Positioning E-commerce product related to graphical imputed consumer demand

• US 8,326,662 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Byrne, Patrick Michael, Atkinson, Geoffrey Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US12/487,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/7.11, 705/7.42
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal

Abstract

Example embodiments provide program products, systems, and associated methods of presenting a seller with a graphical representation of demand for a potential product listing so that the seller can intelligently price and position the product. A website server associated with a website of product listings captures in a database product preference criteria for a consumer, including, for example, price information. The website server aggregates the captured product preference criteria for a plurality of consumers and determines an imputed consumer demand for a potential product listing. The website server displays on a display device associated with a computer of a seller a multi-dimensional graph of demand for the potential product listing so that the seller can gauge market demand prior to listing a product for sale. Embodiments further include two-dimensional graphs plotting demand versus price, contour lines for the demand imposed on pricing graphs, and color-coded demand heat maps.

Claims

1. A method of e-commerce, the method comprising:

capturing in a database product preference criteria for a consumer by a website server associated with a website of product listings, the product preference criteria including price information;

prompting by the website server for a contact address for the consumer to associate with the captured product preference criteria so that the consumer expressly confirms an interest in receiving an electronic alert regarding new product listings that satisfy the product preference criteria;

determining a number of electronic alerts that will be generated for a potential product listing as a function of price responsive to an aggregate of captured product preference criteria for a plurality of consumers;

displaying on a display device associated with a computer of a seller a multi-dimensional graph of the number of alerts for a potential product listing so that the seller can gauge market demand prior to listing a product for sale and so that the seller can more intelligently price the product;

receiving a new product listing from a seller by the website server; and

sending an electronic alert from the website server to the contact address associated with the captured product preference criteria of the consumer responsive to a new product listing that satisfies the criteria.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves the consumer using one or more of the following:

a menu, a computerized search, a form, a slider to thereby indicate a range, and a multi-dimensional graph of product listings.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves tracking interactions of the consumer with the website of the product listings to thereby derive product preference criteria for the consumer.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more of the following so that the seller can intelligently price the potential product listing:

a two-dimensional graph plotting a number of electronic alerts as a function of price;

contour lines for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph; and

a heat map for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph wherein the number of alerts is color-coded.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the electronic alert includes an invitation for the consumer to access the product listing prior to the product listing being available generally to a public.

21. A method of claim 1, further comprising generating contour lines for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph.

22. A method of claim 1, further comprising generating a heat map for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph wherein the number of alerts is color-coded.

6. A method of e-commerce, the method comprising:

capturing in a database product preference criteria for a consumer by a website server associated with a website of product listings;

determining a demand for a potential product listing as a function of a characteristic of the product listing responsive to an aggregate of captured product preference criteria for a plurality of consumers; and

displaying on a display device associated with a computer of a seller a multi-dimensional graph of the demand for the potential product listing so that the seller can gauge market demand prior to listing a product for sale.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the step of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves the consumer using one or more of the following:

a menu, a computerized search, a form, a slider to thereby indicate a range, and a multi-dimensional graph of product listings, and wherein the product preference criteria include price information.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein the step of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves tracking interactions of the consumer with the website of the product listings to thereby derive product preference criteria for the consumer.

9. A method of claim 6, further comprising generating one or more of the following so that the seller can intelligently price the potential product listing:

a two-dimensional graph plotting the demand as a function of price;

contour lines for the demand imposed on a pricing graph; and

a heat map for the demand imposed on a pricing graph wherein the demand is color-coded.

10. A method of claim 8, further comprising prompting for a contact address for the consumer to associate with the captured product preference criteria so that the consumer expressly confirms an interest in receiving an electronic alert regarding new product listings that satisfy the product preference criteria, and wherein displaying on the display device associated with the computer of the seller the multi-dimensional graph of demand for the product involves distinguishing demand expressly confirmed by one or more consumers and unconfirmed demand derived by tracking interactions of one or more consumers.

11. A computer program product, stored on a tangible computer readable memory media, operable on a computer, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of:

capturing in a database product preference criteria for a consumer by a website server associated with a website of product listings, the product preference criteria including price information;

prompting by the website server for a contact address for the consumer to associate with the captured product preference criteria so that the consumer expressly confirms an interest in receiving an electronic alert regarding new product listings that satisfy the product preference criteria;

determining a number of electronic alerts that will be generated for a potential product listing as a function of price responsive to an aggregate of captured product preference criteria for a plurality of consumers;

displaying on a display device associated with a computer of a seller a multi-dimensional graph of the number of alerts for a potential product listing so that the seller can gauge market demand prior to listing a product for sale and so that the seller can more intelligently price the product;

receiving a new product listing from a seller by the website server; and

sending an electronic alert from the website server to the contact address associated with the captured product preference criteria of the consumer responsive to a new product listing that satisfies the criteria.

12. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operation of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves the consumer using one or more of the following:

a menu, a computerized search, a form, a slider to thereby indicate a range, and a multi-dimensional graph of product listings.

13. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operation of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves tracking interactions of the consumer with the website of the product listings to thereby derive product preference criteria for the consumer.

14. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise generating one or more of the following so that the seller can intelligently price the potential product listing:

a two-dimensional graph plotting a number of electronic alerts as a function of price;

contour lines for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph; and

a heat map for a number of alerts imposed on a pricing graph wherein the number of alerts is color-coded.

15. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the electronic alert includes an invitation for the consumer to access the product listing prior to the product listing being available generally to a public.

16. A computer program product, stored on a tangible computer readable memory media, operable on a computer, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of:

capturing in a database product preference criteria for a consumer by a website server associated with a website of product listings, determining a demand for a potential product listing as a function of a characteristic of the product listing responsive to an aggregate of captured product preference criteria for a plurality of consumers; and

displaying on a display device associated with a computer of a seller a multi-dimensional graph of the demand for the potential product listing so that the seller can gauge market demand prior to listing a product for sale.

17. A computer program product of claim 16, wherein the operation of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves the consumer using one or more of the following:

a menu, a computerized search, a form, a slider to thereby indicate a range, and a multi-dimensional graph of product listings, and wherein the product preference criteria include price information.

18. A computer program product of claim 16, wherein the operation of capturing in the database product preference criteria for the consumer by the website server involves tracking interactions of the consumer with the website of the product listings to thereby derive product preference criteria for the consumer.

19. A computer program product of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating one or more of the following so that the seller can intelligently price the potential product listing:

a two-dimensional graph plotting the demand as a function of price;

contour lines for the demand imposed on a pricing graph; and

a heat map for the demand imposed on a pricing graph wherein the demand is color-coded.

20. A computer program product of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise prompting for a contact address for the consumer to associate with the captured product preference criteria so that the consumer expressly confirms an interest in receiving an electronic alert regarding new product listings that satisfy the product preference criteria, and wherein displaying on the display device associated with the computer of the seller the multi-dimensional graph of demand for the product involves distinguishing demand expressly confirmed by one or more consumers and unconfirmed demand derived by tracking interactions of one or more consumers.