Method and system for instant redirection of an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website

A system, method and computer program product for instant redirection of an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website is disclosed. The method includes administering, via a single administrator, a plurality of referring websites in a plurality of goods and service provider categories and associating a single URL (uniform resource locator) for a client's website with at least one zip code as predetermined by the client. The method also includes automatically determining a zip code for the consumer visiting one of referring websites and comparing the zip code predetermined by the client with the consumer's zip code for a match. The method further includes instantly redirecting the consumer's browser to the client's website via the single URL when there is a match and otherwise directing the consumer's browser to a self-maintaining goods and service provider directory for a specific zip code.

BACKGROUND

Online consumers may use a search engine to give them a myriad of choices in a desired service or a product. However, there are times a consumer may need services or goods in an emergency such as when a child has a front tooth knocked out or a furnace needs repairing on a cold winter's night. In these instances and more, consumers want to quickly connect with a trusted and proven provider in their city or immediate area and don't have the time or the desire to sift through a long list of search engine hits to find what they need.

Furthermore, when a consumer is in urgent need of a dentist's services and enters ‘dentist’ in a search engine prompt, generic and long reserved domain names such as ‘dentists.com’ or the like may be returned at the top of the search according to search engine metrics and advertising agreements. However, more often than not, such sites offer services in a different geographical location than the consumer's city, county, or even state. Even though some referring websites offer vendors in geographic areas, lists of service providers still require time and effort from the consumer to narrow down available services to a single desired provider.

One type of consumer information source that is increasingly popular is the referring service based on a general geographic location entered by the user at a referring website. This may provide an internet consumer with an online directory of service providers in the consumer's general geographic location and may even include a service provider's name, phone number and address. However, the consumer still has to sift through a directory list of providers and place phone calls to several providers on the list to find the ‘right one.’

Referring websites with online directories of service providers are not always reliable since a webmaster is required to keep the directories up to date. Still other referring websites may even allow the consumer to fill out forms online for an appointment to be scheduled with a service provider of choice. However, none of these online referrals provide the online consumer with a quick, convenient and reliable means of finding a proven service provider in a specific geographical location at any time of the day from any location with access to the internet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and system for instant redirection an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website is disclosed. The method includes administering, via a single administrator, a plurality of referring websites in a plurality of goods and service provider categories and associating a single URL (uniform resource locator) for a client's website with at least one zip code as predetermined by the client. The method also includes automatically determining a zip code for the consumer visiting one of the plurality of referring websites and comparing the zip code predetermined by the client with the consumer's zip code for a match. The method further includes instantly redirecting the consumer's browser to the client's website via the single URL when there is a match and otherwise directing the consumer's browser to a self-maintaining goods and services provider directory for a specific zip code.

Throughout the description, similar reference numbers may be used to identify similar elements depicted in multiple embodiments. Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With the number of websites online numbering in the hundreds of millions and burgeoning every year, referring websites can be critical to generating business online. A consumer's online search may return a myriad of direct links to vendor's websites but often may also include some referring website links. Referring websites may help a consumer narrow down a myriad of search results by categorizing a vendor's products or services to specific industries and specific geographical areas. A referring website is a website that may not offer goods or services itself but may offer a link to goods or services indicative of the website name or tags or keywords associated with the referring website. The term ‘referring website’ used herein may also comprise the term ‘referring webpages.’ The term ‘client’ used herein may comprise a vendor and the term ‘client website’ may therefore refer to a vendor website comprising multiple webpages linked to a domain address representing an online business.

Therefore, a referring website service as disclosed and detailed herein may administer and offer a multitude of referring websites to clients. A client wishing to purchase referring services from the administrator may therefore bargain to have multiple referring websites refer consumers to his one business website. On the other hand, clients doing business in multiple service industries are able to bargain with the single administrator to have at least one referring website for each of their disparate business websites. An administrator may therefore be a single business entity and/or a single administrative website bargaining with clients wishing to purchase online referring services. A service provider may also be a client of the administrator but not in all cases. Where a business relationship has been broken or expired, a former client of the administrator may remain a service provider on a referring website.

FIG. 1depicts a flow chart of a method for instant redirection of an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes administering110, via a single administrator, a plurality of referring websites in a plurality of service provider categories. The method also includes associating120a single URL for a client's website with at least one zip code as predetermined by the client. The method additionally includes automatically determining130a zip code for the consumer visiting one of the plurality of referring websites. The method further includes automatically comparing140the zip code predetermined by the client with the consumer's zip code for a match. The method yet includes instantly and automatically redirecting150the consumer's browser to the client's website via the single URL when there is a match. The method still yet includes ‘optional dependent steps’160for claims depending from the independent claim.

An embodiment of the disclosed method may include informing the consumer of the redirection of their browser via an unsolicited and temporary popup window displayed on the consumer's browser prior to redirection, the redirection based on a determined zip code for the consumer. Embodiments may also include redirecting the consumer's browser via a single cursor click from the consumer at the referring website, the single cursor click resulting from the consumer selecting zip code data displayed on the referring website.

Another embodiment of the disclosed method may include triangulating a wireless consumer's location from a plurality of cell phone towers and/or a plurality of global positioning satellites and equating the consumer's location with a zip code. An online consumer's zip code may be automatically determined from decoding a zip code from an internet protocol (IP) address for the consumer in other embodiments of the disclosure. The decoded zip code may then be used to prompt the consumer for input related to near and adjacent zip codes using a map display on the referring website and other input from the consumer. The disclosed embodiment may also include displaying a plurality of hyperlink markers on the map display, each of the markers bearing a label to indicate a distinct zip code associated with an area of the map display. The disclosed embodiment may further include redirecting the consumer to the client's website via the consumer's click on a marker and a match of a zip code associated with the marker and the client's predetermined zip code.

An additional embodiment of the disclosed method may include receiving a zip code entered by the consumer into a data field on the referring website. Alternatively, a consumer may enter a city into a browser data field or select one of the cities presented on the referral website. The city may be decoded into at least one zip code for the consumer based on a table of zip codes for possible cities in any given state. The consumer may also be directed to the client's business website when the URL associated with the predetermined zip code matches at least one decoded zip code.

The disclosed method comprises categories of service providers including doctors, dentists, lawyers, plumbers, florists, insurance agents, landscapers, veterinarians, mechanics, realtors, movers, chiropractors, roofers, building contractors, electricians, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians, pest control agents, restaurateurs, entertainers and the like. The service categories narrow down service providers available to the online consumer according to a taxonomy of services in different industries. Also, administering multiple referring websites across many different service provider categories allows a client to contract with the administrator to refer consumers to his business website from multiple referring websites at the same time. For instance, a client having a used furniture business is able to contract for referrals from a furniture sales referral website and a moving services referring website at the same time.

FIG. 2depicts a client's dashboard computer screen when bargaining for the association of a zip code with a website domain URL for a period of time in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The dashboard includes navigation buttons205comprising summary, company info, financial center, settings, and shopping navigation buttons. The dashboard also includes an add zip code field210, an add domain field215and an add button220. Additionally, the dashboard includes at least one shopping cart line item but up to multiple shopping cart line items comprising a zip code column225, a URL domain column230, a bargained-for time period column235and a dollar charge column240. The dashboard further includes a check out button245, a ‘Choose Services Category’ radial button250and a directory255of referring websites in the chosen service category, the referring websites administered by a single administrator to redirect a consumer to a client's website. The directory of referring websites comprises a scroll bar260to enable the client to scroll down the list of referring websites to choose among those offered by the administrator.

An embodiment of the method for instantly redirecting an online consumer from a referring website further comprises reserving for a period of time the association of at least one zip code with a single URL based on a bargained for exchange between the client and an administrator of the method. Also, the embodiment includes using the association in at least one of the referring websites in at least one of the service provider categories based on the bargained for exchange to redirect the consumer's browser to the client's website.

Another embodiment of the disclosure comprises offering to the client a plurality of zip codes with demographical information relating to each zip code enabling the client to make an informed purchase of an association of a zip code with a URL. The client may be billed at a predetermined rate on a periodic basis for the association of one zip code of the client's choosing with a URL of the client's choosing.

FIG. 3graphically depicts the generation of a redirect link to a client's website with zip code and URL input from the client in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The depiction includes input from the administrator310, an association module320, a first zip code330, a second zip code340up to an nth zip code350input from the client and a website URL360input from the client370. The redirect link380to a client's website is generated from the association module320incorporating the client's input and the administrator's input. As depicted, any number of zip codes may be associated with a single URL of the client's choosing in a predetermined industry. The depicted method may occur in a bargained for exchange between the client and an administrator of the method as shown inFIG. 2above.

FIG. 4depicts a directory computer screen at a referring website in a predetermined goods or services category including a zip code specific volunteer listing in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The navigation buttons410may comprise summary, company info, financial center, settings and shopping navigation buttons. The directory of goods or service providers in a zip code420may comprise referring websites in the chosen goods or services category, the referring websites administered by the single administrator. The directory of referring websites420may also comprise a scroll bar430to enable the client to scroll down the length of a plurality of referring websites to choose among those offered by the administrator. The ‘Get Listed’ radial button440allows a client to enter information in the ‘Get Listed on One of Our Listings’ input field450. The input field450may include a field for ‘company name,’ a field for zip code, and a ‘website’ field for the client to enter his or her website URL domain name.

In embodiments of the disclosure, an online consumer may be redirected to a directory webpage at the referring website based on the consumer's zip code. The directory webpage may comprise a plurality of vendors in a predetermined service category. The directory webpage may be compiled for each of the referring websites from a plurality of service providers who volunteer contact information to the administrator for a specific zip code in a predetermined service category.

FIG. 5depicts a flow chart of a method for associating a plurality of zip codes with a single URL of the client's choosing in a bargained for exchange in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment includes the steps of the flow chart ofFIG. 1as referenced by the step160‘optional dependent steps.’ The embodiment also includes associating510a plurality of zip codes with a single URL of the client's choosing in a predetermined industry in a bargained for exchange between the client and an administrator of the method.

FIG. 6depicts a flow chart of a method for compiling a self-maintaining directory webpage of service providers for a specific zip code in a predetermined goods and services category at a referring website in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment includes the steps of the flow chart ofFIG. 1as referenced by the step160‘optional dependent steps.’ The embodiment also includes compiling610a self-maintaining directory webpage for each of the referring websites from a plurality of goods and service providers who volunteer contact information to the administrator for a specific zip code in a predetermined category. The embodiment further includes instantly and automatically redirecting620the consumer's browser to the directory webpage based on the consumer's automatically determined zip code. The directory webpage is self-maintaining in the sense that a goods and/or services provider volunteers changes to his business contact information to the administrator for posting on the referring website.

FIG. 7depicts a flow chart of a method for instant redirection of an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website via operations of a computer program product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computer program product may comprise a computer readable medium having computer useable program code executable to perform operations for redirecting an online consumer from a referring website. The operations of the computer program product comprise administering710, via a single administrator, a plurality of referring websites in a plurality of goods and service provider categories and associating720a single URL for a client's website with at least one zip code as predetermined by the client. The operations of the computer program product also comprise determining730a zip code for the consumer visiting one of the plurality of referring websites and comparing740the zip code predetermined by the client with the consumer's zip code for a match. The operations of the computer program product further comprise instantly redirecting750the consumer's browser to the client's website via the single URL on a match. The instant redirection is done automatically w/o further customer input needed.

FIG. 8depicts a system for instant redirection of an online consumer from a referring website to a vendor website in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. A plurality of referring webpages are depicted sharing a common administration, where each referring webpage includes at least one provider category from a plurality of goods and services provider categories, i.e. a referring webpage for HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) services810and a referring webpage for Dental services820. As depicted, URL1redirects a consumer's browser to client website1, URL2redirects a consumer's browser to client website2and URL n redirects a consumer's browser to client website n and likewise for URL links regarding the Dental referring website820. Both the HVAC and the Dental referring websites are administered by the single Administrator830. An associating module840is configured to associate a single URL for a client's website with at least one zip code as predetermined by the client. The associating module840communicates over a bus850with the administrator830. A determining module860is configured to determine a zip code as a result of data relating to the consumer visiting one of the plurality of referring websites. The determining module860also communicates over the bus850with the Administrator830and with the associating module840. A logic module860, also in communication with the Administrator830and the other two modules over the bus850, is configured to compare a zip code predetermined by the client with the consumer's zip code for a match and to redirect the consumer's browser via one of the URL links above to the client's website when there is a match and otherwise redirect the consumer's browser to a self-maintaining service provider directory for a specific zip code and service industry category.

A further embodiment of the method for instantly redirecting an online consumer from a referring website comprises compiling a self-maintaining directory webpage for each of the referring websites from a plurality of goods and services providers who volunteer contact information to the administrator for a specific zip code in a predetermined service category. The embodiment also comprises automatically redirecting the consumer's browser to the directory webpage based on the consumer's automatically determined zip code. A plurality of zip codes may be associated with a single URL of the client's choosing in a predetermined industry in a bargained for exchange between the client and an administrator of the method.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited, except as by the specification and claims set forth herein.