SYSTEMS AND METHODS RELATING TO A LEAD DISTRIBUTION ENGINE THAT ACCOMMODATES INTERNAL AND IMPORTED DESTINATION RELATIONSHIPS

• US 20080201202A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoWeb, Inc. (California)
• Original Assignee: Autobytel Incorporated
• Inventors: Dohoney, John L., Sward, Jeffrey E., Dunkle, Glenn R., Rose, C. Michael, Mathews, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Lead distribution systems and methods distribute consumer business leads received from lead sources for routing to one or more destinations that will use the lead and/or will forward the lead to another destination. The system identifies a set of most profitable destinations for each lead, while complying with business rules associated with the lead source and the destinations. For each lead, the system identifies a set of candidate destinations, each with associated business rules. The candidate destinations may include destinations with which the system has established business rules, destinations with which the lead source has established business rules, or both. For leads that may be multi-distributed, different business rules may apply to each time the lead is distributed. When both the lead distribution system and the source have different business rules established with a destination, the rules established by the source may take precedence over those of the lead distribution system.

Claims

1. A lead distribution system that distributes consumer business leads from lead sources to a plurality of lead destinations, the system comprising:

a computer readable storage medium configured to store information about lead destinations with which the lead distribution system has an established relationship, the computer readable storage medium further configured to store, for use in distributing leads received from a lead source, information about business preferences associated with the lead source, including, but not limited to, information about a set of lead destinations with which the lead source has an established relationship;

an interface system configured to receive a notification of a lead available from the lead source; and

a selection system configured to identify from the computer readable storage medium a set of one or more potential lead destinations for the lead, wherein the set may comprise lead-distribution-system-associated destinations, lead-source-associated lead destinations, or both.

2. The lead distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a lead fulfillment system configured to receive the lead and to distribute the lead to at least one of the set of one or more potential lead destination identified by the selection system.

3. The lead distribution system of claim 1, wherein the set of lead-distribution-system-associated destinations and the set of lead-source-associated lead destinations include at least one of the set consisting of:

a supplier of a product and/or service related to the lead, an entity that uses leads on behalf of at least one supplier, and a lead intermediary that distributes leads to other entities.

4. The lead distribution system of claim 1, wherein the computer readable storage medium is further configured to store information about business preferences of the lead source;

and wherein the selection system is further configured to identify the set of one or more potential lead destinations in accordance with the business preferences of the lead source.

5. The lead distribution system of claim 4, wherein the business preferences of the lead source specify a set of one or more destinations to which the lead source wishes to block its leads from being distributed, and wherein the selection system is further configured to block distribution of leads received from the lead source from being distributed to the one or more destinations.

6. The lead distribution system of claim 4, wherein the business preferences of the lead source provide a specified number of times that the lead may be distributed, and wherein, for a first portion of the specified number of times that the lead may be distributed, the selection system is configured to select the potential lead destination from the lead-source-associated lead destinations, and wherein, for a second portion of the specified number of times the lead may be distributed, the selection system is configured to select the potential lead destination from lead-distribution-system-associated destinations.

7. The lead distribution system of claim 1, wherein relationships with lead destinations are associated with levels of potential gain, and wherein the selection system identifies the one or more potential lead destinations based, at least in part, on preferred levels of potential gain associated with the lead-source-associated lead destinations and the lead-distribution-system-associated destinations.

8. A computer-implemented method of routing leads, comprising:

maintaining, on a first computer-readable storage medium, an internal listing of factors for use in determining where to route a lead;

maintaining, on a second computer-readable storage medium, a first imported listing of factors from a first lead source for use in determining where to route a lead from said first lead source, wherein some, all, or none of the factors on the first imported listing may be also on the internal listing;

determining a set of one or more lead destinations to which to route a lead from said first lead source, wherein the set of lead destinations are determined using factors drawn from either the internal listing, the first imported listing, or from both; and

routing the lead from the first lead source in accordance with the determination.

9. The computer-implemented method of routing leads of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining, on a third computer-readable storage medium, a second imported listing of factors from a second lead source for use in determining where to route a lead from said second lead source, wherein some, all, or none of the factors on the second imported listing may be also on the internal listing;

determining a set of one or more lead destinations to which to route a lead from said second lead source, wherein the set of lead destinations are determined using factors drawn from either the internal listing, the second imported listing, or from both; and

routing the lead from the second lead source in accordance with the determination.

10. The computer-implemented method of routing leads of claim 9, further comprising blocking the lead from the second lead source from being routed to a lead destination from the first imported listing, unless the lead destination is also on the internal listing or the second imported listing, or both.

11. The computer-implemented method of routing leads of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a lead;

determining whether the lead comes from the first lead source or the second lead source; and

determining a set of factors for use in determining where to route the lead based on whether the lead comes from the first lead source or the second lead source.

12. The computer-implemented method of routing leads of claim 8, wherein at least two of:

the first computer-readable storage medium, the second computer-readable storage medium, and the third computer-readable storage medium are the same computer-readable storage medium.

13. A lead distribution system having relationships with a first set of lead brokers and/or lead users to whom the lead distribution system may distribute leads, wherein the lead distribution system accepts leads for distribution from at least one lead source that has its own established relationships with a second set of lead brokers and/or lead users to whom the lead source may distribute leads, and wherein the lead distribution system offers each accepted lead to at least one member of a third set of one or more lead brokers and/or lead users, the third set of lead brokers and/or lead users being defined at least in part based on the first set and the second set of lead brokers and/or lead users.

14. The lead distribution system of claim 13, wherein the third set includes lead brokers and/or lead users that are from the first set, the second set, or both.

15. The lead distribution system of claim 14, wherein a first set of business advantages is associated with the established relationships of the first set, wherein a second set of business advantages is associated with the established relationships of the second set with lead distribution system, and wherein an offer of a lead to a lead broker and/or user that is in both the first set and the second set is governed by the established relationships of one of the sets, depending on which set is associated with business advantages that are preferred.

16. The lead distribution system of claim 14,

wherein the lead may be distributed up to a specified number of times;

wherein the lead brokers and/or lead users of the third set are ranked according to the desirability of distributing the lead to them; and

wherein the lead is distributed to a number of the top-ranked lead brokers and/or lead users in the third set.

17. The lead distribution system of claim 16, wherein the desirability of offering the lead to lead brokers and/or lead users is based on a perceived level of profit associated with distributing the lead to the lead brokers and/or lead users.

18. The lead distribution system of claim 16, wherein the number of number of top-ranked lead brokers and/or lead users to whom the lead is distributed is equal to or less than the specified number.

19. The lead distribution system of claim 13, wherein the third set includes lead brokers and/or lead users that are included in the second set and that are not included in the first set.

20. A computer-implemented method of distributing leads to lead destinations, comprising:

maintaining information about a first set of relationships with a first set of lead destinations;

maintaining information about a second set of relationships associated with a lead portal and a second set of lead destinations;

accepting an offer of a lead from the lead portal for distribution to at least one lead destination on behalf of the lead portal, wherein the at least one lead destination may be included in the first set of destinations, the second set of destinations, or both.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 further comprising:

establishing a relationship with the lead portal that comprises agreeing to block leads received from the lead portal from being distributed to one or more identified destinations; and

distributing leads received from the lead portal in accordance with the agreement,

22. A set of computer instructions stored on a computer readable medium for use by a general purpose computer, wherein the instructions direct the general purpose computer to:

store information about a first set of relationships with a first set of lead destinations;

store information about a second set of relationships associated with a lead source and a second set of lead destinations; and

select, for a lead received from the lead source, at least one lead destination to which to distribute the lead, wherein the at least one lead destination may be included in the first set of destinations, the second set of destinations, or both.

23. The set of computer instructions of claim 22, wherein the instructions further direct the general purpose computer to identify, when the at least one lead destination is included in both the first set and in the second set of destinations, which, of the first set of relationships and the second set of relationships, is associated with a greater perceived business advantage.

24. The set of computer instructions of claim 23, wherein the instructions further direct the general purpose computer to distribute the lead to the at least one lead destination in accordance with the set of relationships that has been determined to be associated with a greater perceived business advantage.

25. A system for distributing leads from a lead source, comprising:

means for storing information about a first set of relationships with a first set of lead destinations;

means for storing information about a second set of relationships associated with a first lead source and a second set of lead destinations; and

means for selecting, for a lead from the first lead source, at least one lead destination to which to distribute the lead, wherein the at least one lead destination may be included in the first set of destinations, the second set of destinations, or both.

26. The system for distributing leads from a lead source of claim 25, wherein said means for selecting at least one lead destination to which to distribute the lead is configured to access said means for storing information about said first set of relationships, said means for selecting at least one lead destination to which to distribute the lead being further configured to access said means for storing information about said second set of relationships, said means for selecting at least one lead destination further configured to use said stored information about said first set of relationships and said second set of relationships to determine a beneficial lead destination to which to distribute said lead.

27. The system for distributing leads from a lead source of claim 25, further comprising:

means for storing information about a third set of relationships associated with a second lead source and a third set of lead destinations; and

means for selecting, for a lead from the second lead source, at least one lead destination to which to distribute the lead, wherein the at least one lead destination may be included in the first set of destinations, the third set of destinations, or both.

28. The system for distributing leads from a lead source of claim 25, wherein the means for selecting a lead destination to which to distribute the lead from the first lead source and the means for selecting a lead destination to which to distribute the lead from the second lead source further are the same and further comprise:

means for determining whether a received lead is from said first lead source or said second lead source; and

means for determining whether to consider the second set of destinations or the third set of destinations when selecting the lead destination to which to distribute the lead, based on the determination whether the lead is received from said first lead source or said second lead source.