Patent ID: 8762217

Claim:
A method of searching an electronic commerce website, the method comprising acts of: receiving, from a client computing system, through a network, by a computing system of an electronic commerce platform, a search query for an item and a request for advanced search results from a user; responding to the request for advanced search results by searching a plurality of user profiles in a database of the electronic commerce platform based upon the search query for the item, the plurality of user profiles comprising profiles of users other than the user; identifying at least one search facilitator profile among the plurality of user profiles, the at least one search facilitator profile representing at least one search facilitator who can assist the user in locating the item within the electronic commerce website; establishing, by execution of instructions by a processor of an interactive session component of the electronic commerce platform, an interactive online session between the user and the at least one search facilitator; and presenting one or more suggested item listings selected by the at least one search facilitator to the user through a user interface of the electronic commerce website on the client computing system.