Facilitating the sale of ad items via the internet

• US 20040254853A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AdPay, Inc. (Ancestry.com Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AdPay, Inc. (Ancestry.com Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rieger, Michael H., Heene, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating the sale of classified ad items are provided. According to one embodiment, a linkage is created between a print advertisement and an online counterpart. Consumers are encouraged to view and/or purchase online an item for sale in the print classified ad. For example, a graphic, text, icon or other indicia may indicate the item is also accessible in an online environment. According to another embodiment, ad data for an e-commerce enabled online classified advertisement is originated by a periodical publisher via a call center and passed to the e-commerce system. In another embodiment, consumers placing an order for an advertisement are provided with multiple e-commerce selling format options that define the manner in which an e-commerce application will attempt to sell the subject of the ad. For example, the consumer may select a fixed price, a negotiated price, or an auction selling format.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by ad placement software associated with a periodical publisher, information associated with a classified advertisement, including, but not limited to, contact information for a seller of a subject of the classified advertisement, a text description of the subject, and a price of the subject;

storing the information associated with the classified advertisement within a first database associated with the ad placement software;

enabling a transaction relating to the subject of the classified advertisement to be completed online by transferring the information associated with the classified advertisement from the first database to a second database associated with an e-commerce application; and

creating an online version of the classified advertisement by transferring the information associated with the classified advertisement from the first database to a third database associated with an online classified advertisement system and adding e-commerce linkage information to cause a hyperlink to the e-commerce application to be displayed as part of the online version of the classified advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the classified advertisement to be printed in a classified section of a periodical; and

associating with the classified advertisement, an indication that the subject of the classified advertisement is available for viewing or purchase in an online environment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing a house ad to be printed in the periodical that encourages prospective sellers of products or services to order e-commerce enabled online classified advertisements.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing a house ad to be printed in the periodical that educates consumers about the indication.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing a house ad to be printed in the periodical that educates consumers about the online environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodical comprises a newspaper.

7. A method comprising:

responsive to a request to place an online classified advertisement relating to an item for sale, presenting a plurality of e-commerce selling format options;

receiving an indication of a selected e-commerce selling format option of the plurality of e-commerce selling format options and information associated with the online classified advertisement, including a text description of the item for sale and a price associated with the item for sale; and

selling the item in accordance with the selected e-commerce selling format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said presenting a plurality of e-commerce selling format options is performed by or on behalf of a periodical publisher.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting an option that if selected results in a print version of the online classified advertisement having both information regarding the item for sale and e-commerce indicia identifying the print version of the online classified advertisement as having an e-commerce enabled online counterpart.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at an online classified advertisement system, a request for online classified advertisements meeting one or more specified criteria; and

responsive to the request, serving a web page containing a plurality of online classified advertisements, each of the plurality of online classified advertisements including information regarding an item for sale and an e-commerce link associating the online classified advertisement with an e-commerce application;

wherein the item for sale associated with a first online classified advertisement of the plurality of online classified advertisements is available for purchase at a fixed price, and the item for sale associated with a second online classified advertisement of the plurality of online classified advertisements is available for purchase in accordance with a negotiated price selling format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information regarding an item for sale comprises contact information for a seller of the item, a text description of the item, and a price of the item for sale.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the e-commerce link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a hyperlink, a button, or a “

hot spot”

.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more specified criteria comprises an identifier contained within a print classified advertisement that uniquely identifies the item for sale associated with a first online classified advertisement.

14. A method comprising:

receiving at a periodical publisher a request from a consumer to place an online classified advertisement; and

responsive to the request, providing the consumer with one or more e-commerce options that enable a transaction relating to a subject of the online classified advertisement to be completed online by linking the online classified advertisement with an e-commerce application.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement at a fixed price.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to displaying pictures, multimedia and enhanced text.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement at a negotiated price, wherein a prospective buyer and the consumer arrive at the negotiated price by exchanging one or more of an offer, counter offer, rejection and acceptance via one or more forms of electronic communication.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement in an online auction.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the consumer with an option that if selected results in a print version of the online classified advertisement having both information regarding the subject of the online classified advertisement and e-commerce indicia identifying the print version of the online classified advertisement as having an e-commerce enabled online counterpart.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, at an advertisement system, a request for an online version of a print classified advertisement, the request including an identifier contained within the print advertisement that uniquely identifies a subject of the print advertisement; and

responsive to the request, serving a web page containing the online version of the print advertisement.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the online version of the print classified advertisement includes both information regarding the subject of the print classified advertisement and an e-commerce link associating the subject of the print classified advertisement with an e-commerce application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information regarding the subject of the print classified advertisement comprises contact information for a seller of the subject of the print classified advertisement, a text description of the subject of the print classified advertisement, and a price of the subject of the print classified advertisement.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the e-commerce link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a hyperlink, or a “

hot spot”

.

24. A method comprising:

receiving a request to place an online classified advertisement;

as part of an advertisement order entry process, presenting one or more e-commerce options, the one or more e-commerce options defining an online selling format according to which an e-commerce application will attempt to sell a subject of the online classified advertisement in an online environment;

causing a print version of the online classified advertisement to be printed in a classified section of a periodical; and

associating with the print version of the advertisement an indication that the subject of the classified advertisement is available for purchase in the online environment.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement at a fixed price.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement at a negotiated price, wherein a prospective buyer and a seller of the subject of the online classified advertisement arrive at the negotiated price by exchanging one or more of an offer, counter offer, rejection and acceptance via one or more forms of electronic communication.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to selling the subject of the online classified advertisement in an online auction.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more e-commerce options includes an option relating to enhancing the online classified with pictures, extended text and multimedia.