A. Field of Invention
The present application is directed to novel methods for connecting customers and businesses. More specifically, the instant invention is directed to novel methods for connecting customers and businesses on a group purchasing platform on a global computer network.
B. Description of the Related Art
Group purchasing websites, such as Groupon and Living Social, serve as a platform to bring together businesses and customers. The business' goal is to sell more products and services and increase their customer base. Customers are looking for discounted prices at favorite establishments or new places. A commonality of the current platforms is a bottle-neck effect of connecting the customers and businesses. The platform decides which business offers discounted services. As such, customers may receive multiple communications from the platform that are not to the customer's interest. This results in the customer being disinterested. If it occurs frequently enough, the customer may stop engaging the platform all together.
Another shortfall for these websites is that they are static in nature. More specifically, once a business posts a voucher for discounted goods or services that is all the exposure a customer receives. In order to find more information about the business, the customer would need to leave the website and go to the business' webpage. This becomes especially cumbersome when a customer is trying to maneuver through various businesses.
As such, there is a need in the art for a group purchasing website that is specifically tailored to a customer's interests and provides more interaction between the customer and the business. The present invention provides methods for connecting customers and businesses in a meaningful way such that customers receive vouchers for reduced prices of goods and services from businesses that suit their interest, and the customer receives them as often as the businesses make the vouchers available. The present invention also enables the customer to have a more personal interaction with the businesses, which is likely to increase customer loyalty for the businesses.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a new and improved method for marketing to customers and businesses may comprise the steps of providing a platform on a global computer network for buying and selling of a good and/or service; providing a business, the business selectively offering the good and/or service at a first price, wherein the good and/or service are available for sale outside of the platform at a second price, wherein the first price is less than the second price; providing a customer having an account with the platform, the customer desiring to receive the good and/or service from the business at the first price; and sending a communication from the business via the platform to the customer for the good and/or service at the first price.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses, which may further comprise the step of personalizing at least one interest on the platform by the customer, wherein the communication sent to the customer is related to the one interest.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses, wherein the step of sending a communication from the business to the customer for the goods and/or services at the first price may be based from the group comprising answers to customer questionnaires, demographic data, previous purchasing habits, or selected interests.
Still yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the step of providing a customer having an account with the platform, may further comprise the step of selecting categories of interest.
Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the step of selecting categories of interest may further comprise the step of selectively choosing geographic locations for the categories of interest.
Still, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the step of providing a customer having an account with the platform may further comprise the step of following activity of the business.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the step of providing a customer having an account with the platform may further comprise the step of creating a wish list, wherein the wish list is viewable by a third party.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses which may further comprise the step of purchasing items via the platform from the wish list by the third party.
Still yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the business may create a storefront.
Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the storefront may comprise updates about the business.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the updates may comprise events, news, notifications and the offering of the good and/or service.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses which may comprises the steps of providing a platform on a global computer network for connecting the customer and the business; the business creating a storefront and selectively posting informational data about the business on the storefront; the customer selecting to receive informational data about the business; the platform accumulating informational data posted by the business; sending a communication to the customer for the informational data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the informational data may comprise old informational data and new informational data, wherein the step of sending the communication to the customer for the informational data may be only the new informational data.
Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the business may be a generic business type.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for marketing to customers and businesses wherein the business may be a specific business having an operating address.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same,
With specific reference to
With reference to
Communications 40, such as email, text messages, or other means, are sent between customers 12 and businesses 14 via the platform 10. A separate web infrastructure 42 is utilized with separate servers 44 for the communications 40. This enables the platform 10 to compile, generate and render the communications 40 separate from the normal web traffic to reduce the load on the main site web farm. It also allows the communications 40 infrastructure 42 to scale separate from the main web infrastructure 21.
The present invention also comprises a database infrastructure 50 that also has a load balancer 52 that distributes database traffic to a database server farm 54. That enables the present invention to have redundant nodes of the database thus ensuring uptime and performance.
When the customer 12 creates its account 30 with the platform, the customer 12 provides a variety of information in order to create a customer profile. Customer interests may be based from the group comprising answers to customer questionnaires, demographic data, previous purchasing habits, or selected interests. Such information may include without limitation demographic data such as date of birth, address, ethnicity, employment data, religious affiliation, and phone numbers. The customer may also designate certain interests, including without limitation, hobbies, sports teams, sports in general, restaurants, events, art, entertainment, news, finance, politics, movies or music, or any other point of interest. When points of interest are designated by the customer 12, the designation may be anywhere along a continuum between very broad to very specific.
By way of a nonlimiting example, if customer 1, as shown in
Businesses 14 also have an account 60 with the platform 10. Businesses have the ability to send communications to customers 12 via the platform 10. Businesses may post any information it desires. However, which customers receive that information depends upon each customer's information provided in their specific profile. In one embodiment of the present invention, businesses 14 can send communication to customers 12 as frequently as desired. Generally, businesses may send a daily communication via the platform 10. Customers 12 will receive communications only if businesses 14 match the interests it selected in its profile.
By way of nonlimiting example, with reference to
In another embodiment of the present invention, the platform 10 assists with marketing and connecting customers 12 and businesses 14. The method comprises of steps of providing the platform 10 on the global computer network such as the internet. The businesses 14 may be selling a good and/or a service. The business 14 selectively offers the good and/or service at a first price. The first price is different from a second price. The second price is available to the general public. Generally the first price is less than the second price. The customer desires to receive the good or service from the business at the first price and takes action to purchase the good or service at the first price. Upon receipt of the customer's purchase, businesses then send communication via the platform to the customer for the goods and services at the first price in the form of a voucher.
In another aspect of the present invention, customers 12 may redeem its vouchers electronically, for example through its mobile device or its computer. Alternatively, customers may redeem its vouchers by presenting a hard copy to the business at the time of redemption. Still further, the unique voucher can provide a redemption code used online to place an order on a separate business website. Regardless of mode of redemption, the voucher is verified through the platform's database. If is confirmed to be a valid voucher, the redemption occurs and the database updated accordingly to reflect the redeemed status.
Another inventive aspect of the present invention are business storefronts 70. Each business having its account with the platform is able to create a storefront 70. The storefront is a custom designed website page which provides endless information about that business. The information about the business may be updates, events, coupons, specials, or other areas of interest that the particular business would want to display on the storefront. Such information can also include news and notifications. Nonlimiting examples may include discounted goods and or services, new store openings, the business being highlighted in the media, or the business hosting any type of event.
In another embodiment of the present invention, customers are able to view any business storefront 70 through the platform 10. When viewing a business' storefront 70, customers are able to select to follow a business. By following a business, the customer will receive communication any time new information or updates are posted by the business on its storefront 70. When the business has any type of activity on its storefront, the customer will be notified. For example, if a business is hosting a band at its location and adds that information to its storefront, customers who follow that business will receive that particular information, which would likely include time, duration and any ticket price. Further, if there is a change to that information, such as the date, the business can update its storefront to notify all of its following customers.
When a business offers a voucher for discounted goods or services, there are two ways customers may receive that information. First, the customers proactively chose to follow the business. Alternatively, or in addition to, the customer's profile contained selected interests that match the goods or services offered by the business.
In another embodiment of the present invention, customers only receive information relating to business activity a single time. More specifically, communications received by the customer may only contain new information. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, customers receive communication daily, such as a daily email. The timing for receiving the information may be selected by the platform, the business, or the consumer. As such, the communications may be received by the consumer daily, weekly, bi-weekly or in real time.
In another embodiment of the present invention, customers are also able to create a wish list on the platform 30 which is viewable by third parties. The wish list may be selected from goods or services offered by the businesses 14. Third parties also having accounts with the platform 30 are able to purchase goods and or services from the wish list through the platform.
It is contemplated to be within the scope of the invention to have the platform available through a variety of mediums. The platform may be accessed through a computer or mobile device. The platform may take the form of downloadable software, a smart phone application, or a web-based application. Any form chosen with sound engineering judgment may be utilized and still be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
The embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods and apparatuses may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed: