Promoting A Web Technology Through A Virtual Service Marketplace

• US 20090070235A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabyte, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Metabyte, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Manu, Slater, Lynn R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace. Online tools are provided on a host website for creating a project website. The host website comprises the virtual service marketplace. A user defines a project and proposes the project to multiple consultants in the virtual service marketplace. The consultants bid for the proposed project in the virtual service marketplace. Core controlling factors set by the user during project definition are synchronized with core controlling factors set by the project consultant. The user selects a project consultant based on the synchronization. The selected project consultant creates the project website using the online tools. The user pays the selected project consultant for creating the project website. The presence of the virtual service marketplace promotes the web technology and the growth in numbers of users and consultants familiar with the web technology.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace on a host website, comprising the steps of:

providing online tools on said host website for creating a project website, wherein the host website comprises said virtual service marketplace;

defining a project by a user, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and core controlling factors associated with the project;

proposing said defined project by said user to a plurality of consultants in the virtual service marketplace to create said project website;

bidding for said proposed project by one or more of said consultants in the virtual service marketplace;

synchronizing said core controlling factors set by the user for the defined project with core controlling factors set by the consultants;

selecting a project consultant from the consultants by the user, wherein said project consultant is selected based on said synchronization;

creating the project website by the selected project consultant using said online tools on the host website; and

paying the selected project consultant by the user for creating the project website;

whereby said creation of the project website through the virtual service marketplace using the online tools promotes said web technology on the host website.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user and the consultants register with the host website to create the virtual service marketplace and to gain access to the online tools.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the project website is one of an interactive website, a business website, a gaming website, a news website, a shopping website, and a social networking website.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online tools on the host website are used to modify and enhance one of said created project website and a pre-existing project website.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said core controlling factors associated with the project comprise a pricing model for the project, turnaround time, a payment plan, payment details, and initiation amount placed in a project fund of the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to become an independent project consultant and seek businesses to draw more users to the host website, thereby promoting the host website through the virtual service marketplace.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating the project website by the user using the online tools of the host website.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of paying the selected project consultant comprises generating a commission for the host website.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the consultants create packages comprising descriptions of example projects and core controlling factors associated with said example projects.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein said packages are shared between the consultants to establish the virtual service marketplace of variants of particular packages and to increase visibility of the packages on the host website.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of listing status of the consultants and consultant applications on the host website.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying the user and the consultants of bids, changes in the core controlling factors, and status of the creation of the project website.

13. A computer implemented system for promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace on a host website, comprising:

a graphical user interface provided on said host website comprising online tools for creating a project website;

a project generation module comprising;

a project definition module for enabling a user to define a project and to propose said defined project to a plurality of consultants in said virtual service marketplace to create said project website;

a consultant selection module for enabling said user to select a project consultant from said consultants;

a project creation module for creating the project website by said selected project consultant using said online tools on the host website; and

a payment and fund management module for enabling the user to pay the selected project consultant for creating the project website;

a bidding system comprising;

a bid creation engine for enabling one or more of the consultants to create bids for said proposed project in the virtual service marketplace; and

a bid synchronization engine for synchronizing core controlling factors set by the user with core controlling factors set by the consultants for the proposed project.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and said core controlling factors associated with the project, wherein the core controlling factors comprise a pricing model for the project, turnaround time, a payment plan, payment details, and initiation amount placed in a project fund of the user.

15. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said payment and fund management module generates a commission for the host website.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project generation module further comprises a package creation module for creating packages by the consultants, wherein said packages comprise descriptions of example projects and core controlling factors associated with said example projects.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 16, wherein said package creation module shares the packages between the consultants to establish the virtual service marketplace of variants of particular packages and to increase visibility of the packages on the host website.

18. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a registration module for registering the user and the consultants with the host website.

19. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project creation module enables the user to create the project website using the online tools of the host website.

20. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a listing module for listing the consultants in the virtual service marketplace along with the expertise and qualifications of the consultants.

21. The computer implemented system of claim 20, wherein said listing module lists status of the consultants and consultant applications on the host website.

22. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a notification engine for notifying the user and the consultants of bids, changes in said core controlling factors, and status of said creation of the project website.

23. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project generation module further comprises a feedback and ranking engine for providing feedback on the consultants by the user and ranking the consultants based on created project websites.

24. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a database for storing a list of users, a list of the consultants, profiles of said users, profiles of the consultants, a list of projects defined by the users, bid expiration dates of said projects, said core controlling factors of the projects, wherein the core controlling factors comprise a pricing model for the projects, turnaround times, a payment plans, payment details, and initiation amount placed in project funds of the users, and a list of packages defined by the consultants.

25. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:

a first computer parsable program code for providing online tools on a host website for creating a project website, wherein said host website comprises a virtual service marketplace;

a second computer parsable program code for enabling a user to define a project, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and core controlling factors associated with the project;

a third computer parsable program code for enabling said user to propose said defined project to a plurality of consultants in said virtual service marketplace to create said project website;

a fourth computer parsable program code for enabling one or more of said consultants to bid for said proposed project in the virtual service marketplace;

a fifth computer parsable program code for synchronizing said core controlling factors set by the user for the defined project with core controlling factors set by the consultants;

a sixth computer parsable program code for enabling the user to select a project consultant from the consultants based on said synchronization;

a seventh computer parsable program code for creating the project website using said online tools on the host website; and

an eighth computer parsable program code for paying the selected project consultant for creating the project website.