Method for refining an online marketplace selection for enhancing e-commerce

• US 7,110,967 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Everest Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Infopia, Inc (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: Hartman, Jalali, Haas, Terry, Espenes, Bjorn, Maas, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Application Number:
  US09/633,050
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/26.2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method and system for enhancing e-commerce transactions by placing product marketing information in front of targeted potential customers by analyzing the product, mapping it to one or more product categories, creating dynamic e-commerce Web sites for the product, selecting appropriate e-commerce marketplaces based on previous placement results and client-product objectives, placing the created e-commerce Web site on the appropriate e-commerce marketplaces, collecting data based on activity on the placed Web sites, and updating either or both of the created dynamic e-commerce Web sites or the e-commerce marketplace selection criteria. This invention also manages the transactions associated with the e-commerce facilitated by the process of placing the product information on the selected marketplaces. An e-mail manager is also provided to communicate with buyers and potential buyers as well as product clients.

Claims

1. A method for refining an online marketplace selection for enhancing e-commerce, with the assistance of computer hardware and computer software, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving product information into a product information database of a computer system;

b. mapping said product information into product categories, in a product category database in said computer system;

c. assigning said product information into a template, said template having an appearance and one or more features;

d. populating said template with said product information;

e. selecting a group of on-line marketplaces based on an on-line marketplace selection criterion, dynamically adjusting said template appearance and features based on said selected group of online marketplaces;

f broadcasting said adjusted populated template to said group of on-line marketplaces;

g. dynamically generating a custom product page associated with said adjusted populated template and an identified on-line marketplace from said selected group of on-line marketplaces for an individual product from said product information database to be marketed on one or more of said on-line marketplaces;

h. tracking activity on said broadcasted template, and recording said tracked activity in an activity database in said computer system;

i. communicating said activity to a client; and

j. refining the on-line marketplace selection criterion, wherein said refining further comprises analyzing product placement activity, sales transaction and e-commerce marketplace filters of one or more of said selected on-line marketplaces;

optimizing an e-commerce channel mix and product offerings by placing said adjusted populated template in an appropriate time and one or more of said selected on-line marketplaces based on said product placement activity and said sales transactions.

2. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving and storing client information.

3. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending e-mail communication to consumers.

4. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending report information to clients.

5. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving product information further comprises receiving description, price and quantity information.

6. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said mapping product information provides a mapping between client products and multiple e-commerce marketplace sites.

7. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said assigning product information into a template further comprises dynamically modifying the content of said template based on the selected e-commerce marketplace site.

8. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said broadcasting further comprises sending a client product populated template to an online marketplace based on the results of prior e-commerce activity.

9. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said tracking activity further comprises collecting data on number of Web site hits, click throughs, orders and e-mail communications.

10. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said communicating activity to a client further comprises analyzing said tracked activity, producing a report and sending said report to a client.

11. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said refining an online marketplace selection criteria, further comprises analyzing said tracked activity, comparing said tracked activity with a clients objectives and modifying a marketplace filter function.

12. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce as recited in claim 1, further comprising collecting sales information from e-commerce buyers.

13. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 12, wherein said collecting sales information from e-commerce buyers further comprises collecting credit card, product, price, address and quantity information.

14. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 4, further comprising sending e-mail to customers.

15. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said online marketplace is selected from the group consisting of online auction sites, online catalogs, comparison sale sites, classified advertisement sites, online exchange sites, and order aggregation sites.

16. A method for enhancing the process of e-commerce, as recited in claim 1, wherein said product information further comprises information selected from the group consisting of information concerning goods, information concerning services, information concerning financial information, and information concerning information sources.