devices, for instance a camera (not shown) for providing images or video to upload to a website. :15

[0026] All of the above components are connected to a data input/output bus, to which the magnetic data-carrying medium reader/writer and optical data carrying medium reader/writer are also connected. A video adapter receives CPU instructions over the bus for outputting processes data to the VDU (203). All the components of the data processing unit are powered by a power supply unit (210), which receives electrical power from a local mains power source and transforms the electrical power according to component ratings and requirements.

[0027] The hardware architecture of the server or user device described hereinbefore corresponds generally to a personal computer, however it will be readily understood by the person skilled in the art from the foregoing that the inventive concept will be easily adapted to any networkable data processing terminal having an alternative hardware architecture providing at least comparable data processing and communication functionalities.

[0028] The server or user device can therefore receive, store, process and communicate electronic data pertinent to the designed website, such as but not exclusively, sales requests, stock details, customer details, images, text and live information feeds.

[0029] Figure 3 illustrates a flow diagram (301) of the present method.

Once an access device has booted (302, typically the PG of the administrator or a person charged with managing or creating one of the plurality of daughters).

The administrator (or other suitable person) inputs their credentials (303) to the father site access management system (304) which compares the log in details to those held in a database of registered administrators or persons granted access.

If the details match then the management system grants the person access to the father site. If the credentials do not match then access is denied. Login authentication technology such as HTAACCESS, PHP, ASP or SSH may be used, although it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other suitable login technologies are available. :is

[0030] Once the father site has been successfully accessed then a number of options are present. The user is presented with a content management system and may select to create a new daughter site (305) or edit an existing website (306).

[0031] If the user edits an existing daughter site then the program pushes the desired content to the daughter (307). The user may enter or upload content specific to that daughter site, which is recorded by a database with a record of the content to be pushed to that daughter site. Each daughter site has it's own record in the database, and each daughter site is assigned a unique entry ID as a unique site identifier. The database may comprise core database content, and the database may be stored on a primary server. Database content may include, but is not limited to photography, documents and other associated media relevant to the desired daughter site.

[0032] Daughter sites may be a subdomain or a remote Domain name system (DNS) zone.

[0033] The database may be coded in MYSOL, although it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other coding languages may be used. The data may then be transmitted in PHP code, using transmission methods such as FTP, XMLHttpRequest, cURL although it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that other languages and transmission methods are suitable. Html meta data may form part of the transmitted content from the father site to the daughter site.

[0034] The database may further comprise other records containing generic content or content that is shared across daughter sites. The user may select such content as appropriate and label it to be added to the record of the daughter site they are creating or amending.

[0035] Once the user has completed or is satisfied with their creation or amendment then the father site pushes the content as detailed by the database record, to the daughter site. For a new daughter site connection details such as but not exclusively, FTP information must be entered to allow the father site to connect to the daughter site.

[0036] The daughter site may receive content in the form of computer code which the daughter site then stored and parsed to produce derived content.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the daughter sites may be periodically updated with content either manually by a user, or automatically using means such as but not limited to, server side scheduled tasks.

[0037] The process may then begin anew.

[0038] The father site may also check for new content (308) inputted by an end user or third party data collected by the daughter site. Such data may include but is not limited to, statistics, orders and user account information. The father site may check for such data either periodically at a time and interval specified by the user (309), or the daughter site my automatically push (310) such content to the father site upon the daughter receiving the external data. Suitably, data may be pushed to the father site via a user demand trigger.

[0039] As such the daughter site may comprise a database for the collection of data desired by the user. Such data, once pushed to the father site may be deleted from the daughter site once the data has be forwarded.

[0040] The connection between the father site and daughter site may be maintained, intermittent or severed. Upon severing the daughter site may function as a full website in its own right.

[0041] As such it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that each daughter site may then be submitted to search engines in order to gain a high ranking for each daughter site.

[0042] With reference to figure 4 the present method consists of a client, embodied by an end user (401) who is charged with administering a family of websites.

[0043] The client (401) may be represented by a conglomerate company whose interests a very broad and cannot adequately be depicted by a single central website.

[0044] Alternatively, the client (401) may also be a federation of small businesses or a franchise, who require consistency between websites, which are to be centrally administered but require some individual amendments.

[0045] A father site (402) is created which, as suits the client, may or may not be visible or accessible to anyone other than an administrator or intended user.

[0046] The father site (402) is equipped with facilities to allow an end user to create a family of daughter sites (403, 404, 405) directly from the father site and push content from the father site to those daughter sites.

[0047] Such content includes images, text, page designs, and any other suitable or required items.

[0048] The father site is further equipped with editing facilities such that the daughter sites may be edited by the end user.

[0049] The father site may also be equipped with retail machinery such as means to receive payment, deal with stock (recording sales and processing orders).

[0050] The daughter sites accordingly may be provided with means to communicate such orders and payment details to the father site for processing.

[0051] Advantageously the daughter sites as such do not store any information about a visitor to that site and their purchase but rather forwards that information to the father site for processing.

[0052] As such there is no data for an attacker to acquire should a daughter site be hacked. This provides increased security to the client business.

[0053] The daughter sites may also push other information back to the father site, if for example the daughter sites represent different arms of a business then an arm organizing a particular event may forward those details back to the father site.

[0054] Such sites may be programmed out of any suitable language such as Hypertext Preprocessor code (PHP), Extensible markup language (XML), or hypertext markup language (HTML), though it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that there may be other suitable programming languages.

[0055] Referring to figure 5, the father site (501) and daughter site (502) are in direct communication with each other with the father site being able to push content directly to the daughter sites (502), including but not limited to automatic content updates (503), website designs] styles (505), text and images.

[0056] The daughter sites may forward a plurality of useful data back to the father site such as sales (506), feedback (507), orders (508) and visitor details (509).

[0057] As such there is two-way communication between the father site and the daughter sites.

[0058] The father site may push content (510) to all of the daughter sites, updating all the satellite sites in a single process or individually in the case that tailored websites are required.

[0059] The effects of the implementation of such a system are apparent with regard to web site optimization. With reference to figure 6, where previously a business may have had a single entity visible in search results (6A, 601) the present method may be used to obfuscate a single entity and provide a plurality of portals to daughter websites of that company (6B, 602, 603, 604).The multitude of daughter websites created, each with their own potentially unique appearance, may give an impression to a customer that each site is it's own business.

[0060] Likewise the daughter sites may be tailored such that each site may appear for a different set of search terms once again, advantageously increasing potential customer numbers to a company. Such products may be non-typical for a company and potential customers are more likely to be shown the pertinent daughter site in a given search for those non-typical products.

[0061] Figure 7 illustrates a network of father (701) and daughter (702, 703, 704) websites that communicate via server (705). Communications may be sent (706) and received (707) from both the father and daughter websites.

[0062] As such a communication or update may be dynamically transferred from the father site and populated to all or some of the daughter sites.

[0063] However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present method may be arranged such that the communications are one way, either just from the daughter sites to the father, or from the father to the daughters.

[0064] Suitably the transfer of information is made by a direct connection and may be used to send or receive text, images, files or other appropriate content obvious to one skilled in the art.

[0065] Content may be received from a particular daughter site (704). The present method therefore allows the system to form pad of an intranet, wherein different parts of a company or group may send information relating specifically to their section back to the father site.

[0066] Figure 8 shows a user interface, by way of non-limitative example.

The user of the father site (801) would be presented with administrative options (802), a list of the daughter sites present (803), options to create or edit those daughter sites.

[0067] The system would present the user options to transmit content to some of all of the daughter sites, and also present content received (804) from the daughter sites to the user, such as sales requests, stock information, customer details, intranet updates, company site updates.

[0068] Such a system could be used on the world wide web or other internets to connect with the general public.

[0069] Alternatively, the system may for an intranet connecting different departments of a single company, by way of non-limitative example.

[0070] Potentially, the system may also form an extranet connecting different company sites aiding in communication between different geographically disperse sites.

[0071] One possible implementation of the present method would be where the father site is instructed to update a daughter site. The instruction is encoded using PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor code (PHP), which may ultilise data stored as a database (such as a MySQLTM database). The PHP code creates an extensible markup language (XML) file which is then transferred, along with any images or other content to the satellite daughter website.

[0072] The daughter website may then read the XML code and display the content.

Claims

Claims 1. A method of administering a family of websites comprising; at least one father site stored on a host server accessible over a network by at least one user having a device; and a plurality of daughter sites stored on a host server and editing means for a user to edit to create additional daughter sites via the father site; editing means for a user to edit the plurality of daughter sites from the father site; :is connection means for the father site to communicate with the plurality of daughter sites; and connection means for the plurality of daughter sites to communicate with the father site.
2. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in claim 1 wherein; the communications are encrypted.
3. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the method is used to form an intranet.
4. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the method is used to form an extranet.
5. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the method is used across a public internet.
6. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the father site further comprises a database.
7. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the father site is behind a firewall.
8. A method of administering a family of websites as claimed in any preceding claim wherein; the father site may only communicate with the daughter sites.
9. A method of administering a family of websites comprising as claimed in any preceding claim as described by figures 2 to 7.