Web-based incentive system and method

• US 20070112622A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mycronomics LLC
• Original Assignee: Mycronomics LLC
• Inventors: Meggs, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/267,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

A method for providing an incentive to an Internet user to interact with a website. The present invention includes a network capable of capturing a portion of money related to Internet commerce, and allocating said money in a manner that provides incentive to an Internet user to interact with a website.

Claims

1. A system for enabling an Internet user to appropriate a benefit by interacting with a website that is promoted by an Internet vendor, comprising:

an Internet vendor account for each of a plurality of Internet vendors registered in the system, wherein the Internet vendor account includes a pledge amount;

an Internet user account for each of a plurality of Internet users registered in the system; and

a smart client configured to present data of the Internet vendor account, monitor a user activity of the Internet user, and provide the user activity to a web server,

wherein the web server is configured to allocate the benefit based on the user activity.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a beneficiary account for each of a plurality of beneficiaries registered in the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is appropriated to the Internet user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is appropriated to a beneficiary.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the Internet user account includes a beneficiary to which the Internet user wishes to appropriate the benefit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the benefit is appropriated to the beneficiary upon interaction of the Internet user with the website promoted by the Internet vendor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pledge amount is a landing page hit amount, and the landing page hit amount is the benefit appropriated when the Internet user clicks on a hyperlink of the Internet vendor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the pledge amount is a lead amount, and the lead amount is the benefit allocated when the Internet user submits a portion of the data of the Internet user account to the Internet vendor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pledge amount is a qualified lead amount, and the qualified lead amount is the benefit appropriated when the Internet user submits a portion of the Internet user account to the Internet vendor and the Internet user provides the Internet vendor with an answer to each of a plurality of qualified lead questions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the pledge amount is a call amount, and the call amount is the benefit appropriated when the user activity results in the Internet user calling the Internet vendor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the web server is configured to cross-reference the user activity with data of the Internet vendor account to identify a common term, and the smart client is configured to present data of the Internet vendor account to the Internet user when the web server identifies the common term.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the smart client is automatically activated when the web server identifies the common term.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the smart client automatically activates by providing a highlighted browser toolbar button, and the Internet user can click on the highlighted browser toolbar button to launch the smart client.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the smart client automatically activates by providing a message to the Internet user, wherein the message informs the Internet user of a similar Internet vendor offer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a popularity radio button configured to sort the plurality of Internet vendors by a popularity value, and the popularity value is based on a number of occasions the website of the Internet vendor is accessed by the plurality of Internet users.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the smart client includes a pledge radio button configured to sort the plurality of Internet vendors by a pledge amount value, and the pledge amount value is based on the pledge amount of each of the respective Internet vendors.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the smart client includes a local radio button configured to sort the plurality of Internet vendors by a proximity value, and the proximity value is based on a physical distance between a location of the Internet vendor and a user location of the Internet user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the smart client includes a star ranking system configured to sort the plurality of donating vendors by a star ranking value, and the star ranking value is based on the sum of the popularity value, the pledge value, and the proximity value.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a drop-down list configured to display a plurality of recent search results.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a my search tab configured to display a plurality of recent search results.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a my favorites tab configured to display a plurality of saved search results.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a my discounts tab configured to display a plurality of discounts offered to the Internet user by the Internet vendor.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a my purchases tab configured to display a plurality of target Internet vendors that supply a potential purchase, and the potential purchase is designated by the Internet user.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the smart client includes a my preferences button, wherein the my preferences button launches the Internet user login device.

25. A method for enabling an Internet user to appropriate a benefit by interacting with a website that is promoted by an Internet vendor, comprising:

maintaining a database having stored thereon;

an Internet vendor account for each of a plurality of Internet vendors registered in the system, wherein the Internet vendor account includes a pledge amount;

an Internet user account for each of a plurality of Internet users registered in the system;

monitoring a user activity of the Internet user;

cross-referencing the user activity with data of the Internet vendor account to identify a common term;

presenting data of the Internet vendor account when the common term is identified;

monitoring an interaction between the Internet user and the website that is promoted by the Internet vendor; and

allocating the benefit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the benefit is allocated to the Internet user.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the benefit is allocated to a beneficiary.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the database further comprising a beneficiary account for each of a plurality of beneficiaries registered in the system.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the pledge amount is a landing page hit amount, and the landing page hit amount is the benefit allocated when the Internet user clicks on a hyperlink of the Internet vendor.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the pledge amount is a lead amount, and the lead amount is the benefit allocated when the Internet user submits a portion of the Internet user account to the Internet vendor.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the pledge amount is a qualified lead amount, and the qualified lead amount is the benefit allocated when the Internet user submits a portion of the Internet user account to the Internet vendor and the Internet user provides the Internet vendor with an answer to each of a plurality of qualified lead questions.

32. A method for providing an incentive to an Internet user to interact with a website, comprising:

monitoring a user activity of an Internet user;

searching a database for an Internet vendor based on the user activity;

presenting a hyperlink to a website that is maintained by the Internet vendor;

monitoring an interaction between the Internet user and the website; and

allocating a benefit.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the benefit is allocated to the Internet user.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the benefit is allocated to a beneficiary.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the beneficiary is a charity.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the beneficiary is selected by the Internet user.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of submitting a Internet user data to the Internet vendor upon the interaction.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of prompting the Internet user to submit a first marketing data to the Internet vendor.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of allocating a second benefit.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of prompting the Internet user to submit a second marketing data to the Internet vendor.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of allocating a third benefit.