Lead Generation and E-Health: Searching a New Framework

The Action Mechanism

Based on two goals of searching for information or entertainment, the user enters the healthcare websites. Once the user has entered the websites, lead generation companies trace their behavior. In this mechanism, lead generation companies trace user behavior in certain time period to identify their behavior. After determining user behavior, it is classified in either health-oriented or non-health-oriented groups. The personal filtering system is a strategy employed in this mechanism. It is specific to non–health-oriented users and is employed after identifying these users. Health-oriented users are excluded from filtering system. Once non-health-oriented users enter the filtering system, their behavior is modified through specific guiding programs (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Designing the model of effective mechanism of tracing user behavior

These programs include placing pup-ups or advertising banners in which the ads of pleasant and ethical products are used and every time the user enters the website, these ads are displayed and after clicking on them, the user is linked to the relevant website. Another strategy of guiding the behavior is placing the user in more severe filtering system. This system is used for the users who do not respond to banners or pup-ups and continue their previous behavior.

Discussion

The users enter the virtual space based on two goals of getting information or entertainment. Achieving these goals seems necessary by the emergence of websites with various contents and goals. Identifying the interests and motivations of the users helps practitioners determine users’ behavior and prevent potential risks, in addition to finding target users. The mechanism designed in this study, makes it possible for practitioners to determine users’ behavior. This mechanism has several advantages: first, using the filtering system introduced, it becomes possible to exert a personal filtering system for IPs with unethical behavior. Second, by determining users’ behavior, the mangers of healthcare in the country would reach a kind of classification of users’ behaviors according to health, based on which they can develop their corporate strategies. Third, using guiding programs can modify and correct non–health-oriented surfing behaviors and prevent most cyber crimes committed by such users. More importantly, guiding activities which guidance organizations of the country are intended to realize can have an orderly and systematic pattern. Thus, placing pleasant and ethical ads such as pop-ups and banners can guide the behavior of non–health -oriented users.

Finally, it must be mentioned that the present study aims at developing a primary approach about what is called the application of lead generation in e-health. Continuing studies on developing a concrete conception of new concept can pave the way for outcomes which reflect more problems in the area of healthcare. The prospective researchers are recommended to conduct quantitative studies on these two concepts and make more connection between them in practice.