Method to create a customized e-commerce store
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic commerce system, comprising:
- a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; and
a store builder web site suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a store owner during access to the web site, create an electronic store managed by the host for the store owner, said electronic store to provide each of a plurality of consumers with access, via said distributors, to at least one merchandise item selected from the inventory, the access comprising presentation on one or more web pages to each of the plurality of consumers at the time that the respective consumer accesses the electronic store, and the electronic store configured to support electronic order taking and transactional processing for a plurality of sales transactions directly between respective ones of the plurality of consumers and the store owner; and
wherein the creation of the store comprises, during the access to the store builder web site by the store owner;
receiving one or more selections from the store owner for customization of the appearance of the store;
receiving a store name from the store owner;
presenting to the store owner a plurality of store types for selection in building the store, each of the plurality of store types associated with a different product theme;
receiving from the store owner an identification of a plurality of products to be offered in the store, at least a portion of the plurality of products to be presented to the store owner by the store builder web site for selection by the store owner; and
receiving from the store owner a new URL for access to the store by each of the plurality of consumers.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic commerce system includes a host with two-way communication to a plurality of distributors. Each of these distributors offers an addressable inventory of merchandise that consists of discrete items. The host sorts the discrete items according to a class designation such that members of a same class are assigned a unique tag. A store builder may electronically request at least one of the unique tags. The host then creates a customized store with a unique name, look and feel, and product selection for the store builder. This store provides a consumer with access, via said distributor, to items assigned that unique tag.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An electronic commerce system, comprising:
- a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; and
a store builder web site suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a store owner during access to the web site, create an electronic store managed by the host for the store owner, said electronic store to provide each of a plurality of consumers with access, via said distributors, to at least one merchandise item selected from the inventory, the access comprising presentation on one or more web pages to each of the plurality of consumers at the time that the respective consumer accesses the electronic store, and the electronic store configured to support electronic order taking and transactional processing for a plurality of sales transactions directly between respective ones of the plurality of consumers and the store owner; and wherein the creation of the store comprises, during the access to the store builder web site by the store owner; receiving one or more selections from the store owner for customization of the appearance of the store; receiving a store name from the store owner; presenting to the store owner a plurality of store types for selection in building the store, each of the plurality of store types associated with a different product theme; receiving from the store owner an identification of a plurality of products to be offered in the store, at least a portion of the plurality of products to be presented to the store owner by the store builder web site for selection by the store owner; and receiving from the store owner a new URL for access to the store by each of the plurality of consumers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; and
-
12. An electronic commerce system, comprising:
-
a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; a store builder web site suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a store owner during access to the web site, create an electronic store managed by the host for the store owner, said electronic store to provide each of a plurality of consumers with access, via said distributors, to at least one merchandise item selected from the inventory, the access comprising presentation on one or more web pages to each of the plurality of consumers at the time that the respective consumer accesses the electronic store, and the electronic store configured to support electronic order taking and transactional processing for a plurality of sales transactions directly between respective ones of the plurality of consumers and the store owner; and wherein the creation of the store comprises, during the access to the store builder web site by the store owner; and receiving one or more selections from the store owner for customization of the appearance of the store; receiving a store name from the store owner; presenting to the store owner a plurality of store types for selection in building the store, each of the plurality of store types associated with a different product theme; receiving from the store owner an identification of a plurality of products to be offered in the store, at least a portion of the plurality of products to be presented to the store owner by the store builder web site for selection by the store owner; and receiving from the store owner a new URL for access to the store by each of the plurality of consumers; and wherein; the store owner is a first store owner, the store is a first store, and the new URL is a first URL; and the store builder is further suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a second store owner, create a second store managed by the host for the second store owner, each of the first and second stores to be customized by the respective first and second store owners to offer products for sale by e-commerce, the second store having a second URL to provide the consumer with electronic access to the second store.
-
-
13. An electronic commerce system, comprising:
-
a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; a store builder web site suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a store owner during access to the web site, create an electronic store managed by the host for the store owner, said electronic store to provide each of a plurality of consumers with access, via said distributors, to at least one merchandise item selected from the inventory, the access comprising presentation on one or more web pages to each of the plurality of consumers at the time that the respective consumer accesses the electronic store, and the electronic store configured to support electronic order taking and transactional processing for a plurality of sales transactions directly between respective ones of the plurality of consumers and the store owner; and wherein the creation of the store comprises, during the access to the store builder web site by the store owner; receiving one or more selections from the store owner for customization of the appearance of the store; receiving a store name from the store owner; presenting to the store owner a plurality of store types for selection in building the store, each of the plurality of store types associated with a different product theme; receiving from the store owner an identification of a plurality of products to be offered in the store, at least a portion of the plurality of products to be presented to the store owner by the store builder web site for selection by the store owner; and receiving from the store owner a new URL for access to the store by each of the plurality of consumers.
-
-
14. An electronic commerce system, comprising:
-
a host, configured for operation by a host owner, suitably adapted for two-way electronic communication between the host owner and a plurality of distributors, each of said plurality of distributors offering an electronic inventory of merchandise comprising discrete items, and said host suitably adapted to issue electronic orders to the plurality of distributors in response to purchase requests received; a store builder web site suitably adapted to, in response to a request from a store owner during access to the web site, create an electronic store managed by the host for the store owner, said electronic store to provide each of a plurality of consumers with access, via said distributors, to at least one merchandise item selected from the inventory, the access comprising presentation on one or more web pages to each of the plurality of consumers at the time that the respective consumer accesses the electronic store, and the electronic store configured to support electronic order taking and transactional processing for a plurality of sales transactions directly between respective ones of the plurality of consumers and the store owner; and wherein the creation of the store comprises, during the access to the store builder web site by the store owner; receiving one or more selections from the store owner for customization of the appearance of the store; receiving a store name from the store owner; presenting to the store owner a plurality of store types for selection in building the store, each of the plurality of store types associated with a different product theme; receiving from the store owner an identification of a plurality of products to be offered in the store, at least a portion of the plurality of products to be presented to the store owner by the store builder web site for selection by the store owner; and receiving from the store owner a new URL for access to the store by each of the plurality of consumers; and wherein the host is further suitably adapted so that the operation of the host by the host owner is indiscernible to the consumer.
-
Specification