Patent ID: 8660924

Claim:
A method for enabling online providers of products and services to customize complex multi-stage transactions with prospective customers, the method including the following steps: (a) hosting on a first set of computers a deployed application that is accessible from a second set of computers by prospective customers of a plurality of online providers offering to sell particular products or services; (b) enabling the online providers to configure, via a third set of computers, one or more runtime assets utilized by the deployed application to personalize interactions with prospective customers; and (c) employing a virtual character in the deployed application on the first set of computers to interact with and educate the prospective customers regarding the characteristics and suitability to the prospective customers of particular products or services offered by the online providers, wherein the interaction is personalized by: (i) the virtual character extracting demographic and behavioral data from the prospective customers; ii) selecting, based upon the extracted data and configured runtime assets, educational materials as well as particular attributes of the goods and services offered by the online providers; and (ii) presenting the selected educational materials to the prospective customers to facilitate their purchasing decision.