Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Electronic Commerce Transactions Within a Marketing System
This is a division of co-pending Canadian Patent Application No. 2,363,733
filed
on February 29, 2000.
Background of the. invention
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce transactions.
More particularly, the present invention relates to electronic commerce
transactions
with a marketing company. The invention also relates to using electronic
networks to
manage independent businesses associated with the marketing company.
Related Art
The Internet is becoming the world's new market place. The number of people
and businesses that have access to the Internet is growing rapidly. Businesses
are
increasingly interested in selling and marketing products and services over
the
Internet, particularly via the World Wide Web ("WWW").
In particular. marketing companies, including multilevel marketing companies,
are increasingly becoming familiar with the power of the Internet and its
reach to
potential new customers and members. Heretofore, however, the full
capabilities of
the Internet to provide a complete opportunity for electronic commerce with a
marketing system in combination with a membership buying club have not been
achieved.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
For example, con, ., tional systems and methods for carrying out electronic
transactions, such as shopping, have generally required separate electronic
shopping
baskets when shopping from various merchants that may be associated with a
particular web site. In addition, conventional systems have generally not been
capable
of providing a distribution system that allows distribution of the products of
several
sellers. Indeed, such distribution systems have not allowed products to be
distributed
through a single independent sales network but with different levels and
structures of
compensation for different product lines.
Conventional multilevel marketing systems, in particular, have generally not
been able to provide a system for allowing members within the system to
purchase
directly from a marketing company associated with the marketing system.
Moreover.
these conventional systems have generally not provided bonuses and/or
commissions
based upon sales made directly to the members by the marketing company as well
as
sales made to the members from a member's sponsor. Indeed, conventional
multilevel marketing companies have relied upon the shear number of the
distributors
or members associated with the marketing company to promote and market its
products and services as well as add members to the marketing system.
Moreover,
those companies doing business over the Internet have generally required that
a
shopper purchase products via a web page that is sponsored by one of the
members of
the marketing company.
Thus, there is a need to overcome the disadvantages described above. There is
a particular need to provide a system and method for a single marketing
distribution
system that can distribute the products of several different sellers. all
distributed
through a single independent sales network but with different levels and
structures of
compensation for different product lines. There is a further need to allow
shoppers to
shop for and buy products from different sources in a single transaction.
There is a
particular need to provide a system and method that allows a shopper to
purchase
products directly from a marketing company, a registered business owner, and a
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
merchant partner and to do so using an electronic shopping basket that is
preferably
persistent throughout the web site.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention solves the problems with, and overcomes the
disadvantages
of, conventional marketing systems.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method
for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system
through a
network, the network comprising at least one server computer capable of
communicating
with a browser system located at a remote client computer, the method
comprising:
establishing an interactive on-line registration process between the client
browser system
and the server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing
system as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or
services at
an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation; providing a plurality of
web files
operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system; and
allowing
access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the
registered Client,
Member, or IBO via at least one of the plurality of web files.
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In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method for facilitating an on-line shopping and rewards program through a
network, the
network comprising at least one server computer capable of communicating with
a
browser system located at a remote client computer, the method comprising:
establishing
an interactive on-line registration process between the client browser system
and the
server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing system
as a Client,
a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is not
eligible to
earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a Client
price, wherein a
Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or
services at
a Member price and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or services at
an IBO
price and is eligible to earn compensation; maintaining a catalog comprising
marketing
system products or services on the server computer; maintaining a rewards
database on
the server computer for storing reward points corresponding to a registered
Client,
Member and IBO; assigning a rewards value to the marketing system products or
services and storing the rewards value in the catalog; assigning a redemption
value to the
marketing system products or services and storing the redemption value in the
catalog;
providing on-line access to the catalog to a registered Client, Member, and
IBO via an on-
line order form; allowing the registered Client, Member and IBO to submit an
order for
marketing system products or services via the on-line order form; providing on-
line
access to the catalog to a registered Client, Member and IBO via an on-line
redemption
form; allowing the registered Client, Member and IBO to submit a rewards
exchange
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request for marketing system products or services via the on-line redemption
form; and
subtracting from the rewards database a redemption value corresponding to the
marketing
system products or services chosen by the registered Client, Member and IBO.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a
system for facilitating an on-line shopping and rewards program, including a
computer
system accessible for on-line interactive communication, said computer system
comprising: a memory device having embodied therein information relating to a
plurality
of marketing system products or services; and a processor in communication
with said
memory device, said processor configured for establishing an interactive on-
line
registration process so that an individual may register with the marketing
system as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or
services at
an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation, maintaining a catalog
comprising
marketing system products or services, maintaining a rewards database for
storing reward
points corresponding to a registered Client, Member and IBO; assigning a
rewards value
to the marketing system products or services and storing the rewards value in
the catalog;
assigning a redemption value to the marketing system products or services and
storing the
redemption value in the catalog, providing on-line access to the catalog to a
registered
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Client, Member and IBO via an on-line order form; allowing the registered
Client,
Member and IBO to submit an order for marketing system products or services
via the
on-line order form, providing on-line access to the catalog to a registered
Client, Member
and IBO via an on-line redemption form; allowing the registered Client, Member
and
IBO to submit a rewards exchange request for marketing system products or
services via
the on-line redemption form; and subtracting from the rewards database a
redemption
value corresponding to the marketing system products or services chosen by the
registered Client, Member and IBO.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
having
computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer
system
to facilitate an on-line shopping and rewards program, said computer program
comprising: establishing means for enabling the processor to establish an
interactive on-
line registration process so that an individual may register with the
marketing system as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or
services at
an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation; catalog maintaining means
for
enabling the processor to maintain a catalog comprising marketing system
products or
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services; rewards database maintaining means for enabling the processor to
maintain a
rewards database for storing reward points corresponding to a registered
Client, Member
and IBO; rewards value assigning means for enabling the processor to assign a
rewards
value to the marketing system products or services and storing the rewards
value in the
catalog; redemption value assigning means for enabling the processor to assign
a
redemption value to the marketing system products or services and storing the
redemption
value in the catalog; first providing means for enabling the processor to
provide on-line
access to the catalog to a registered Client, Member and IBO via an on-line
order form;
first allowing means for enabling the processor to allow the registered
Client, Member
and IBO to submit an order for marketing system products or services via the
on-line
order form; second providing means for enabling the processor to provide on-
line access
to the catalog to a registered Client, Member and IBO via an on-line
redemption form;
second allowing means for enabling the processor to allow the registered
Client, Member
and IBO to submit a rewards exchange request for marketing system products or
services
via the on-line redemption form; and subtracting means for enabling the
processor to
subtract from the rewards database a redemption value corresponding to the
marketing
system products or services chosen by the registered Client, Member and IBO.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing
system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer
capable
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of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer,
the method
comprising: providing a user with on-line access to a home page file for
electronic
commerce transactions, wherein the user may register with the marketing system
as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products at
an IBO
price and is eligible to earn compensation; providing a plurality of shopping
page web
files for buying products or services from a marketing company associated with
the
marketing system; and providing at least one vendor partner page web file for
buying
products or services from a vendor partner associated with the marketing
system.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a system for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing system
comprising: a memory device having embodied therein information relating to a
plurality
of marketing system products or services; and a processor in communication
with said
memory device, said processor configured for providing a user with on-line
access to a
home page file for electronic commerce transactions, wherein the user may
register with
the marketing system as a Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner
("IBO"),
wherein a Client is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Client price, wherein a Member is not eligible to earn
compensation and is
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
eligible to buy products or services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is
eligible to
buy products or services at an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation;
providing a
plurality of shopping page web files for buying products or services from a
marketing
company associated with the marketing system; and providing at least one
vendor partner
page web file for buying products or services from a vendor partner associated
with the
marketing system.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
having
computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer
system
to facilitate electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system, said
computer
program logic comprising: providing means for enabling the processor to
provide a user
with on-line access to a home page file for electronic commerce transactions,
wherein the
user may register with the marketing system as a Client, a Member or an
Independent
Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is not eligible to earn compensation
and is
eligible to buy products or services at a Client price, wherein a Member is
not eligible to
earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a Member
price, and
wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or services at an IBO price and is
eligible to
earn compensation; providing means for enabling the processor to provide a
plurality of
shopping page web files for buying products or services from a marketing
company
associated with the marketing system; and providing means for enabling the
processor to
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
provide at least one vendor partner page web file for buying products or
services from a
vendor partner associated with the marketing system.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a system for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing system
comprising: a memory device having embodied therein information relating to a
plurality
of marketing system products or services; and a processor in communication
with said
memory device, said processor configured for establishing an interactive on-
line
registration process so that an individual may register with the marketing
system as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or
services at
an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation; providing a plurality of
web files
operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system; and
allowing
access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the
registered Client,
Member or IBO via at least one of the plurality of web files.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
having
computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer
system
to facilitate electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system, said
computer
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
program logic comprising: establishing means for enabling the processor to
establish an
interactive on-line registration process so that an individual may register
with the
marketing system as a Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner
("IBO"),
wherein a Client is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Client price, wherein a Member is not eligible to earn
compensation and is
eligible to buy products or services at a member price, and wherein an IBO is
eligible to
buy products or services at an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation;
providing
means for enabling the processor to provide a plurality of web files
operatively coupled to
a web site associated with the marketing system; and allowing means for
enabling the
processor to allow access to a plurality of marketing system products or
services to the
registered Client, Member or IBO via at least one of the plurality of web
files.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing
system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer
capable
of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer,
the method
comprising: establishing an interactive on-line registration process between
the client
browser system and the server computer so that an individual may register with
the
marketing system as a Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner
("IBO"),
wherein a Client is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Client price, wherein a Member is eligible to buy products or
services at a
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Member price and is not eligible to earn compensation, and wherein each IBO is
eligible
to buy products or services at an IBO price and is eligible to earn
compensation;
providing a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site
associated with the
marketing system; and allowing access to a plurality of marketing system
products or
services to the registered Client, Member or IBO via at least one of the
plurality of web
files.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for facilitating an on-line shopping and rewards program
through a
network, the network comprising at least one server computer capable of
communicating
with a browser system located at a remote client computer, the method
comprising:
establishing an interactive on-line registration process between the client
browser system
and the server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing
system as a
Client, a Member or an Independent Business Owner ("IBO") wherein a Client is
not
eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a
Client price,
wherein a Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy
products or
services at a Member price, and wherein an IBO is eligible to buy products or
services at
an IBO price and is eligible to earn compensation; maintaining a catalog
comprising
marketing system products or services on the server computer; maintaining a
rewards
database on the server computer for storing reward points corresponding to a
registered
Member; assigning a rewards value to the marketing system products or services
and
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
storing the rewards value in the catalog; assigning a redemption value to the
marketing
system products or services and storing the redemption value in the catalog;
providing
on-line access to the catalog to a registered Member via an on-line order
form; allowing
the registered Member to submit an order for marketing system products or
services via
the on-line order form; providing on-line access to the catalog to a
registered Member via
an on-line redemption form; allowing the registered Member to submit a rewards
exchange request for marketing system products or services via the on-line
redemption
form; and subtracting from the rewards database a redemption value
corresponding to the
marketing system products or services chosen by the registered Member.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for accumulating a list of products or services selected for
purchase
from a shopping page web file and a merchant partner page web file, the method
comprising: accumulating a selected list of product or service identifiers
selected for
purchase at a server computer; receiving at the server computer identification
of at least
one of the product or service identifiers selected for purchase from at least
one web file
selected from the group consisting of the shopping page web file and the
merchant partner
page web file; and at the server computer, adding to the selected list each
product or
service received by said receiving step.
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In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing
system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer
capable
of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer,
the method
comprising: establishing an interactive on-line registration process between
the client
browser system and the server computer so that a first individual may register
with the
marketing system; providing a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a
web site
associated with the marketing system; allowing access to a plurality of
marketing system
products or services to the registered individual via at least one of the
plurality of web
files; and assigning a second individual who registers with the marketing
system to the
first individual.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for granting access to a user to a first web page file
comprising:
determining if the user has an authentication identifier; directing the user
to a marketing
page web file if the user does not possess an authentication identifier;
determining a
participation level of the user if the user possesses an authentication
identifier; granting
access to the first web page file if the participation level of the user meets
a
predetermined access level; and directing the user to a second web page file
if the
participation level of the user does not meet the predetermined access level.
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In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a
marketing
system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer
capable
of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer,
the method
comprising: establishing an interactive on-line registration process between
the client
browser and the server computer so that an individual may register with the
marketing
system as a Client, Member or Independent Business Owner ("IBO"), wherein the
Client
is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to purchase products or
services at a
Client price, wherein the Member is not eligible to earn compensation and is
eligible to
purchase products or services at a Member price, and wherein the IBO is
eligible to earn
compensation and is eligible to purchase products or services at an IBO price;
providing
a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site associated with the
marketing
system; and allowing access to a plurality of marketing system products or
services to the
registered Client, Member or IBO via at least one of the plurality of web
files.
Features and Advantages
A feature of the present invention is that it allows a marketing company to
increase sales and grow the company's business by increasing orders, appealing
to new
market segments, improving productivity, cross-selling, and implementing on-
line
incentives and promotions.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
A further feature of the present invention is that it provides a system and
method
for complete electronic commerce ("E-Commerce") transactions and solutions for
a
marketing company's products via the World Wide Web ("WWW") including
facilities
for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new
Independent
Business Owners (IBOs) (described in more detail below) through an interactive
on-line
process.
A further feature of the present invention is that it combines a marketing
business with a membership buying opportunity so that IBOs participating in
the
marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and
earn
bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members. Members in the
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become
Independent Business Owners.
A further feature of the present invention is that it provides an electronic
product catalog that may enhance an Independent Business Owner's recruiting
efforts,
retain 1BO's, and open up new channels for IBO's to sell products.
An additional feature of the present invention is that it enables an IBO and
his
or her customers to order directly from the marketing company. This reduces
order
entry time and costs. and relieves ISO's from ordering administration,
reporting, order
tracking and Standing Order Product (SOP) processing. It also gives individual
customers control over their shopping experience.
An additional feature of the present invention is that participants in a
marketing business opportunity can introduce customers to membership in a
membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on product
purchases by those customers.
Another advantage of the present invention is that by providing opportunities
for mass merchandizing and targeted marketing, the present invention will
allow
business owners and the marketing company to gain a greater market share in
particular product segments. The present invention also provides opportunities
to
identify new market segments so that new products and services may be produced
to
satisfy these new market segments. In addition, by building customer profiles
and
personalizing messages to individual customers, the present invention may
allow the
marketing company to increase sales of the existing products to current
customers-
A further advantage of the present invention is that a single marketing
distribution system can distribute the products of several different sellers,
all
distributed through a single independent sales network but with different
levels and
structures of compensation for different product lines. The present invention
advantageously allows shoppers to shop for and buy products from different
sources
in a single transaction. The present invention further advantageously allows
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Independent Business Owners to earn income under a single marketing plan for
selling a variety of different product lines in combinations selected by each
individual
Independent Business Owner.
A further advantage of the present invention is that by catering to
streamlined
and convenient ways of doing business and allowing the marketing company's
IBOs a
greater range of choices, the present invention can increase IBO retention.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the marketing company can
increase the level of service to its customers while driving down the overall
cost of
doing business through efficient utilization of new technologies,
particularly, although
not limited to, Internet-related technologies.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the marketing company can
build requisite customer data profiles and merchandizing expertise necessary
for
large-scale direct customer merchandizing.
A further advantage of the present invention that it provides Independent
Business Owners in a marketing business with a "Virtual Office" feature that
provides
information vital to the operation of their business, including, but not
limited to
information on different product offerings and compensation systems, training.
financial information, marketing support, customer profiles, and other
information.
The present invention also advantageously provides different levels of access
to
information about products and "Virtual Office" functions to different
categories of
Independent Business Owners, so that each participant receives information and
marketing materials targeted to their individual preferences and business
situation.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that the invention will
support and enhance the relationships between IBOs and their customers thereby
improving growth in the customer base. Growth will result in Web-generated
leads,
reducing communication time and increasing efficiency.
Brief Description of the Drawings
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The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with
the
description. serve to explain the features, advantages, and principles of the
invention.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of the E-Commerce site of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram representing exemplary participation levels
comprising the marketing system of the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram representing an exemplary personally
sponsored group according to the present invention;
FIGS. 4a-4f show block diagrams of exemplary alternative registration
procedures according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows an exemplary multi-tiered architecture system suitable for use in
the present invention;
FIG. 6 shows a flow chart depicting exemplary steps for administering
authentication;
FIG. 7 shows an exemplary layout of a "Income options" page web file of the
present invention;
FIGS. 8a, 8b, and 8c show an exemplary interactive presentation within the
Income options page web file of the present invention;
FIG. 9 shows an exemplary product list used for product browsing and
shopping in the present invention;
FIG. 10 shows an exemplary shopping basket display page;
FIG. 11 shows an exemplary order preview page:
FIGS. 12a-12h show an exemplary layout of an exemplary shopping page web
file of the present invention;
FIGS. 13a-13e show an exemplary layout of a second exemplary shopping
page web file of the present invention;
FIGS. 14a-14e show an exemplary layout of a third exemplary shopping page
web file of the present invention;
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FIG. 15 shows an exemplary layout of a fourth exemplary shopping page web
file of the present invention;
FIG. 16 shows an exemplary layout of a "Member Benefits" page web file of
the present invention;
FIG. 17 shows an exemplary page web file including those features available
to a Client within the "My Business" page web file of the present invention;
FIG. 18 shows an exemplary page web file including those features available
to a Member within the "My Business" page web file of the present invention;
FIG. 19 shows an exemplary page web file including those features available
to an Independent Business Owner within the "My Business" page web file of the
present invention;
FIG. 20 shows an exemplary catalog of products and services used in the on-
line shopping and rewards program of the present invention;
FIG. 21 shows an exemplary layout of a "Virtual Office" page web file of the
present invention;
FIG. 22 shows an exemplary display of the structure and content of LOS (Line
of Sponsorship) information for an IBO of the present invention;
FIG. 23 shows an exemplary layout of a "Customer Service" page web file of
the present invention:
FIG. 24 shows an exemplary display of a Virtual Customer Service
Representative of the present invention;
FIG. 25 shows a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a
marketing company network and communication over a network to a user:
FIG. 26 shows an exemplary computer system suitable for use with the
present invention; and
FIG. 27 shows an exemplary flow diagram depicting the process by which a
user administers a pre-paid postage label for product exchanges and/or
returns.
Detailed Description
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Definitions
The following definitions are intended to provide clarity to various terms
used
in the present invention. Any reference to products is done for exemplary
and/or
explanatory purposes only. The breadth and scope of the present invention
should
not, however, be limited by any of the exemplary products or definitions
disclosed
herein.
ActiveX Data Objects (ADO)
ADO is an application program interface (API) from Microsoft Corporation,
Redmond, WA ("Microsoft") that lets programmers writing Windows@, a registered
trademark of the Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, applications get access
to
relational and non-relational databases from both Microsoft and other database
providers. For example, if it was desired to write a program that would
provide users
of a Web site with data from an IBM DB2TM database or an OracleTM database, an
ADO
program statements could be included in an HTML file that was identified as an
Active Server Page (ASP). When a user requested the page from the Web site,
the
page sent back could include appropriate data from a database, obtained using
ADO
code.
ActiveX
A software module based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM)
architecture. It enables a program to add functionality by calling ready-made
components that blend in and appear as normal parts of the program. They are
typically used to add user interface functions, such as 3-D toolbars, a
notepad,
calculator or even a spreadsheet.
ActiveX Control
An ActiveX control is a component program object that can be re-used by many
application programs within a computer or among computers in a network- The
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
technology for creating ActiveX controls is part of Microsoft's overall
ActiveX set of
technologies, chief of which is the Component Object Model (COM). ActiveX
controls can be downloaded as small programs or animations for Web pages, but
they
can also be used for any commonly-needed task by an application program in the
latest Windows and Macintosh , a registered trademark of Apple Computer.
Inc..
Cupertino. CA, environments.
Animated GIF
An animated GIF is a graphic image on a Web page that moves - for example, a
twirling icon or a banner with a hand that waves or letters that get larger.
In particular,
an animated GIF is a file in the Graphics Interchange Format specified as
GIF89a that
contains within the single file a set of images that are presented in a
specified order.
An animated GIF can loop endlessly or it can present one or a few sequences
and then
stop the animation.
Anonymous E-Mail
Anonymous e-mail is e-mail that has been directed to a recipient through a
third-party
server that does not identify the originator of the message.
API (Application Program Interface)
An API (application program interface) is the specific method prescribed by a
computer operating system or by another application program by which a
programmer
writing an application program can make requests of the operating system or
another
application.
ASP-Active Server Page
A Web page that contains programming code written in VB Script or Javascript.
This
code was developed by Microsoft starting with Version 3.0 of its Internet
Information
Server (US). When the US server encounters an ActiveServer page that is
requested
by the browser, it executes the embedded program. Active Server Pages are
Microsoft's alternative to CGI scripts, which allow Web pages to interact with
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
databases and other programs. Active Server Pages generally use an ".ASP"
extension.
Authentication
Authentication is the process of determining whether someone or something is.
in
fact. who or what it is declared to be. In private and public computer
networks
(including the Internet), authentication is commonly done through the use of
logon
passwords. Knowledge of the password is assumed to guarantee that the user is
authentic. Each user registers initially (or is registered by someone else),
using an
assigned or self-declared password. On each subsequent use, the user must know
and
use the previously declared password. The weakness in this system for
transactions
that are significant such as the exchange of money) is that passwords can
often be
stolen. accidentally revealed, or forgotten.
AVI
Windows AVI provides the capability to develop animation files that can be
included in multimedia presentations and as part of World Wide Web pages. The
files
(which end with an avi extension) require a special player which may be
included
with a Web browser or may require downloading.
Back End
Front-end and back-end are terms used to characterize program interfaces and
services
relative to the initial user of these interfaces and services. (The "user" may
be a
human being or a program). A "front-end" application is one that application
users
interact with directly. A "back-end" application or program serves indirectly
in
support of the front-end services, usually by being closer to the required
resource or
having the capability to communicate with the required resource. The back-end
application may interact directly with the front-end or, perhaps more
typically. is a
program called from an intermediate program that mediates front-end and back-
end
activities.
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Browser or Browser System
A browser system is a program that provides a way to look at, read and hear
all the
information on the World Wide Web. A browser typically interprets hypertext
links
and allows the user to view sites and navigate from one Internet node to
another. A
brief overview of web browsers and their interactions within the World Wide
Web are
set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5,774,670.
Browsing
A process that can describe moving between page web files associated with the
marketing system web site of the present invention. `Browsing" can also refer
to
browsing the World Wide Web, which is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,774,670.
Bulletin Board System (BBS)
A bulletin board system is a computer that can be reached by computer modem
dialing
(and, in some cases, by Telnet) for the purpose of sharing or exchanging
messages or
other files. Some BBS's are devoted to specific interests: others offer a more
general
service.
C++
C++ is an object-oriented programming language that is now generally viewed as
the
best language for creating large-scale application programs. C++ is a superset
of the
C language.
CGI -Common Gateway Interface
A small program written in a script language such as Perl that functions as
the glue
between HTML pages and other programs on the Web server. For example, a CGI
script would allow search data entered on a Web page to be sent to the DBMS
(database management system). It would also format the results of that search
onto an
HTML page, which is sent back to the user.
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Client/Server
An architecture in which the client machine (personal computer or workstation)
is the
requesting machine and the server is the supplying machine, both of which are
connected via a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). Since the
early 1990s. the client/server architecture has been used to build
applications on LANs
in contrast to centralized minicomputers and mainframes with dedicated
terminals.
The client machine contains the user interface and, in terms of the present
invention,
preferably performs none or very little of the application processing. A
client machine
may also be referred to herein as a "user machine" or "user." Servers can be
high-
speed microcomputers, minicomputers or even mainframes. A database server
maintains the databases and processes requests from the client machine to
extract data
from, or update, the database. An application server may provide additional
business
processing for the client machine.
COM+
COM+ is an extension of COM (Component Object Model), Microsoft's strategic
building block approach for developing applications. COM+ is both an object-
oriented programming architecture and a set of operating system services. It
adds to
COM a new set of system services for application components while they are
running,
such as notifying them of significant events or ensuring they are authorized
to run.
COM+ is intended to provide a model that makes it relatively easy to create
business
applications that work well with the Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) in a
Windows NT system.
Cookie
A cookie is a special text file that a Web site puts on a hard disk of a user
machine
accessing the web site so that it can remember something about the user at a
later
time. Typically, a cookie records a user's preferences when using a particular
site.
Using the Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), each request for a Web
page is
independent of all other requests. For this reason, the Web page server has no
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memory of what pages it has sent to a user previously or anything about the
user's
previous visits. A cookie is a mechanism that allows the server to store its
own file
about a user on the user's own computer. The file is stored in a subdirectory
of the
browser directory. The cookie subdirectory will contain a cookie file for each
Web
site the user has been to that uses cookies. A detailed description of
cookies, and the
storage of state information, is contained in U.S. Patent No. 5,774,670.
Data Warehouse
A data warehouse is a central repository for all or significant parts of the
data that an
enterprise's various business systems collect. Typically, a data warehouse is
housed on
an enterprise mainframe server. Data from various online transaction
processing
(OLTP) applications and other sources is selectively extracted and organized
on the
data warehouse database for use by analytical applications and user queries.
Data
warehousing emphasizes the capture of data from diverse sources for useful
analysis
and access, but does not generally start from the point-of-view of the end
user or
knowledge worker who may need access to specialized, sometimes local
databases.
Database
A set of related files that is created and managed by a database management
system
(DBMS). DBMSs can manage any form of data including text, images, sound and
video. The software determines database and file structures.
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
In computer networks, a DMZ is a computer host or small network inserted as a
"neutral zone" between a company's private network and an outside public
network.
It prevents outside users from getting direct access to a server that has
company data.
A DMZ is an optional and more secure approach to a firewall and can also
function as
a proxy server as well.
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Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)
DCOM is a set of Microsoft concepts and program interfaces in which client
program
objects can request services from server program objects on other computers in
a
network. The Component Object Model (COM) provides a set of interfaces
allowing
clients and servers to communicate within the same computer (running a
Windows(D
95. 98, or NT system).
DHTML-dynamic HTML
Specific enhancements to HTML tags that allow Web pages to function more like
regular software. For example, fonts could be changed or images could be
selected
without having to jump to another page. Dynamic HTML (DHTML) is based on the
Document Object Model (DOM) interface that allows HTML tads to be dynamically
changed via JavaScript , a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., Mountain View,
CA, or some other scripting language. Netscape Communicator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer 4.0 use different methods to implement DHTML. Netscape is a
registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation, Mountain View.
CA.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
A modem technology that increases the digital speed of ordinary telephone
lines by a
substantial factor over common V.34 (33600 BPS) modems. DSL modems may
provide symmetrical or asymmetrical operation. Asymmetrical provides faster
downstream speeds and is suited for Internet usage and video on demand, where
the
heaviest transmission requirement is from the provider to the customer.
Direct Access Storage Device (DASD)
DASD is a general term for magnetic disk storage devices and has historically
been
used in the mainframe and minicomputer (mid-range computer) environments. When
used, it may also include hard disk drives for personal computers. A recent
form of
DASD is RAID (see below).
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Downloading
Downloading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another,
usually smaller computer system. From the Internet user's point-of-view, to
download
a file is to request it from another computer (or from a Web page on another
computer) and to receive it.
Dynamic Link Library (DLL)
An executable program module that performs some function. DLLs are not
launched
directly by users. When needed, they are called for by a running application
and
loaded to perform a specific function. DLLs are generally written so that
their routines
are shared by more than one application at the same time.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce is the application of communication and information sharing tools
among trading partners to the pursuit of business objectives. Representative
types of
electronic commerce include, for example, Information access. Shopping
services and
Virtual enterprises.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
EDI is a standard format for exchanging business data.
Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
E-Mail is the exchange of computer-stored messages by telecommunication. E-
Mail
messages are usually encoded in ASCII text. However, non-text files, such as
graphic
images and sound files, can be sent as attachments in binary streams. As used
herein.
E-mail may also be referred to as an electronic notification.
Encryption
Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a cipher, that cannot
be easily
intercepted by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting
encrypted
data back into its original form, so it can be understood. Typically, when an
encrypted
document arrives at its destination, the encrypted document is converted back
to its
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original form through decryption. The readable document is generally referred
to as a
"decrypted" document. A basic introduction to encryption and decryption is
described
in the text written by Bruce Scheiner entitled "Applied Cryptography:
Protocols,
Algorithms And Source Code in C," published by John Wiley & Sons, 1994.
Moreover,
more detailed descriptions of systems and apparatus for accomplishing
encryption and
decryption in computer networks are set forth in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,903,652,
5,850,442,
and 5,850,446.
ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning
An information system that integrates all manufacturing and related
applications for
an entire enterprise. An ERP implies the use of advanced information
technologies,
including, but not limited to, Graphical User Interfaces ("GUIs"), Computer
Aided
Software Engineering ("CASE") tools, 4GL (fourth-generation programming
language), client/server architecture and open systems.
Electronic Retailing
Electronic retailing is the selling of retail goods on the Internet.
Ethernet
A type of Local Area Network (LAN) developed by Xerox, Digital and Intel. It
is the
most widely used LAN access method. Token Ring is the next most widely used
method. Ethernet is normally a shared media LAN. All stations on the segment
share
the total bandwidth, which is either 10 MBPS (Ethernet), 100 MBPS (Fast
Ethernet)
or 1000 MBPS (Gigabit Ethernet). With switched Ethernet, each sender and
receiver
pair have the full bandwidth.
Extranet
An extranet is a private network that uses the Internet protocols and the
public
telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or
operations with suppliers, merchants, partners, customers, or other
businesses. An
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extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to
users outside
the company.
Fourth-Generation Language (4GL)
A computer language that is more advanced than traditional high-level
programming languages. Languages for accessing databases are often described
as
4GLs. An exemplary 4GL language statement is "EXTRACT ALL CUSTOMERS
WHERE "PREVIOUS PURCHASES" TOTAL MORE THAN $ 1000." Another
example, as in dBase, the command list displays all the records in a data
file. In
second- and third-generation languages, instructions would have to be written
to read
each record, test for end of file, place each item of data on screen and go
back and
repeat the operation until there are no more records to process. First-
generation
languages are machine languages; second-generation languages are machine
dependent assembly languages; third-generation languages are high-level
programming languages, such as FORTRAN, COBOL. BASIC, Pascal and C.
Fractional T-1 or T-3 line
A fractional T-1 or T-3 line is a T-1 or T-3 digital phone line in the North
American
T-carrier system that is leased to a customer at a fraction of its data-
carrying capacity
and at a correspondingly lower cost. A T-1 line contains 24 channels, each
with a data
transfer capacity of 64 KBPS. The customer can rent any number of the 24
channels.
The transmission method and speed of transfer remain the same. Overhead bits
and
framing are still used, but the unrented channels simply contain no data.
Gigabyte (GB)
A gigabyte is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is
"approximately" one
billion bytes.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
A popular raster graphics file format developed by CompuServe. It supports 8-
bit
color (256 colors) and is widely used on the Web, because the files compress
well.
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GIFs include a color table that includes the most representative 256 colors
used. For
example, a picture of the forest would include mostly greens. This method
provides
excellent realism in an 8-bit image. GIF89 allows one of the colors to be made
transparent and take on the background color of the underlying page or window.
GIF89a supports animated GIFs, which are sequences of images displayed one
after
the other to simulate movement.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the set of "markup" symbols or codes
inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser. The
markup
tells the Web browser how to display a Web page's words and images for the
user.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
HTTP is the set of rules for exchanging files (text, graphic images. sound.
video and
other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web. Relative to the TCP/IP suite of
protocols. HTTP is an application protocol. The World Wide Web is based on the
concept of "hypertext" and the transfer method known as HTTP. HTTP is
typically
designed to run primarily over TCP/IP and uses the standard Internet setup,
where a
server issues the data and a client machine or "client browser" displays the
data. One
format for information transfer is to create documents using HTML page (see
above),
which are preferably made up of standard text as well as formatting codes
which
indicate how the page should be displayed. The Web client machine, reads these
codes in order to display the page. The hypertext conventions and related
functions of
the World Wide Web are described in the appendices of U.S. Patent No.
5,715,314.
HTTPS (Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
HTTPS is a Web protocol developed by Netscape and built into its browser that
encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are
returned by the
Web server. HTTPS uses Netscape's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) as a sublayer
under
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its regular HTTP application layer. SSL can use a 40-bit or 120 bit key size
for the
stream encryption algorithm.
Hyperlink
On the Web or other hypertext systems, hyperlink is a synonym for both link
and
hypertext link.
Internet Information Server (IIS)
Web server software from Microsoft that runs under Windows NT. It supports
Netscape's SSL security protocol and turns an NT-based PC into a Web site.
Input/Output (I/O)
Transferring data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is
an
output from one device and input into another.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
An international telecommunications standard for transmitting voice, video and
data
over digital lines running at 64 KBPS. The telephone companies commonly use a
64
KBPS channel for digitized, two-way voice conversations. ISDN service is
becoming
widely available in the U.S.
Java
Java , a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., Mountain View, CA, is
a
programming language (Sun Microsystems) expressly designed for use in the
distributed environment of the Internet. It was designed to have the "look and
feel" of
the C++ language, but it is simpler to use than C++ and enforces a completely
object-
oriented view of programming. Java can be used to create complete
applications that
may run on a single computer or be distributed among servers and clients in a
network. It can also be used to build small application modules or applets for
use as
part of a Web page. Applets make it possible for a Web page user to interact
with the
page.
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Java O Scripting Language (Javascript )
A script language from Sun Microsystems. Inc. that is supported in Netscape
Navigator as of Version 2Ø JavaScript uses the HTML page as its user
interface,
whereas Java can generate a completely custom interface. On the client
machine.
JavaScript @ applets are maintained in source code. On the server. they are
compiled
into byte code (intermediate language), similar to Java programs. JavaScript
@ does
not have the programming overhead of Java . but can be used in conjunction
with it.
For example, a JavaScript applet could be used to display a data entry form
and
validate the input, while a Java O program processes the information.
JavaScript is
also used to tie Java applets together.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG)
A type of graphic compression. Good quality for photographs.
Legacy Systems
Mainframe and/or minicomputers typically supporting character based user
interfaces.
Logical Data Model (LDM)
Representation of those entities. objects, relationships and attributes, which
are used
to construct a physical database model.
Logon/Login
In general computer usage, Iogon is the procedure used to get access to an
operating
system or application, usually in a remote computer. Generally, a Iogon
procedure
requires that the user have (1) a user ID and (2) a password. Often, the user
ID must
conform to a limited length such as eight characters and the password must
contain at
least one digit and not match a natural language word. The user ID can be
freely
known and is visible when entered at a keyboard or other input device. The
password
must be kept secret (and is not displayed as it is entered). A similar
procedure, called
registration, is required to enter some Web sites.
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Message Queuing
In programming, message queuing is a method by which processes (or program
instances) can exchange or pass data using an interface to a system-managed
queue of
messages. Messages can vary in length and be assigned different types or
usages. A
message queue can be created by one process and used by multiple processes
that read
and/or write messages to the queue. For example. a server process can read and
write
messages from and to a message queue created for client processes. The message
type
can be used to associate a message with a particular client process even
though all
messages are on the same queue.
Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS)
The Microsoft Transaction Server is a program that runs on an Internet or
other
network server and manages application and database transaction requests on
behalf
of a client computer user. The Transaction Server screens the user and client
computer from having to formulate requests for unfamiliar databases and, if
necessary, forwards the requests to database servers. It also manages
security,
connection to other servers and transaction integrity.
NetPerceptions
NetPerceptions is an application that is bundled with Vignette, a content
management
system, that can be used for Web site ad tracking. It also offers E-Commerce
merchandizing solutions for cross selling, up selling and increasing Web
shopper
loyalty.
Network
In information technology, a network is a series of points or nodes
interconnected by
communication paths. Networks can interconnect with other networks and contain
sub
networks. The most common topologies or general configurations of networks
include the bus, star and ring topologies. Networks can also be characterized
in terms
of spatial distance as local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks
(MANs) and wide area networks (WANs).
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NT File System (NTFS)
NTFS is the system that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing and
retrieving files on a hard disk. NTFS is the Windows NT equivalent of the
Windows 95/98 FAT (file allocation table) and the IBM OS/2TM HPFS (high
performance file system).
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
A standard or open application programming interface (API) for accessing a
database.
By using ODBC statements in a program, files in a number of different
databases,
including Access, dBase, Excel and Text, can be accessed. In addition to the
ODBC
software, a separate module or driver is needed for each database to be
accessed.
Peripheral
Any hardware device connected to a computer, such as a monitor, keyboard.
printer,
disk, tape, graphics tablet, scanner, joy stick, paddle and mouse.
Perl (Practical Extraction Report Language)
A programming language that combines syntax from several UNIXTM utilities and
languages. Perl is designed to handle a variety of system administrator
functions.
Because of its comprehensive string handling capabilities, it is widely used
on Web
servers. Stemming from the UNIXTM world, Per! has been adapted to other
platforms.
Physical Data Model (PDM)
Generation of an actual SQL server database.
Plug-In
An auxiliary program that works with a major software package to enhance its
capability. For example, plug-ins are widely used in image editing programs
such as
PhotoShop to add a filter for some special effect. Plug -ins are added to Web
browsers
such as Netscape to enable them to support new types of content (audio,
video, etc.).
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
The term is widely used for software, but could also be used to refer to a
plug in
module for hardware.
RAID (redundant array of independent disks)
RAID is a way of storing the same data in different places (thus, redundantly)
on
multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks, I/O operations can
overlap in a
balanced way, improving performance. Since multiple disks increases the mean
time
between failure (MTBF), storing data redundantly increases fault-tolerance.
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL)
Pronounced "smile", it is a language for displaying TV-like content on the Web
from
the World Wide Web Consortium ("W3C"). It is used to sequence audio, video and
graphics elements into a continuous, low-bandwidth stream. SMIL supports
hypertext
links to background and related information or for ordering a product.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the basic
communication
language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications
protocol
in the private networks called intranets and in extranets. When a computer is
set up
with direct access to the Internet, the computer is provided with a copy of
the TCP/IP
program just as every other computer that messages are sent to. or information
is
received from, also has a copy of TCP/IP.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
A URL is the address of a file (resource) accessible on the Internet. The type
of
resource depends on the Internet application protocol. Using the World Wide
Web's
protocol, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the resource can be an HTML
page, an image file, a program such as a CGI application or Java applet, or
any other
file supported by HTTP. The URL contains the name of the protocol required to
access the resource, a domain name that identifies a specific computer on the
Internet
and a hierarchical description of a file location on the computer. Additional
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descriptions of URLs can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,774,670 and the
appendices to
U.S. Patent No. 5,715,314.
VBScript
VBScript is an interpreted script language from Microsoft.
Vignette
Vignette Enterprise Solutions is a content management system that includes two
platforms: Vignette StoryServer 4 and Vignette Syndication Server Plus, a
comprehensive set of tools (Production Center, Business Center and Development
Center).
Visual Basic
Visual Basic is a programming environment from Microsoft in which a programmer
uses a graphical user interface to choose and modify pre-selected chunks of
code
written in the BASIC programming language.
VRML Virtual Reality Modeling Language
A 3-D graphics language used on the Web. After downloading a VRML page, its
contents can be viewed, rotated and manipulated. Simulated rooms can be
"walked
into." The VRML viewer is launched from within the Web browser.
Webmaster
A Webmaster is a person who either: creates and manages the information
content
(words and pictures) and organization of a Web site, manages the computer
server and
technical programming aspects of a Web site; or does both.
Web site
A Web site is a related collection of Web files that typically includes, but
is not
limited to, a beginning file called a home page.
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Windows NT
Windows NT is the Microsoft Windows personal computer operating system
designed for users and businesses needing advanced capability. Windows NT is
actually a combination of two products: Microsoft NT Workstation and Microsoft
NT
Server.
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is defined as all of the resources and users on the
Internet that
are using the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP).
eXtensible Markup Language
A subset of the SGML document language designed for use on the Web and
sanctioned by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It provides more
flexibility
for designing Web pages than HTML, which itself is a document type of SGML.
Whereas HTML uses a fixed set of tags (codes) to describe the pages, XML
maintains
the flexible meta-language characteristic of SGML by defining the codes that
will be
used in each document-
Overview
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing
complete electronic commerce ("E-Commerce") transactions and solutions within
a
marketing system for a marketing company's products via a network generally
accessible by the public, such as the World Wide Web. The present invention
includes facilities for signing up or registering new customers with the
marketing
system and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners
(IBOs) through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present
invention
relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying
opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions.
Particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for
combining a
marketing business with a membership buying club. Independent Business Owners
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participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership
buying
opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions, which may alternatively be
referred to
as "income," based on the purchases by those customers. Members in the buying
opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become
Independent
Business Owners. The categories of IBO, Member, Member Plus, and Client will
be
described in more detail below.
As used herein, a "marketing company" denotes a company that employs a
distribution force of independent distributors. Such distributors can be
compensated
in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, multilevel compensation,
which
includes compensation on sales made directly by the distributor as well as
sales made
by others, commissions on sales made only directly by the distributor, or
other suitable
types of commissions or compensation.
As used herein, "bonus" can mean compensation or income paid to an IBO
based upon, but not limited to, the following: sales of marketing system
products and
services to the IBO's personal group; sales of marketing system products and
services
to the IBO; and sales of marketing system products and services by the IBO and
by
the personal group; and sales of marketing system products and services to the
IBO.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the bonus may include
compensation
paid to an IBO based on the volume of product sales to that IBO and IBOs
personally
sponsored by that 1BO and Members and customers serviced by that IBO. As used
herein, "group" is used to, for example, describe all IBOs who have been
personally
sponsored by an IBO in addition to all IBOs sponsored by those people and so
on_
"Sponsoring" is the act of introducing others to the marketing company's
business
opportunity and having them sign up as. for example, but not limited to, a
Member or
a Member Plus.
Marketing system products and services can include, for example, all products
and services available for purchase through the marketing system of the
present
invention. In one embodiment, marketing system products and services are made
39
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
available from a marketing company associated with the marketing system. In
another
embodiment, marketing system products and services are made available from a
merchant partner associated with the marketing system. In another embodiment.
marketing system products and services are made available from both the
marketing
company and the merchant partner.
The present invention is also directed to a system and method for offering a
single marketing distribution system for the products of several different
sellers,
which preferably include a marketing company and merchant partners, all
distributed
through the same independent sales network but with different levels and
structures of
compensation for different product lines. The present invention preferably
allows
shoppers to shop for and buy products from different sources, including a
marketing
company and merchant partners, preferably. in a single transaction. It allows
Independent Business Owners to earn income under a single marketing plan for
selling a variety of different product lines in combinations selected by each
individual
Independent Business Owner.
The present invention is also directed to providing Independent Business
Owners in a marketing business with a "Virtual Office" feature that provides
information vital to the operation of their business. Preferably, the Virtual
Office
feature is embodied in an office page web file associated with the web site of
the
present invention. The information provided includes, but is not limited to_
information on different product offerings and compensation systems. training.
financial information, marketing support, customer profiles. and other
information.
The information can also include information relating to sales of marketing
system
products and services to a personal group and sales of marketing system
products and
services by the personal group. The personal group preferably comprises at
least one
individual selected from the group consisting of a registered Client, Member,
Member
Plus, and an IBO. Alternatively, the information can include sales of
marketing
system products and services to the IBO and sales of marketing system products
and
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
services by the IBO. Additionally, the office page web file allows an IBO to
view the
total individual point value, total individual business volume, the IBO's
total point
value. and the ISO's total business volume. The total point values and total
business
volumes are calculated from the individual point values and business volumes
assigned to marketing system products and services.
The present invention is also directed to a system and method for providing
different levels of access to information about products, and "Virtual Office"
functions to Independent Business Owners, so that each participant receives
information and marketing materials targeted to their individual preferences
and
business situations.
The present invention is also directed to a system and method for facilitating
an on-line shopping and rewards program through a network, the network
comprising
at least one server computer capable of communicating with a browser system
located
at a remote client computer. The present invention includes establishing an
interactive online registration process between the client browser system and
the
server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing system
as a
Client, a Member. or a Member Plus, wherein a Client is not eligible to earn
compensation and is eligible to buy products at a Client price, wherein the
Client price
is preferably less than or equal to a retail price, wherein a Member is
eligible to buy
products at a Member price, wherein the Member Price is preferably less than
or equal
to the Client price, and wherein the Member is not eligible to earn
compensation, and
wherein a Member Plus is eligible to buy products at a Member Plus price,
wherein
the Member Plus price is preferably less than or equal to the Member price or
the
Client price, and wherein a Member Plus qualifies to cam compensation by
satisfying
a sales qualification level and thereby qualifying as an IBO. and wherein each
IBO is
eligible to buy products at an IB,0 price, wherein the IBO price is preferably
less than
or equal to the Member Plus price or the Member price, and wherein the 130 is
eligible to earn compensation.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
The present invention further includes maintaining a catalog comprising
marketing system products and services on the server computer. Additionally,
the
present invention includes: maintaining a rewards database on the server
computer for
storing reward points corresponding to a registered Member; assigning a
rewards
value to the marketing system products and services and storing the rewards
value in
the catalog; assigning a redemption value to the marketing system products and
services and storing the redemption value in the catalog; providing on-line
access to
the catalog to a registered Member via an on-line order form; allowing the
registered
Member to submit an order for marketing system products and services via the
on-line
order form; providing on-line access to the catalog to a registered Member via
an on-
line redemption form; allowing the registered Member to submit a rewards
exchange
request for marketing system products and services via the on-line redemption
form;
and subtracting from the rewards database a redemption value corresponding to
the
marketing system products and services chosen by the registered Member.
System and Method of the Present Invention
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown generally in Fig.
1. As can be seen from Fig. 1. the present invention preferably includes a
direct link
between a marketing company 100 and an E-Commerce (E-Comm) Web Site 102.
The E-Commerce Web Site 102 is preferably served up or displayed to shoppers
or
users differently, depending upon the membership or registration level or
attributes of
the shopper or user. In one embodiment of the present invention, one of the
registered
Client, Member, or Member Plus does not have access to all marketing system
products and services. In a further embodiment of the present invention, only
a
registered IBO has access to all marketing system products and services. In an
alternate embodiment, a different group of marketing system products and
services is
preferably presented to each of the registered Client, Member, Member Plus,
and 1130.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
The invention further preferably includes, for example, but is not limited to
a
shopping page Web file, which includes the following: "My Health" (Health
1300),
"My Home" (Home 1210) and "My Self' (Self 1400). It should be apparent to one
of
ordinary skill in the art that each of the Health 1300, Home 1210, and Self
1400 may
represent individual shopping page web files associated with the E-Commerce
Web
Site 102. The present invention is not limited to three such shopping page web
files,
and other shopping page web files could be included. Such other shopping page
web
files could be directed to other types of products, such as, but not limited
to, travel-
related products and sporting equipment.
Additionally, the marketing system's E-Commerce registered users can visit
the "Member Perks" 1600 page web file and explore the number of features
described
herein available to Members. Preferably, an on-line form associated with the
member
perks page web file is supplied to a registered Client, Member, Member Plus,
and
IBO_ The registered Client, Member, Member Plus, and IBO enters personal
information onto the on-line form. Personal information is preferably stored
on a
server computer, as will be described in more detail below, for example, with
respect
to Figs. 16-19 ("My Business") and thereafter. This personal information can
be used
to customize their E-Commerce environment. As used herein, "Member Perks" and
"Member Benefits" or "Member Services" may be used interchangeably and should
be construed by one having ordinary skill in the art as analogous terms.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention. IBOs and Members Plus,
which will be described in more detail below, can visit a "Virtual Office"
2100, or
office page web file, to find information needed to efficiently run their E-
Commerce
business. An "Income Options" 140 site, or income options page web file,
provides
an area where a web shopper can find out more information about the E-Commerce
business opportunity and can quickly and easily execute membership
registration. In a
preferred embodiment, the income options page web file comprises a multimedia
presentation and information relating to the marketing system. such as through
a slide-
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
show presentation. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, only a
registered
Client, Member, Member Plus, and IBO may view the multimedia presentation via
the
income options page web file.
As shown, the web site also provides links to affiliates 1500 (Merchants 1, 2.
and 3) or merchant partner page web files of the marketing company, and new
business ventures of the marketing company (NBV 1 and 2) Web sites 150. Each
of
these will be described in more detail below. In addition, in one embodiment,
the web
site also provides links to a "Store for More" 2950, which can comprise all
marketing
system products and services, or a subset thereof, and a customer service page
web
file 2300, which will be described in more detail below.
In addition, there preferably is a link to a site search page 155 from the
primary
navigational menu. Site search page 155 allows a user to enter common terms
and/or
phrases and attempts to locate those terms or phrases within the E-Commerce
web
site.
The E-Commerce web site 102 as embodied in the present invention has
several primary audiences, each with different informational needs. The site
provides
IBOs with a new description for the marketing company's business and its
objectives.
Moreover, prospects with only a slight interest in the marketing plan can be
signed up
as Clients or Members. Web prospects who simply want to make some additional
money can be referred to the site and signed up as a Member Plus.
Additionally, users
who are not registered with the marketing system, referred to herein as
anonymous
users, site visitors, surfers, or the like, can navigate through non-
restricted portions of
the web site and can select items for purchase. In a preferred embodiment.
these
anonymous users must register prior to purchasing the items selected for
purchase.
Additionally, the site provides the facilities for registered E-Commerce IBOs
and
Members Plus to manage and monitor their business, via the "Virtual Office"
section
of the site.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Prospective shopping leads typically and preferably come from Clients,
Members, Members Plus, and/or Independent Business Owners. However, potential
leads also may come from the marketing company, merchant partners, or other
merchandizing sources, or any other suitable source. A description-follows of
exemplary types of audience or participation categories and the exemplary
benefits
and services provided by the present invention to these audience members or
participation categories.
Client
A Client describes a participation category in which an individual registers
with the marketing system. A Client may purchase products or services directly
from
a registered 10BO and be serviced by the IBO. In an alternative embodiment.
the Client
may purchase products or services directly from a registered Member Plus and
be
serviced by the Member Plus. In an alternative embodiment, the Client may
purchase
products and services directly from a marketing company. The Client preferably
purchases products or services at a Client price, which is preferably less
than or equal
to a retail price. An Independent Business Owner. Member Plus, or in some
cases
another Member typically refer Clients to the E-Commerce Web site 102 embodied
in
the present invention.
In one embodiment, Clients purchase products from the marketing company at
retail prices. A retail price is preferably greater than an 1BO price, which
is a price at
which IBOs buy products and services from the marketing company. A Client is
preferably not eligible to purchase marketing system products or services at
an 1BO
price, wherein the IBO price is preferably less than the retail price. In
other words, by
analogy, a Client preferably purchase products or services at a retail price
from. for
example, a retail department store, whereas an IBO purchases products or
services
from, for example, a distribution warehouse at a wholesale price. A Client
preferably
has exposure to a subset of the total core product and catalog lines for
browsing. but
may be shown all products if the SKI.J or identification number, or the exact
brand
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
name is known for a particular product and is searched for. Moreover, a Client
is
preferably not eligible to earn compensation or bonus income. The site
provides an
amusing and efficient place for Clients to shop, as product favorites may be
continually target-marketed to the Client based upon their buying habits.
Further, a
Client is preferably exposed to specials and other deals to entice them to
become
Members of the marketing system-
Member
The E-Commerce Web site is designed primarily, but not exclusively, for
Members. A Member describes a participation category in which an individual
registers with the marketing system. A Member is preferably a discount buyer
with
membership benefits. An Independent Business Owner, Member Plus, or in some
cases another Member, typically refers Members to the E-Commerce Web site. A
principal feature of a Member is that by paying an annual fee, the Member is
entitled
to purchase products and services for their own consumption directly from the
marketing company at a price equal to or greater than the price paid by
Independent
Business Owners. This price is usually less than the retail price paid by
Clients. The
marketing company also offers direct marketing promotions targeted at Members.
Members are also able to sign up online via the E-Commerce site or in person.
Moreover, Members can place standing and recurring orders and may purchase
products from an IBO or Member Plus.
Another feature of membership is complete access to the My Business area
that provides benefits beyond those offered to clients. Personalized benefits,
such as
news, weather, sports, e-mail, as well as the E-Commerce Rewards Program,
which is
preferably designed exclusively for Members, are available.
The Member, however, is not entitled to a performance bonus nor is the
Member authorized to recruit or sponsor other Members. Moreover, Members are
not
encouraged or authorized to resell products from the marketing company.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Member Plus
A Member Plus describes a participation category in which an individual
registers with the marketing system. An Independent Business Owner or another
Member Plus typically may refer a Member Plus to the E-Commerce Web site. A
Member Plus is a person that is interested in purchasing products from the
marketing
company at Independent Business Owner prices as well as becoming an E-Commerce
Independent Business Owner. A Member Plus is entitled to purchase products and
services for their own consumption directly from the marketing company at a
Member
Plus price which may be the same as or less than a Member price. Some products
and
services available to IBOs are also available to Members Plus as described
below.
Members Plus are not entitled to a performance bonus. They are however,
encouraged
and authorized to resell the company's products as well as to generate new
sales to
direct-buying consumers such as Members. Moreover, a Member Plus can place
standing and recurring orders for products in both individual and bulk orders
and can
sponsor others into the marketing system.
In one embodiment, the Member Plus purchases an E-Commerce Business Kit,
which gives them the ability to recruit, retail and receive a bonus, and pays
a fee. This
fee entitles the Member Plus to purchase products at Independent Business
Owner
prices. In a preferred embodiment, the E-Commerce Business Kit comprises
products, videos, and literature used by the Member Plus to build and grow
their
independent business.
Moreover, a Member Plus has complete access to the Virtual Office site 2100
which is designed to provide tools to help manage and monitor an E-Commerce
business. Access to personalized shopper information, Web-based e-mail, and
great
deals also are available to the Member Plus via the E-Commerce site. All point
value/business volume point (PV/BV) (described in more detail below) that the
Member Plus accumulates goes to the IBO until such time a performance bonus
level
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
has been achieved. The Member Plus qualifies as an Independent Business Owner
upon achieving the specified performance bonus level.
Independent Business Owner
An IBO describes a participation category in which a registered individual
participates in the marketing system. Alternatively, an IBO may describe an
individual interested in earning income from the sale of products from the
marketing
company, although the IBO will also be entitled to purchase products for
his/her own
consumption. An IBO has the ability to recruit, retail, and receive a bonus,
collect
PVBV, and participate in sales incentive programs. An IBO can purchase all
products from the core product and catalog lines at the IBO price, which is
preferably
less then a retail price established for the products.
An Independent Business Owner can place standing and recurring orders for
products in both "eaches" and cases. As used herein, "eaches" refers to
purchasing
products in single quantities rather than case quantities. Cases can refer to
a group of
products composed of units of products. In one embodiment, there is an
additional
charge when ordering products as an "each" compared to the unit cost of the
item
when ordered by the case. In addition, an IBO is entitled and encouraged to
resell
products to end-user consumers as well as to generate sales by the marketing
company
to such end-user consumers, including Members. Each IBO is entitled to charge
any
markup he or she chooses for products he or she resells.
To qualify to cam bonus income, each IBO must preferably generate at least
50PV of sales in a month to end-user consumers, either Members or individuals
who
are neither Members nor 1B Os. Personal consumption by an IBO preferably does
not
count toward this qualification. It should be understood by one of ordinary
skill in the
art, however, that the personal consumption by an IBO could count toward the
qualification but it is preferred that it does not. Each IBO thus qualified is
entitled to
earn a performance bonus based on the ISO's own purchases, the purchases of
his or
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
her personal group, sales made to/by the IBO, sales made to/by the personal
group.
These sales may include sales made to individuals outside the marketing
system, such
as neighbors. Each IBO is entitled, but not required, to sponsor other IBOs
and to
introduce new Members.
In addition, the IBO has complete access to the Virtual Office site 2100 to
provide tools to help manage and monitor their E-Commerce business. Access to
personalized information such as PV1BV, Web-based e-mail, as well as access to
great
merchandizing offers, is also provided to the IBO.
In one embodiment, the participation categories of the present invention can
comprise IBOs, Members, Members Plus, and Clients. In an alternative
embodiment,
the participation categories of the present invention can comprise IBOs,
Members, and
Clients. It should be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the an
that the
present invention is not limited to a particular selection of participation
categories and
other categories with varying benefits, privileges, and characteristics could
be used
within the scope of the invention.
Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention. According to the present invention. it is preferred that a
company's
products and/or services are marketed and sold to customers (who may include,
but is
not limited to, Clients, Members, Members Plus, and IBOs) using an independent
network of distributors in conjunction with direct retailing to the customer.
As will be
described in more detail below, each distributor within the distribution force
may be
compensated in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, multilevel
compensation, which includes compensation on sales made directly by the
distributor
as well as sales made by others, commissions or retail markup on sales made
only
directly by the distributor, or other suitable types of commissions or
compensation.
Each distributor is preferably an Independent Business Owner (IBO), whose
individual success depends upon that ISO's retailing efforts as well as the
retailing
efforts of those sponsored by the IBO in accordance with the present
invention.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
As shown in Fig. 2, the present invention preferably comprises four different
participation levels or categories within the marketing company's 100
distribution
system of the preferred embodiment (e.g., Client 40, Member 30, Members Plus
20,
and 113010). The solid arrows in Fig. 2 represent the exemplary methods by
which
products and/or services may be sold in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of
the present invention. The broken lines in Fig. 2 represent the relationship
between
the various levels within a particular ISO's 10 personally sponsored group.
Each of
these exemplary methods and relationships will be described in more detail
below.
As noted above, a "Client" 40 is preferably a retail customer who may
purchase products and/or services directly from the marketing company.
Alternatively, Client 40 may purchase products and/or services from an 1130 10
or
Member Plus 20 at a price established by the 1B0 10 or Member Plus 20. The
price
established is preferably higher than the price paid by the 1B0 10 ("the IBO
price"),
however, the price charged to Client 40 is preferably at the discretion of IBO
10 or
Member Plus 20. Client 40 preferably purchases products at retail prices,
wherein the
retail price, which is set by IBO 10 or Member Plus 20, is preferably higher
than the
IBO price. Client 40 may also have exposure only to a subset of the total core
product
and catalog lines. Clients 40 may be personally referred by 1B0 10 or Member
Plus
20. Unsolicited referrals will be preferably be offered Client 40 status and
assigned to
the appropriate IBO 10 as will be described below. Clients 40 may be serviced
either
directly by IBO 10 or Members Plus 20 or alternatively may be serviced by
marketing
company 100 on behalf of IBO 10 or Member Plus 20, or a merchant partner.
A "Member" 30, by paying an annual fee, is preferably entitled to purchase
products and/or services for their own consumption directly from the marketing
company at a price equal to or greater than the price paid by Independent
Business
Owners (1B0's 10). Alternatively, Member 30 may purchase products and/or
services
from an IBO 10 or Member Plus 20. In a preferred embodiment, the price paid by
Member 30 is less than the price paid by Client 40. The marketing company 100
may
also offer direct marketing promotions targeted at Members 30. Member 30,
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
however, is preferably not entitled to a performance bonus or commission, nor
is
Member 30 authorized to recruit or sponsor other Members 30. Moreover, Members
30 are not encouraged or authorized to resell products from the marketing
company
100. Members 30, however, who refer other Members 30 will preferably receive
referral incentives.
A "Member Plus" 20 is an individual who indicates an intention of becoming
an IBO 10 but has not generated the requisite sales volume to end-user
consumers in
order to qualify. Member Plus 20 is interested in purchasing products from the
marketing company 100 at 1BO 10 prices, as well as in becoming an IBO 10.
Member
Plus 20 may also be entitled to purchase products and services for their own
consumption directly from the marketing company 100 at the same prices as
Members
30. Various products and services which are available to ISO's 10, but not to
Members 30, may also be available to Members Plus 20. Members Plus 20 are
preferably not entitled to a performance bonus or commission. In order to earn
a
bonus or commission, Member Plus 20 must first qualify as an 130 10. Member
Plus
transitions to IBO 10 by qualifying to earn bonus income. Members Plus 20 are
encouraged and authorized to resell the company's products, as well as to
generate
new sales to direct-buying consumers such as Members 30 and Clients 40.
Moreover,
Members Plus 20 are authorized to recruit or sponsor other Members 30 into the
20 organization.
In one embodiment of the present invention, upon notification of their intent
to
become an 1BO 10, a Member 30 transitions to a Member Plus 20 by paying a fee
and
purchasing a Business Kit, which gives them the right to recruit and retail.
The fee
entitles Member Plus 20 to purchase products at IBO 10 prices. If Member Plus
20
fails to qualify as an IBO 10 within a stated period of time, for example, but
not
limited to, two years, Member Plus 20 shall preferably automatically revert to
Member 30 status.
An Independent Business Owner (1BO 10) is an individual interested in
earning income, which includes, but is not limited to, performance bonuses and
51
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
commissions, from the sale of products from the marketing company. In
addition,
IBO 10 is also entitled to purchase products for his/her own consumption. IBO
10
may also be described as a Member Plus 20 who has received a Performance Bonus
and therefore has qualified to become an IBO 10. 1BO 10 has the ability to
recruit,
retail, and receive a bonus. IBO 10 can purchase all products from the core
product
and catalog lines at the IBO 10 pricing level. MO 10 can place standing and
recurring
orders for products in both unit and lot quantities. Moreover, IBO 10 is
entitled and
encouraged to resell products to end-user consumers as well as to generate
direct sales
by marketing company 100 to such end-user consumers, including Members 30,
Members Plus 20, and Clients 10, and even to individuals who are not
registered with
the marketing company, such as neighbors of MO 10. Each IBO 10 is entitled to
charge any markup he or she chooses for products he or she resells at retail
prices.
It is preferred that IBO 10 can earn bonus credit not only for sales to
Members
30, Members Plus 20, and/or Clients 40 through 1130's 10 distribution network,
but
also for sales made directly by marketing company 100 to a customer that do
not
involve a resale by MO 10. For example, 1BO 10 may be authorized to earn
bonuses
from the direct sale of a particular product from marketing company 100 to the
end
user. Under such a system, IBO 10 earns a bonus payment from marketing company
100 based on the customer's purchases.
In order to qualify for bonuses from the direct sale of a product from the
marketing company 100 to a customer who is not in the ISO's 10 direct line of
sponsorship, an assignment of the customer to a particular IBO 10 must be
established. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the customer
is
assigned to a particular IBO 10 based on one or more criteria, preferably to
choose
from a select group of ISO's 10. Such criteria can include, but is not limited
to, the
following: 1) The IBO is a Direct Fulfillment or Founders Direct MO. A Direct
Fulfillment 1BO is one who preferably utilizes the company's direct shipment
method
by which products are drop-shipped directly to each Client, Member, Member
Plus, or
IBO, rather than being delivered exclusively through a Platinum MO (an 1130
who
52
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
succeeds in sponsoring a personal group that generates a prescribed volume of
business, for example, $15,000 per month, in 6 months of any fiscal year,
which will
be described in more detail below). A Founders Direct IBO is an IBO that has
achieved a particularly consistent high level of business activity as an IBO;
2) The
130 is active, or maintains a specified level of activity; or 3) The IBO is in
the
geographic proximity to the Client based on postal or zip code.
In the preferred embodiment, the Client may then be given the ISO's contact
information, with an option to indicate if the Client wishes the IBO to
contact them.
Otherwise, the entire assignment process is preferably transparent from the
Client's
perspective, and the particular IBO 10 only sees the volume associated with
the direct
sales to the Client_
In order to transition from Member Plus 20 to IBO 10, as noted above, each
Member Plus 20 must qualify as an IBO 10 by earning a bonus income. To qualify
to
earn bonus income, each 1BO 10 must preferably generate at least 50 PV of
sales in a
month to end-user consumers. Preferably, all products and services sold to end
users
are assigned two sets of numbers: Point Value (PV), which is used to determine
the
Performance Bonus bracket; and Business Volume (BV), which is a dollar figure
established for each product which is totaled monthly to represent monthly
sales.
Alternately, IBO 10 can qualify by generating a specified level of sales to 10
different
customers, including Members 30 and/or Clients 40. Personal consumption by IBO
10 preferably does not count towards this qualification. Each IBO 10 thus
qualified is
entitled to earn a performance bonus based on the IBO's 10 own purchases and
the
purchases of his or her personal group, plus the purchases of Members 30
introduced
into the business by the 1BO 10. Each IBO 10 is entitled. but not required, to
sponsor
other IBO's 10 and to introduce new Members 30. This is the preferred method
by
which IBO 10 may grow his personal group and thus his personal business. An
exemplary personal group is shown in Fig. 3.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
As can be seen in Fig. 3, an 1130's 10 personal group can comprise numerous
subgroups which are linked to the original IBO 10 through various forms of
sponsorship. One exemplary subgroup consists of the original 1B0 10, a second
sponsored EBO 312, Member Plus 322, Member 332, and Client 342. In an
alternate
subgroup, original EBO 10 sponsors Member Plus 328, who sponsors both Member
338 and second 1B0 318. Likewise, Member 338 refers Client 348. Thus, it
should
be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that an IBO's 10 personal
group may
contain numerous subgroups, each of which can vary in the number and
relationships
between the different participation levels.
Moreover, a "Line of Sponsorhip" or "LOS" refers to an BO's direct heritage
or "ancestry" in the marketing company business. In other words the LOS refers
to an
[BO's sponsor. the 1BO's sponsor's sponsor, and so on. An exemplary LOS is
shown
in Fig. 3 with reference, for example, to IBO 10, IBO 312 and EBO 317. It can
be said
that the line of sponsorship is the linkage between all IBOs in a specific
organization,
similar to a family tree. In addition, I30 10 may refer to IBO 312 and EBO 317
as
IBO's 10 "downline." It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the
an that
such a reference would be to those IBOs sponsored by 1BO 10. Likewise, E30 317
may refer to IBO 312 and IBO 10 as BO's 317 "upline," which would denote those
IBOs who have sponsored EBO 317 into the marketing system.
In another embodiment of the present invention, when IBO 10 sponsors a new
E30 316 and begins to help E30 316 create a group, that 1B0's 316 personal
group
may be generally referred to as, for example, a "leg" in 1B0's 10 business
organization. An exemplary leg is shown in Fie. 3 (e.g.. IBO 10, IBO 316,
Member
Plus 326, and Member 336).
In one embodiment, each of the different levels or membership types (Client,
Member, Member Plus, and 1BO) does not have complete access to all products
and
product lines. In another embodiment, only IBO's have complete access to all
products and product lines. It is preferred that the particular level
determines the
54
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
degree of access to products and product lines. In one embodiment, the degree
of
access increases as the level transitions from Client to Member to Member Plus
to
IBO, and as the personal group of an IBO grows. In an alternative embodiment,
a
different product mix or group may be offered to persons based on their
particular
participation level through the use of, for example, but not limited to,
product
promotions. In an alternative embodiment, a product mix may be customized to
tailor
to different customers or groups of customers.
In a further embodiment of the invention, if a product or model number, or
identification number, for a particular product is provided by the customer,
then that
customer can purchase that particular product, regardless of the customer's
membership level. It should be understood that products may be presented to
each of
the levels through a variety of medium, including, but not limited to,
written, oral,
electronic, etc., such as through catalogs, product displays, cassette and
video tapes,
multi-media devices, and the Internet. However, it should be apparent to one
having
skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to any particular
presentation
method.
Referring now to Figs. 4a-4f, there are shown six exemplary methods by
which a new customer can become associated or registered with the marketing
system
of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4a, one embodiment of the present
invention allows the customer to sign up as a Member/Member Plus to
immediately
begin the qualification process to becoming an IBO. In such an embodiment, the
customer bypasses the Client level to register as a Member. Thus, the
registered
customer immediately enjoys the privileges and benefits of the Member Plus as
described herein.
As shown in Fig. 4b, a second embodiment of the registration process is
shown. In this embodiment, the customer may register as a Member and enjoy the
accompanying benefits and shopping privileges. The Member may subsequently at
a
point later in time choose to register as a Member Plus at which point the
Member
will begin the qualification process of becoming an IBO.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
A third embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 4c. In this embodiment.
a customer initially registers as a Client or retail customer serviced by an
IBO.
Subsequently, the Client may be prompted by another Member or the IBO to
reconsider the benefits of Membership. If the Client chooses, the Client will
then
register as a Member/Member Plus to begin the qualification process of
becoming an
IBO. The Client can also subsequently at an independent stage register as a
Member/Member Plus to begin the qualification process of being an IBO.
A fourth embodiment of the registration process is shown in Fig. 4d. This
embodiment represents the longest route to becoming an 1130. In such an
embodiment, the customer initially registers as a Client, and then
subsequently, at
independent stages, registers as a Member, Member Plus, and IBO respectively.
It is
preferred that as shown in Figs. 4a through 4d, one must register as a Member
prior
to, or simultaneously with, registering to qualify as a Member Plus/1130.
A fifth embodiment of the registration process is shown in Fig. 4e. This
embodiment allows the customer to sign up as a Member to immediately begin the
qualification process to becoming an IBO. In such an embodiment, the customer
bypasses the Client level to register as a Member. Thus, the registered
customer
immediately enjoys the privileges and benefits of the Member as described
herein.
A sixth embodiment of the registration process is shown in Fig. 4f. In this
embodiment, a customer initially registers as a Client or retail customer
serviced by an
IBO. Subsequently, the Client may be prompted by another Member or the lBO to
reconsider the benefits of Membership. If the Client chooses, the Client will
then
register as a Member. The Client can also subsequently at an independent stage
register as a Member to begin the qualification process of becoming an IBO.
In the embodiments shown in Figs. 4e and 4f, a Member is entitled to qualify
as an IBO, and there is no separate transition Member Plus participation
category.
Generally, it is preferred that each Member is initially sponsored into the
marketing system by another IBO who can function as that Member's supplier
and/or
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
contact with the marketing company. Alternatively, the Member may purchase
products directly from the marketing company at the specified Member price.
The
Members and Members Plus sponsored by an IBO are referred to as the IBO's
"personally sponsored group" or "personal group." IBO's who both generate
personal
sales to Clients and/or Members and sponsor a personal group that generates a
large
volume of product purchases may receive a substantial income, including, for
example, performance bonuses and commissions from the sales. In one embodiment
of the present invention, the IBO's group volume is used to calculate the
lBO's
performance bonus. This group volume includes the IBO's personal volume,
personal
group volume, and all down-line non-direct (those IBOs not sponsored directly
into
the marketing company by the particular MO in question, or in other words,
IBOs
sponsored by individuals within the 1B0's personal group) IBOs' volume. An
IBO's
personal group volume preferably includes, but is not limited to, the 1130's
personal
volume as well as the volume generated by ISO's below the 25% bonus level in
the
1130's down-line group. Personal volume can include, but is not limited to,
volume
from an BO's own personal orders, PV/BV transfers and miscellaneous account
adjustments. PV/BV transfers can include, but are not limited to, methods of
adjusting PV/ BV from one EBO to another. Transfer of such volumes assures
bonus
checks are paid correctly.
Under the marketing system of the present invention,lBO's earn income by
generating sales of products and/or services. These sales may be made directly
to end-
users by the EBO or the marketing company, or may be made by Members Plus or
other IBO's within the 1130's personal group. In addition, 1BO's can profit
from retail
price increases, or "mark-up" on sales. It is preferred that 1130's are able
to set their
own retail prices. Moreover, an EBO can earn a monthly performance bonus based
on
the combined total volume of products and services moved by the IBO and his or
her
personal group. Alternatively, the 130 can also earn performance bonuses based
upon
direct sales made by the marketing company to customers who are linked to a
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
particular IBO, which will be described in more detail below. It should be
apparent to
one of ordinary skill in the art, that the higher the sales volume for a
particular month,
the higher the percentage rate of bonus- An exemplary percentage rate of bonus
is in
the range of about I % to about 25%, preferably between about 3% and about
25%,
although other bonus ranges may be used. An IBO's sales volume will vary
depending, in part, upon the sales volume of others in his personal group and
the
volume of direct sales from the marketing company to end users. If an IBO
succeeds
in sponsoring new IBO's who then generate large volumes of product sales, then
the
original IBO can earn additional bonus income.
If and when an IBO succeeds in sponsoring a personal group that generates a
prescribed volume of business, for example, $15,000 per month, in 6 months of
any
fiscal year. that IBO may become a Platinum IBO. At this point, the Platinum
1130's
sponsor no longer receives any Performance Bonus from the Platinum ISO's sales
volume but may be eligible for other bonuses as described in further detail
below. An
IBO who sponsors ISO's can become eligible for higher bonuses and or
commissions.
An exemplary bonus and commission structure is described herein below. It
should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that numerous
bonus
and/or commission structures may be employed within the present invention and
the
following exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limiting the
present
invention to a particular structure.
An ISO's gross income can be based on immediate income, or a discount,
from retail product sales and a Performance Bonus. As used herein, "gross
income"
preferably means the amount received from retail sales of products and/or
services,
either directly by the MO, the marketing company, or the ISO's personal group,
minus the cost of goods sold, plus the amount of Performance Bonus retained.
Gross
income preferably does not include deductions for business expenses which will
vary
according to the manner in which each individual IBO operates his or her own
business.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Preferably, all products and services sold to end users are assigned two sets
of
numbers: Point Value (PV), which is used to determine the Performance Bonus
bracket; and Business Volume (BV), which is a dollar figure established for
each
product which is totaled monthly to represent monthly sales.
In a preferred embodiment, every product is assigned a PV number including
marketing company and merchant partner products. In an alternate embodiment,
only
marketing company products are assigned a PV number. An 130's monthly PV total
preferably determines the percentage used for Performance Bonus payments in
accordance with a Performance Bonus Schedule.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, every product has an
established BV number, a dollar figure which is multiplied by a percentage
(for
example, between 3% and 25%) to determine an IBO's monthly Performance Bonus.
This percentage is determined by an IBO's PV total. All bonus payments are
preferably based on a combination of PV and By.
As noted above, the amount of Performance Bonus is preferably determined by
a combination of PV and BV. In one embodiment, the PV/ BV ratio is maintained
in
relation to the Consumer Price Index. Computing Performance Bonus on PV
emphasizes units sold, not price. As inflation causes prices to increase, a
larger bonus
is earned from the same units sold.
In a preferred embodiment, each product sold is assigned a PV and By. In one
embodiment, PV is equal to approximately one-half of the IBO cost and BV is
equal
to approximately 1.15 times the 1BO cost. The PV and BV values may vary from
product to product. PV and BV can be earned in a variety of different ways,
including, but not limited to the following: an ISO's personal purchases. the
purchases of Clients, Members, and other IBO's in the 1BO's personal group,
including the purchases of Members introduced by the 1BO; and the purchases of
customers directly from the company.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
The following Table I shows an exemplary Performance Bonus Schedule for
use in the present invention.
TABLE I
Total Monthly Point Value Performance Bonus
7,500 or more 25% of BV
6,000 23%
4,000 21%
2,500 18%
1,500 15%
1,000 12%
600 9%
300 6%
100 3%
Under the schedule shown in Table 1, the total Point Value of all merchandise
purchased during a particular month determines the Performance Bonus
percentage
for that month. The greater the total monthly Point Value, the greater the
Performance Bonus Percentage. In addition, an annual volume can be calculated
based on an IBO's personal volume plus "pass-up" from non-qualified (less than
25%) legs. The volume for non-qualified Members Plus is preferably not
included.
"Pass-up," as used herein, generally refers to, for example, the PV/BV created
by non-
qualified IBO volume that continues to be passed up until combined volume
reaches
the 25% Performance Bonus level as noted above.
Having now generally described the bonus and commission structure of the
present invention, the same will be more readily understood through reference
to the
following examples which are provided by way of illustration, and are not
intended to
be limiting of the present invention.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Example 1
A particular IBO's sponsor group is made up of five Clients and five
Members. As a portion of his or her income, the IBO receives the retail mark-
up from
purchases made by the Clients. Retail mark-up is the difference between the
price
normally paid for a particular product and the price actually charged to the
customer.
According to the present invention, IBO's are not obligated to charge a
particular
retail price, therefore, each IBO is entitled to independently determine the
prices at
which products will be sold to other IBO's, Clients, Members, Members Plus, or
other
customers. In addition, the IBO can receive a Performance Bonus which is
calculated
based upon the volume of sales made to the five Members within the ISO's
personal
,group. The larger the sales volume, the larger the percentage of Performance
Bonus
the IBO can receive.
If each of the five Clients and five Members in the ISO's group purchase
$50.00 worth of products in a given month, the total sales volume for the
month is
$500.00 ($50.00 X 10). If suggested retail for the products is $35.00, then
the total
retail mark-up for the month is $75.00 (assuming the five Clients pay a marked-
up
price of $50.00; i.e., total retail mark-up: 5 Clients X $15.00 retail mark-up
= $75.00).
The individual BV values assigned to the products purchased by the Members is
$40.25BV (1.15 X $35 = $40.25). The individual BV values assigned to the
products
purchased by the Clients is $57.50BV (1.15 X $50 = $57.50). Thus, total BV
values
for all purchases is $488.75BV (5 Clients times the $57.50BV value added to 5
Members times the $40.25BV). Using Table 1 above, the Performance Bonus based
upon the total sales volume for the month would be $14.66 (3% of $488.75BV).
Accordingly, the IBO's monthly total income would be $89.66 ($75.00 plus
$14.66).
If such a performance level is maintained for 12 consecutive months, the IBO's
total
annual gross income would be $1,076.00.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Example 2
The IBO of Example 1 may increase his or her income by growing the
business through sponsorship of any number of others into the business. For
example,
if the IBO locates three individuals who become IBO's and they in turn develop
10
customers, each would contribute to the overall volume on which the original
1B0's
Performance Bonus is based.
In summary, assume the ISO's personally sponsored group volume generates
$1,500.00 per month in total sales (3 groups of 5 Clients and S Members in
each
group purchasing a total of $500.00 worth of product per group). The IBO's
direct
customers are continuing to generate $500.00 in sales with a retail mark-up of
$75.00
(see Example 1). Thus, the total group volume is $2.000.00 per month
($1,500.00 +
$500.00), resulting in a Net Performance Bonus of, for example, $131.97,
calculated
in a similar manner as in Example 1. Net Performance Bonus is the difference
in
Performance Bonus that is earned on the total sales by the total group and
that earned
by each of the sponsored ISO's. Therefore, the IBO's monthly income,
Performance
Bonus and retail mark-up, totals $206.97 ($131.97 (Performance Bonus) + $75.00
(Retail mark-up)). If this performance level is maintained by the entire group
for 12
consecutive months, the 1130's annual income would be $2,483.64.
Example 3
If each of the three personally sponsored IBO's described in Example 2, each
personally sponsor two additional 1130's (resulting in sales of 6 groups X
$500.00 =
$3,000.00) and the entire group continues to generate the same sales volume
(i.e.
$2,000.00). the original ISO's income will further increase as described
below.
Each of the ISO's personally sponsored 1B0's would continue to generate
$1.500.00 in sales volume as shown above, while the IBO's direct customers are
continuing to generate $500.00 in sales. In addition, the newly sponsored
groups are
each generating $500.00 in sales for a total of $3,000.00 (6 groups X
$500.00/group =
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
$3,000.00). Thus, the entire group would have sales totaling $5,000.00. The
Net
Performance Bonus based on this volume would be $337.25 (calculated in a
similar
manner to Example 1) which, in addition to the $75.00 retail mark-up, would
result in
monthly income of $412.25. Again, assuming that everyone in the group meets
these
performance levels for 12 consecutive months, the 1BO's annual income is $4.
947.00.
Example 4
If each of two additional ISO's described in Example 3, each add one more
IBO and everyone continues to generate the same sales volume, the original
ISO's
income will increase as described below.
Each of the 1BO's personally sponsored ISO's now generates $2,500.00 in
sales volume (5 groups X $500.00), while the ISO's entire group has sales
totaling
$8,000.00 (3 groups X $2,500.00 plus the BO's direct sales of $500.00). The
Net
Performance Bonus based on this volume is $527.85 which, in addition to the
$75.00
retail mark-up, results in monthly income of S602.85. Again, assuming that
everyone
in the group meets these performance levels for 12 consecutive months, the
1130's
annual income is $7,234.00.
Example 5
If three additional ISO's are added and each build similar organizations to
those described above, then total group volume is $15,500.00 (6 groups X
$2.500.00
plus the BO's direct sales of $500.00). The Net Performance Bonus based on
this
volume is $1,725.29 which, in addition to the $75.00 retail mark-up, results
in
monthly income of $1,800.29. Again, assuming that everyone in the group meets
these performance levels for 12 consecutive months, the ISO's annual income is
$21,603.00.
Example 6
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
If three additional ISO's are added to those described above who each sponsor
two IBOs and each of those two sponsor another IBO, the total group volume is
$23,000.00 (9 groups X $2,500.00 plus the ISO's direct sales of $500.00). The
Net
Performance Bonus based on this volume would be $2,981.38 which, in addition
to
the $75.00 retail mark-up, would result in monthly income of $3,056.38. Again,
assuming that everyone in the group could meet these performance levels for 12
consecutive months, the IBO's annual income would be $36,676.00.
Such an organization would also qualify the IBO as a Platinum IBO if the IBO
could maintain this group performance for a specified period of time, for
example, but
not limited to, 6 months. As a Platinum IBO, there may be additional methods
by
which income may be earned based upon certain qualification levels and
standards.
As can be seen from the previous examples, as an IBO continues to develop
his or her business, larger amounts of income may be obtained either from
additional
purchases by those within his or her direct sponsor group, direct sales made
to end
user customers, or sales made by the marketing company to the customers.
Various
scheduling rates could be used for apportioning such bonuses and commissions
to the
IBO and the present invention is not limited to any particular rate or system.
In
addition, the IBO may earn special bonuses or qualify for special status
depending
upon the size of his or her personal group and the total sales generated by
that group,
for example, when the IBO qualifies as a Platinum IBO.
Membership Chart
Shown in Table 2 below is a summary, including various aspects of the
participation levels described above, of each audience segment or
participation level,
as well as the exemplary benefits that each receives.
TABLE 2
Segmeai-CsinmÃerce 1Vlarketin
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
OEM
vMY:~CYC...........%:if:^~..'1~-^I%.'::.;-nil.. ...wM\ Client (C) = Buys
product at retail price;
= Exposure to a subset of
product lines;
= Limited access to "Member
Benefits" art of Web Site.
Member Buys product at Member
(M) price;
= Exposure to a larger subset
of core and catalog product
lines;
= Online signup/renewal;
= Special targeted marketing
offers;
= Complete access to
"Member Perks"; and
= Frequent Buyer Program.
Member Buys product at IBO price;
Plus (M+) Online signup/renewal;
= Online Support Materials;
= Served up a complete line of
core and catalog product
lines;
= Complete access to
"Member Benefits"; and
= Complete access to "Virtual
Office"; and Frequent Buyer
Program
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Independent = Buys product at IBO price;
Business Online signup/renewal;
Owner = Online Support Materials;
(IBO) Served up a complete line of
core and catalog product
lines;
= Complete access to
"Member Benefits" and
Frequent Buyer Program
= Complete access to "Virtual
Office"; and
= Collects PV / By.
Note: All categories (C/M/M+/IBO) may not have complete access to all products
and product lines. The category in which they operate will determine the
manner
with which they will be presented information. However, in a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, if a particular SKU is provided, any
product
can be ordered regardless of the shopper membership type.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each different type, model
and style of product offered for sale has a unique Stock Keeping Unit ("SKU")
number. Alternately, the SKU number may be referred to as an "identification
number" associated with the product or service.
Software Implementation
An exemplary software suite or platform is employed in the present invention
for carrying out the particular E-Commerce transactions within the marketing
system
and between the participation categories as described herein above and the
marketing
company. An exemplary software suite for carrying out the present invention
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
preferably includes the items listed below. However, it should be readily
apparent to
one skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to any
particular software
suite or implementation:
= Windows NT Server 4 with SP 4 applied (NTFS file structure) and
containing the following exemplary software packages:
= NT4 Option Pack (everything installed except Certificate Server);
= Site Server v3.0, SP 1 (and SP 2 if SQL Server v7 is adopted);
= Site Server Commerce Edition v3.0;
= SQL Server v7.0 (or SQL Server v6.5, SP5a);
= FrontPage ExtensionsTM for Microsoft Internet Information Server;
= Microsoft Universal Data AccessTM v2. 1, SP 1;
= Disk-drive maintenance software (Executive Systems Diskeeper v4.0);
= Anti-virus software (including e-mail protection);
= Seagate Crystal Reports TM v7 (for the Web Report Service);
= Microsoft Encryption 128-bit security; and
= Visual Source Safe.
The development platform employed in the present invention preferably
employs Windows NT Workstation 4 with SP 4 applied (NTFS file structure). In
addition, it is preferred that the following software packages be installed on
the server
computer:
= Office 97TM with SR-2;
= FrontPage 98TM with SP I;
= Visual Studio 6TM Enterprise Edition with SP 2 (install all options for SQL
server
development);
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
= Microsoft Universal Data Access v2.1 (SP I when available);
= NT Options Pack (everything installed except Microsoft Certificate Server);
Outlook 98TM and/or a compatible SMTP e-mail Client;
= Anti-virus software; and
= Seagate Crystal Reports v7 (Report Designer Component).
The following exemplary client hardware and operating systems represent the
minimum browser system requirements for accessing the E-Commerce Web site
according to the present invention:
= 640 x 480 resolution;
= 256 colors;
= Microsoft Internet ExplorerTM 4.0 and Netscape 4.0 or higher browsers; and
= JavaScript and Java program execution enabled.
According to the present invention, it is preferred that a base level of
browser
system functionality be established to determine the impact on design and
content
deployment. It is preferred that the browser system employed in the present
invention
have a base level support of the following exemplary programs:
= Microsoft Internet Explorer v4.01 SP 1;
= AOL Netscape CommunicatorTM v4.5;
= AOL Netscape Navigatoim 4.0;
Moreover, Site Server membership services preferably are used to track all
persons who log onto the site. Microsoft Internet Information Server logging
preferably facilitates Web-related navigation useful for analyzing the
marketing
company's marketing and promotional campaigns. Marketing effectiveness is also
measured as a result of analyzing order trend information available from
Legacy-based-
data.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Logical Architecture
The logical architecture defines the preferred hardware and software
components utilized to support the E-Commerce experience as embodied in the
present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multi-
tier
system architecture is used based on logical tiers (best seen in Fig. 5).
A presentation layer 56 preferably provides the physical representation of the
system to the user and is divided into two sections: the user interface (not
shown) and
the management interface (not shown). The user is able to browse marketing
system
product catalogs, manage their membership, and place orders by using the user
interface of the presentation. The management tools provide groups within the
E-
Commerce Web Site to access the systems in a safe and structured fashion. The
Active Server Pages ("ASP") and HTML pages allow the user and management
interfaces to interact with the database and other programs. Moreover,
Hypertext
Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") 58 is the set of rules for exchanging files (for
example,
text, graphic images, sound, video and other multimedia files) via the user
and
management interfaces on the World Wide Web.
A business layer 54 is preferably a logical layer that enables the marketing
system to disengage business logic and rules from the data or user interfaces.
By
disassociating business logic, the marketing system is better able to manage
changes
in the business that must be implemented at the system level. Further,
business layer
54 can be used to serve multiple clients and purposes. For example, business
logic
residing in business layer 54 that validates an order on the E-Commerce web
site
could also be used to validate orders that are placed by non-web based
systems. In
one embodiment, business layer 54 is implemented through the use of COM
objects
that share information through defined interfaces. Preferably, each interface
provides
one or more functions that another object or a program can call, such as but
not
limited to, validating the orders as noted above.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
A data layer 52 is preferably a logical layer where the data for the system is
captured and preserved. Data layer 52 is preferably independent of the other
layers
and makes no assumptions about the existence of the other layers. The
technology
and design used to implement data layer 52 can be changed without causing the
other
layers to undergo a major revision (if any revision at all). Data layer 52 can
be
implemented by, for example, but not limited to, Legacy systems or SQL
servers.
The software and hardware specified for the infrastructure configuration
detailed above is the preferred underlying architecture for the entire E-
Commerce
network of the present invention. A combination of Microsoft BackOffice
products
are also preferably used to provide feature content as well as authentication
of
member users on the E-Commerce site. These exemplary products include the
following:
= Microsoft Windows NT Server. Windows NT is a registered trademark of
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA;
= Microsoft Transaction Server;
= Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition;
= Microsoft Index Server;
= Microsoft Message Queue;
= IBM MQ Series For NT; and
= Microsoft Exchange Server
The conventional Microsoft Site Server Membership Services model of
authentication
allows for a highly secure site with further ability to scale, audit and track
users as site
use flourishes. In one embodiment, the site co-exists securely with existing
Legacy
systems in a dual fire-walled "de-militarized zone" (DMZ) partition (best seen
in Fig,
25). The E-Commerce servers are preferably logically separated from the
existing
mainframe environment as to minimize potential security risks and exposure to
unauthorized access.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
There are eight preferred components for the individual page web files or
sites
of the present invention (as shown in Fig. 1). These exemplary components
include
the following:
= E-Commerce Main;
= "My Home";
= "My Health";
= "My Self' (My Home, My Health, and My Self could alternately be referred to
as "Exclusive Stores");
= Member Perks;
= Customer Service;
= "Store for More"
= "Virtual Office"; and
= "Income options"
Supporting these sites requires the availability of content deployment that
preferably
includes the following exemplary items:
= Catalog content;
= Price and product content;
= Language content;
= Educational content;
= Discussion content;
= Promotional/Merchandizing content;
= Customer Support content;
= Marketing company business content;
= Personalization content;
= Independent Business Owner content; and
= Merchant or Merchant Partner content
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
E-Commerce Main Site Functionality
The main area of the E-Commerce web site 102, as shown in Fig. 1, preferably
provides Web shoppers with a starting point from which they can navigate
through the
site in a well-known manner. The navigation is provided by a plurality of web
files
associated with web site 102. In a preferred embodiment, the site is "served
up" to
shoppers differently depending on their membership or participation level.
Merchandizing offers, for example, are targeted differently to each membership
class
(i.e., Client, Member, Member Plus, or Independent Business Owner (1BO)). The
primary navigation features links to the following exemplary areas:
Income options
There is a link to the "Income options" site, or page web file 140 which
allows
shoppers to find out more about lBO status and the opportunity to become an
independent business associated with the marketing company. It also provides a
quick
and easy registration method for becoming an Independent Business Owner. This
assumes there is an existing link with an 1BO. In a preferred embodiment, the
income
options page web file comprises a multimedia presentation and information
relating to
the marketing system.
Go Shopping
A "Go Shopping" option can provide links to one of the stores within the
marketing
system (e.g., Health 1300, Home 1210, and Self 1400) or "Store for More"
shopping
site 2950, or any partner stores or the equivalent thereof.
Site Search
There preferably is a link to a site search page 155 from the primary
navigational
menu. Site search page 155 allows a user to enter common terms and/or phrases,
and
searches for those terms or phrases within the E-Commerce web site.
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Contact Us
A customer service menu, for example, on customer service page 2300, features
a link
to a contact us page that features an e-mail form that allows shoppers to send
in their
comments about the Web site.
Member Sign-In
Existing registered Clients, Members, Members Plus, and IBOs are able to sign-
in
with a number assigned by the marketing company (IMC Number) and password from
the primary navigation menu. When a non-referred customer (that is a customer
that
has not been referred to the site by a Member, Member Plus, or IBO) reaches
the point
in the site where they must be associated with an IBO, a leads generation
module will
be invoked. This process assigns the new customer to an existing IBO, if
specified by
the customer (the application will prompt for association to an existing IBO
prior to
involving the leads generation module). If there is no existing IBO
relationship, then
the leads generation module will assign a customer to an IBO based on one or
more
criteria, preferably to choose from a select group of IBO's. As noted above,
such
criteria can include, but are not limited to, the following:
1) The IBO is a Direct Fulfillment, Founders Direct IBO. A Direct Fulfillment
IBO is one who preferably utilizes the company's direct shipment method
by which products are drop-shipped directly to the Client or Member, rather
than being delivered through the IBO. A Founders Direct IBO is an IBO
that has acheived a particularly high level of business activity as an IBO;
2) The LBO is active, or maintains a specified level of activity;
3) The IBO is in the geographic proximity to the client based on, for example,
postal or zip code.
The customer will then be given the IBO's contact information, with an option
(check
box or suitable mechanism) to indicate if the customer wishes the IBO to
contact
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them. Otherwise, the assignment is essentially transparent from the customer's
perspective, and the IBO will only see volume on their monthly reports. A
generic
name like "web customer" or similar name is used to insulate the client
information in
this scenario.
Member Perks
There is preferably a link to the "Member Perks" site 1600 from the primary
navigational menu. In a preferred embodiment, members are allowed to register
within the member perks site 1600.
Virtual Office
There is preferably a link to the "Virtual Office" site 2100 from the primary
navigational menu.
Merchant Partners
Exemplary merchant partners 1500 which may be included as a link from the E-
Commerce Web site include, but are not limited to, the following:
= Communications partners
= Printing and publication partners
= Financial Services
Customer Service
There is preferably a link to the "Customer Service" site 2300 from the
primary
navigational menu in addition to other areas associated with the web site. It
is
preferred that customer service option be available to all visitors to the web
site.
"Store for More"
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There is preferably a link to the "Store for More" 2950 from the primary
navigational
menu. The "Store for More" can comprise all marketing system products and
services, or a subset thereof.
"New Business Ventures"
There is preferably a link to the "New Business Ventures" (NBV) 150 from the
primary navigational menu. NBV 150 can comprise information regarding new
business ventures between the marketing company and new business partners or
alternatively could provide links to new business partner web sites for
additional
information.
"Income options" Site Functionality
The "Income options" Web site, or income options page web file 140
preferably provides online material that describes the E-Commerce shopping
opportunities to new shoppers and allows quick and easy IBO sign-up for
prospects.
The site serves as, for example, but not limited to, a recruiting tool for
Independent
Business Owners, giving them a place to send prospects for more information.
In a
preferred embodiment (shown in Fig. 7), the income options page web file 140
comprises interactive presentations 72 and a link to a process for signing up
to qualify
as an IBO 76.
The Income options page web file also preferably includes a collection of
presentations and informational pages about the various marketing system
opportunities. In a preferred embodiment, the presentation materials are in a
multimedia format and the income options page web file includes an interactive
presentation 72 that allows an individual, or prospective IBO, to view an
income
based on a quantity of sales of marketing system products and services sold
through
the marketing system. In other words, it allows a prospective Member to
explore the
business opportunity of becoming an IBO. In such an embodiment, the
prospective
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Member is presented with, for example, a series of dialog boxes 81 (as shown
in Fig.
8a, 8b, and 8c) that allow the prospective member to enter the following four
data
items:
(1) Desired income level (81a);
(2) Number of potential customers (81b) interested in purchasing
products and services;
(3) Estimated sales figure (81c), wherein the sales figure represents a
dollar volume of sales to customer; and
(4) Estimated sponsor group number (81d), wherein the sponsor group
number represents a number of individuals to be sponsored by the prospective
Member, or that the prospective Member could interest in becoming an IBO.
It should be understood by one of skill in the art that each of dialog boxes
81a-81d
could include a drop-down menu that would allow the prospective member to
choose
from a predetermined selection. These drop-down menus could be provided by
various means which are well-known in the art.
Each of these four data items can be iterated by the prospective Member to
evaluate various combinations. Subsequent screens presented to the prospective
Member explain how a selected income level can be achieved based upon the
number
of customers, sales level to the customers, and sponsoring of other IBO's that
in turn
have customers and sponsor yet other IBO's. An exemplary screen is shown in
Fig.
8b. In this manner, a prospective Member can see how the combination of data
items
2-4 result in income (data item 1).
An exemplary iterative method based on the information provided by the
prospective member is described below. It should be understood by one of
ordinary
skill in the art that such an iterative method comprises a large part of a
sales and
marketing plan (described in further detail below) which can be presented to
users
through use of the present invention. To begin, the number of potential
customers
81b is multiplied by the estimated sales figure 81c to obtain a total sales
figure. The
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number of customers 81b would also be multiplied by a retail price of the
product or
service to obtain a total retail price. The total retail price is subtracted
from the total
sales figure to obtain a total discount sales income. Next a total point value
(PV) and
total business volume (BV) are calculated based on the total sales figure. A
performance bonus income is then calculated based on a combination of the
total
point value and the total business volume. The performance bonus income is
next
added to the total discount sales income to obtain a total income. This total
income is
finally presented to the prospective Member. The calculation shown in Fig. 8b
is the
same as that described above in Example 1.
These steps can then be repeated using the sponsor group information provided
by the prospective Member to calculate total sponsor group bonus income which,
when added to the total discount sales income noted above. would give the
prospective Member a total sponsor group income. This total sponsor group
income
can then be recalculated based on a revised sponsor group number which would
represent how the prospective Member's business would grow by adding more
registered users to his or her own personal group. An exemplary screen
presented to
the user following the iterative process described above is shown in Fig. 8c.
An
example of how the data shown in Fig. 8c is calculated is shown above in
Example 2.
As noted above, the income options page web file may also offer a link to a
multimedia overview that provides further description of these opportunities
and the
marketing company's plan. Exemplary plans could include, but are not limited
to, the
Sales and Marketing Plan, or any other marketing company plan information.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the Sales and Marketing Plan is a
marketing method by which an IBO builds an independent business. The Sales and
Marketing Plan is unique and based on two fundamental concepts: selling, and
sponsoring others who sell- In a preferred embodiment, the Sales and Marketing
Plan
of the present invention combines a marketing business with a membership
buying
opportunity. This is accomplished using either or both electronic commerce and
face-
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to-face transactions. It should be understood that the present invention is
not limited
to any particular sales and marketing plan, or any particular method by which
an IBO
builds an independent business.
The primary navigation features within the income options page may also
preferably provide links to additional exemplary areas, including the
following:
Goals
The purpose of the Goals area 74 is to provide prospects with several reasons
why
they should become an Independent Business Owner. This section explains how to
get started creating an E-Commerce business.
Electronic Retailing
Electronic Retailing is the selling of retail goods on the Internet. The
Electronic
Retailing section 78 provides facts, statistics and demographics of Electronic
Retailing on the Internet in an effort to encourage prospects to sign up to
become an
Independent Business Owner.
Rewards
The rewards section 73 provides information about online marketing and
promotions
offered to members in an effort to encourage prospects to sign up to become an
Independent Business Owner.
Resources
To encourage prospects to start their own Electronic Retailing business, the
resource
area 75 provides information about all of the online resources available to
Independent Business Owners for managing a business. These resources include,
but
are not limited to, access to the Virtual Office, up-to-the-minute news and
information
about a business network, marketing tips, and business partnerships that are
available.
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Keep Me Posted
The "Keep Me Posted" area 77 is a form that shoppers can fill out to be
notified of
new products and business opportunities available from the E-Commerce site.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, shoppers can complete
a quick and easy registration form to become a member or an Independent
Business
Owner within the Income options page. Clients and Members are preferably
assigned
a Marketing Company (IMC) number, either through an association with an
existing
Member Plus or Independent Business Owner, or through integration with the
Leads
Generation module. The IMC number establishes a profile and at the same time
associates them with a Member Plus or IBO.
In a preferred embodiment, basic content available within the income options
page web file does not change based on the user's registration or
participation level.
However, one's participation level (i.e., Client, Member, Member Plus, IBO)
can
affect access to some resources, for example, but not limited to, the
interactive
presentations. Each of the participation levels are discussed herein below
with respect
to its capabilities within the income options page web file.
A non-registered user who has found the income options page web file,
independently or through referral from a Client, Member, Member Plus, or IBO,
but
has not yet initiated a transaction (e.g., become a registered Client) or
become a
Member may be curious about becoming an IBO, or may just be curious about how
the business works. He or she preferably enters from the main web site page,
or from
the navigational bar on any E-commerce web page, to an opening page for the
Income
options area. The unknown prospect is preferably free to go to anywhere within
the
Income options area. Links to all areas are preferably visible.
If, upon perusing the site, the unknown prospect wants to become a member,
the prospect may go to Sign-up 76, where the prospect may sign up as a Member
or
IBO. If the prospect does not indicate an IBO sponsor, then the Leads
Generation
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module will assign the prospect to an IBO as described herein. However, the
unknown prospect may also desire to know more about the business opportunity,
and
decide to view an online description of the Sales and Marketing Plan. Upon
clicking
on the appropriate link, the prospect is presented with a logon screen. If the
prospect
has been referred by an IBO, the prospect simply types in the required
information,
for example, but not limited to, an MO number and access code, and is
redirected to a
multimedia presentation and other supporting materials. This form will then
pass
through the Leads generation program or module. The leads generation program
will
respond with contact information to an 1B0 who can explain the Sales and
Marketing
Plan, or enable the prospect to view the Sales and Marketing Plan online.
A registered Client preferably has the same use options and patterns, which
are
not that different from that of the unknown prospect. The Client may have come
to
the Income options area from curiosity, or may have been referred to this
section by a
sponsoring 1B0. The Client's experience with the Income options module will
differ
from that of the unknown prospect in that the Client is an authenticated user
with an
existing profile- If the registered Client wants to become a Member, Member
Plus, or
IBO, the sign-up function will lead them through a process to enable them to
view the
Sales and Marketing Plan online and sign up as either a Member, Member Plus,
or
IB0 as applicable, through their existing sponsoring 1B0.
A Member preferably has the same use options and patterns as a Client. The
Member may have come to the Income options area from curiosity, or may have
been
referred to this section by their sponsoring IBO. The goal of the Income
options page
web file is different, however, with the Member. The goal is to entice the
existing
Member, who is already familiar with the marketing system, into the business
opportunity. If the Member wants to become an 180, the sign-up function will
lead
them through an appropriate process.
An 1B0 comes to the Income options module as an authenticated user. The
IBO is preferably able to access any material within the page web file, and is
able to
view the online Sales and Marketing Plan without having to authenticate again.
The
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
IBO is allowed to use an additional piece of functionality: an on-line form
that allows
the 1130 to add or change access codes to be given to prospects or existing
Clients and
Members for access to the online Sales and Marketing Plan. The link to this
function
is preferably not shown to users who are not IBOs.
General Shopping Functional Specifications
The General Shopping section preferably provides the user interaction
associated with all of the E-Commerce features.
Once a WWW shopper has entered the marketing company E-Commerce site
102, they are able to shop in a convenient and efficient manner provided by
one or
more shopping page web files associated with the web site. In one embodiment,
the
system initially checks to determine if the shopper has ever been to the site
before.
This check is performed by the system, through the use of, for example,
identifying
"cookies" left on the shopper's personal computer from the most previous
shopping
session. If it is determined that the shopper has been to the site before, the
shopper is
prompted to confirm their identity. The system then recalls any existing site
personalization and proceeds with membership authentication, as described in
more
detail below. Greetings from the server computer using the user's stored last
and first
names may also be presented to the user following log in and authentication
procedures. In an alternate embodiment, the user simply enters his or her user
name
and password and the system checks the information for authentication of the
user.
In a preferred embodiment, membership authentication and personalization
information is stored in a central repository on the server computer. This
information
is passed from the server computer to an associated membership server computer
via a
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection by any method known to those having skill
in
the art.
If the WWW shopper has been authenticated, the system then automatically
determines the shopper's membership type and personalization, for example, a
Client,
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Member, or MO. In a preferred embodiment, this profile determines how the site
is
rendered to the registered shopper, including what product, price, services
and
merchandizing the shopper sees. For new unregistered shoppers, the
navigational
menu provides registration and membership opportunities.
New user registration or authentication may also occur at other areas within
the E-Commerce web site of the present invention. Exemplary areas in which
registration or authentication may occur are when an unregistered user (i.e.,
"Surfer")
attempts to link to a merchant partner, attempts to enter the member perks
page web
file, attempts to enter the Virtual Office web page, or attempts to redeem a
digital
coupon. When a user reaches a URL for which they do not have access, a typical
web
server's default behavior is to display a generic error page. In order to
provide a
seamless experience, however, the present invention replaces the default error
page
with a customized authentication redirector ("AR") page.
Referring now to Fig. 6, a flow chart depicts the functionality of the
authentication redirector page. At the AR page in step 60, if a user does not
have an
authentication identifier, such as an authentication cookie, the AR page will
redirect
the user to a marketing page 62 web file associated with the web site.
Marketing page
62 web file describes the benefits of different levels of membership, etc. If
in step 60,
the user has an authentication cookie, then in step 64 it is determined if the
cookie
identifies the user as a surfer, or anonymous user. If the user's cookie
identifies the
user as a surfer or anonymous user, then the page will again redirect the user
to
marketing page 62. If the user has a cookie but is not a surfer or anonymous
user, e.g.,
the user is a registered customer, then the AR page will determine a
participation level
of the user (i.e., Client, Member, Member Plus, or IBO, for example). If the
participation level of the user meets a predetermined access level for a given
web page
file which the user wishes to access (e.g., access is given to IBOs and
Members Plus,
but not Members or Client), then the user is granted access to the web page
file. If the
user's participation level does not meet the predetermined access level (e.g.,
a user
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CA 02747800 2011-07-29
who is a Client in the above-noted example) then the authentication redirector
directs
the user to a web page file 66 explaining that the user's current membership
level does
not have access to the resources or web page file requested. Preferably, page
66 also
includes marketing information to encourage the user to upgrade to a higher
membership level. It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the an
that the
above-described authentication redirector functionality is different than
merely a
registered user improperly entering his or her username or password, wherein
the user
is redirected back to the user sign-in page, as is known in the art. The
authentication
redirector functionality of the present invention navigates the user through
the site
based upon the user's participation level and access rights. If the user is
denied
access, the AR functionality of the present invention allows the user to
change their
participation level and access rights by presenting an appropriate web page to
the user.
This functionality provides a user-friendly improvement over conventional
systems
that display an "error" page web file to a user when access is denied.
In general, WWW shoppers are able to browse through the product hierarchy
and/or search for items using the E-Commerce product search component. As part
of
the main navigation, a general E-Commerce search icon is available on all E-
Commerce screens. Shoppers are able to type in the SKU, or identification
number, or
product names across all products available. The feature will search for SKUs
or
product names across all web stores presented to the user. Each match will be
displayed on a single line that preferably contains the product long name,
price and a
link to the full product page. An appropriate message will be displayed if no
items are
found. In a further embodiment of the present invention, this search feature
is
extended to include non-commerce-related items. In yet a further embodiment,
custom queries on the database are generated to determine aspects such as
common
customer searches.
WWW shoppers are also preferably able to search and add to their shopping
cart specific product SKUs, or identification numbers. This search feature
takes the
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consumer to the associated product page. Here, the consumer finds, for
example, a
product picture, description, educational and use content, as well as price.
An icon in
the general navigational menu also allows them to add the item to their
standing order
(based on membership type). From the main product page, users can click to
other
main product pages for products in the same category.
Shown in Fig. 9, a product list 90 is used for product browsing and shopping.
Product list 90 is preferably built and maintained at the server computer. A
preferred
product list 90 includes, for example, but is not limited to, a product name
90a and
price 90b, and PV 90c and BV 90d for each product. In a preferred embodiment,
only
IBOs will see PV 90c and BV 90d for each product. Clients preferably see an
additional piece of information called Member cost 90e. Member cost 90e is
used to
entice the Client to become a registered Member. Member cost 90e is typically
less
than a retail price paid by the Client (Member Cost 90e less than Your Cost
90b). As
shown, a product image link 90f is also provided. Product image link 90f
preferably
provides a link to a product image and detail page (not shown) which
preferably
includes a picture and details about the specific product. A link, "View Next
25
Products" 90g, is also provided which allows-the user to view the next 25
items
appearing in product list 90 via the user's browser.
Again referring to Fig. 9, in order to select a product for purchase, a user
fills
in a quantity 92 on product list 90. Upon selecting the quantities for
purchase for a
plurality of products, the user can then initiate the Add to Basket link 94,
by double
clicking a mouse, for example, to add the selected products to a shopping
basket.
An exemplary shopping basket display page 110 is shown in Fig. 10. As can
be seen in Fig. 10, shopping basket display page 110 includes information
about
particular products and services selected for purchase including, but not
limited to,
quantity 110a, SKU 110b, product name 110c. PV 110d, BV 110e, Member cost
110f, Your cost 110g, and total price 110h. Preferably, Member cost 110f is
only
available to Clients from shopping basket page 110. In addition, it is
preferable that
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only IBOs be able to view PV 110d and BV 110e from shopping basket page 110.
In
order to update a desired quantity 110a, the user must enter a new quantity in
one of
the quantity fields and click the "Update Basket" button 111.
Shopping basket page 110 preferably includes additional links to "Return"
113, "Continue Checkout" 115, and "Standing Order" 116. By choosing Return
113,
the user is returned to the preceding page from which the user chose to view
shopping
basket page 110. Exemplary preceding pages could include but is not limited
to, for
example, a product image and detail page or the product list page of Fig. 9.
By
choosing Continue Checkout 115, the user is presented with Shipping info (see
below). If the user has not authenticated at the time of choosing Continue
Checkout
115, then the user is forwarded to a login/create new user page (not shown).
By choosing Standing Order 116, the user is forwarded to a screen that allows
the user to create a new standing order profile. Typically, a standing order
profile
allows a user to set up an automated order system that sends products and/or
services
to the user at regular intervals, which are selected by the user. Such
standing orders
provide an efficient method for establishing long-term orders of products
and/or
services from the marketing system. All items in shopping basket page 110 are
placed
in the new profile. User then has the option of removing items from the newly
created
profile.
In a preferred embodiment, a billing/shipping page (not shown) is presented to
the user upon the user's selection of Continue Checkout 115 from shopping
basket
page 110 as described above. Shipping page preferably includes an area
allowing the
user to enter shipping and address information. As noted above, users must be
authenticated to view this page. In the preferred embodiment, the
billing/shipping
page includes all profile information "pre-populated" into the appropriate
fields of the
page. If necessary, the user may overwrite this information. Additionally,
users have
the option of having the shipping information the same as, or different from,
their
profile information stored at the server computer. Like shopping basket page
110, the
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
shipping page includes links similar to Return 113 and Continue Checkout 115
as
described above. In addition, conventional information fields can be made
available
for weight-based shipping.
Once a user proceeds to checkout, the registered user is forwarded to an order
preview page. An exemplary order preview page 1100 is shown in Fig. 11. As can
be
seen in Fig_ 11, order preview page 1100 includes information about particular
products and services purchased including, but not limited to, quantity 1100a,
SKU
1100b, product name 1100c, Stock Status 1100d, PV 1100e, BV 1100f, Your cost
1100g, and total price 1100h. Stock Status 1100d presents information relating
to the
availability of the products and services purchased. Such information can
include, but
is not limited to, whether the product is "in stock" or on back order. The
purpose of
order preview page 1100 is to show the total of the order 1102 with shipping
and tax
and to allow the input of the various payment method and related information
1104.
As shown, the user may proceed with the order, if all information is correct,
by
selecting the "Purchase" button 1106.
Upon selection of the purchase button 1106, a confirmation page (not shown)
is then displayed which includes a "Thank You" for the order and an order
identification number. The confirmation page also reminds the customer that a
confirmation electronic notification (e.g. email) with order
confirmation/invoice
number will be sent.
The present invention also provides the ability for those who-order online to
complete their order and call an 800 number to provide their credit card
information in
a well-known manner.
The present invention also provides the ability to provide automatic
shipments.
Automatic shipments are preferably used to instruct the marketing company to
automatically ship product to make up a lack of volume (up to a specific
percent) for
certain qualifications. If the marketing company determines the IBO, for
example, has
missed the specified qualification as well as incentive program qualifications
if
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applicable, an order is prepared from a list of predetermined product, shipped
and
billed by electronic bank draft or credit card.
The E-Commerce shopping page web files of the present invention preferably
also include help pages to assist users unfamiliar with the online shopping
process. In
addition, all order-related pages provide customer service contact information
as will
be discussed in more detail below.
As noted above, authentication is preferably necessary to place an order, in
addition to such information as name, bill to, ship to, payment, or other
similar
information. There is registration information that is required regardless of
the
particular membership type. This information includes, but is not limited to,
the
following:
= Personal information;
= E-Mail;
= Password;
= Password hint;
= Assignment of IMC number (done transparently for the Client); and
= Assignment of PIN (Personal Identification Number) (done only for Members
and IBOs).
There are also a variety of optional registration features for each membership
type, exemplary of these types of features include the following:
= Personal Preferences;
= Business Preferences;
= Shopping Profiles; and
= Download and print documents.
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The E-Commerce site of the present invention is available to any WWW
shopper (general Web Surfer, Client, Member, Member Plus, or IBO). As noted
above, the user's membership type preferably determines the level of access to
products and services that will appear during the shopping experience. The
particular
shopper is able to access the site using any of the following exemplary
methods:
= Via the main E-Commerce page. The standard navigation throughout the
entire E-Commerce site provides links to all web shopping sites presented to
the user;
= Unique URL for each shopping site. Each web shopping site has a unique
URL which a user can type directly from a browser window to access the site;
= lB0 links. IBO sites provide links to specific shopping sites or product
pages
for their Members. An IBO may provide an individual web page for his or her
own business or group that allows the members of the IBO's group to access
the web site. The site preferably provides information and other services to
the members. Preferably, this site is distinct from site 102.;
= Electronic or digital coupon e-mail links. Electronic or digital coupons are
delivered to WWW Shoppers as an e-mail message. These coupons can also
have links to product pages or special deals.
As noted above, the site preferably appears differently based on the
particular
user's type (i.e., Web Surfer, Client, Member, Member Plus, Independent
Business
Owner). The site first checks for a cookie, as described above, when a user
enters to
determine if they are a registered user. If the user has visited the site
before, the
system will automatically pull up their profile.
If the system cannot determine if the user has been to the site before, then
the
user will be able to register either as an existing or new user from the
general
navigation bar. Registration is optional until checkout; at which time, the
system
forces the user to register as an existing or new user. Users who have
forgotten their
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password are able to request forgotten password hint information from a help
page.
The online registration process can be integrated to an existing marketing
company
computer system for assignment of IBO numbers and integration to an Automated
Lead Generation Program module. Mainframe transactions are interfaced to
obtain
IMC number.
With regard to new user registration, the present invention requires a minimum
amount of information to be provided. Exemplary information includes, but is
not
limited to, a valid e-mail address, user specified password, home address and
phone
number. Upon registration of new users, an IMC number and/or IBO number is
assigned to the new user.
Existing users who have already registered on the site, but are not
automatically known by the system. are able to register by entering their
username and
password. Incorrect passwords or forgotten usernames will direct users to a
help/
password hint HTML page which will prompt the user to enter his or her last
name
and email address. The e-mail address must be valid. When this information is
looked up and verified in the member database, the user's password hint is
displayed
and a form field is displayed for the user to enter his or her password hint
answer.
Once this form is submitted, the password hint answer is compared. If it
matches, the
user id and password are displayed on the user's browser system screen.
Alternatively, this information is sent to the user via an email message. If
it is not
correct, the user has the option of calling customer support. The data is
preferably
passed over a secure connection, such as secure sockets layer (SSL).
Once a user has registered, they may administer their own registration
information. This includes changing a password and other registration
information.
Access to this registration information is through the "Member Benefits"
section.
Registered users are transparently assigned a profile that holds contact
information such as address, phone and e-mail address. Users are asked for
additional
information in each main store to build on their perpetual profile. Profiles
contain any
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information filled out on-line or through specific questionnaires and
purchasing
habits. Member profiles also determine how the site appears to the user, what
products can be purchased, product prices, special deals, purchasing
incentives, etc.
In addition, real time click-stream information is collected and maintained,
such as.
but not limited to, purchase histories and page web files visited.
In this regard, shoppers are presented with an incentive to personalize the
site.
When a registered shopper comes to the site, they can change the default
personalization/profile features such as e-mail reminders. To help the shopper
understand how profile/personalization works and how it will benefit them,
there is a
link to a profiling assistant. Each registered user has a profile for the
primary
member. The primary member has the option of setting up and administering
additional profiles (i.e., for family members). Once a user has registered,
they are also
able to modify their profile information. It is preferred that the profile
information is
passed back to the host system or server computer for retention, however,
other well
known retention systems may also be employed.
Core Shopping Functions Common to all Shopping Stores
As noted above, as part of personalizing the site, a personal greeting is
generated from the information in the member profile. The personal greeting
welcomes new users to the site once they have registered and also welcomes
previous
users back to the site. The personal greeting also can point out new-products
or
special offers.
From the main product pages, users can browse other main product pages in
the same category. The main product page contains an image of the item, a two
or
three paragraph description of the product, retail and member pricing, and an
optional
link to a complete product page description that includes usage and -
educational
content. Typically, consumers navigate to the main product page through the
product
hierarchy or the product search.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
Various product pages have a link to a more descriptive product page. This
page may contain multiple images as well as more detailed product text. In
some
instances, this link may reference the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)
sheets and
other product information sheets in the Virtual Office download area.
Shoppers are able to select products for purchase by placing them in their
electronic shopping cart in a similar fashion to retail shopping carts.
However, in
contrast to conventional retail shopping carts, a shopper can add items to a
single
shopping cart from multiple stores within the E-Commerce site. A single
shopping
cart and single checkout can be used for purchasing items from the marketing
company stores and from the merchant partner sites. It should be apparent to
one
having ordinary skill in the art, however, that any number of shopping carts
can be
used in the present invention, but a single shopping cart is preferred.
A product may be added to the shopping cart by selecting a button from the
main product page. Consumers may add, modify and delete items in their
shopping
cart. As part of the selection, the consumer is able to specify an item
quantity or place
the item on a standing order. When viewing the shopping cart, the consumer is
able to
see the long name, price, and quantity of the particular product. Clicking the
long
name preferably provides a link to the product page. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the shopping cart comprises a list of marketing system
products and
services selected for purchase by a Client, Member, Member Plus, and IBO via a
shopping page web file. Preferably, the list is maintained at the server
computer and
is updated each time a new product or service is selected for purchase by the
Client,
Member, Member Plus, and IBO.
WWW shoppers are alerted in the shopping cart, preferably after checkout,
when a particular item can be placed on standing order. This feature is
dependent
upon the particular membership type. Shoppers have the option to put an item
on
standing order from the shopping cart.
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According to the present invention, there is a "persistent" shopping cart for
the
web shopping stores (shopping page web files allowing registered users to
purchase
products and services from the marketing company, i.e., Home, Health, and
Self) as
well as the "Store for More" store. In a preferred embodiment, there is a
persistent
shopping cart for the web stores and the merchant partners. This means that a
shopper
can add items to a single shopping cart from multiple stores within the
marketing
company E-Commerce site. Products from both the web stores and the "Store for
More" store are then processed and fulfilled via one order. This adds to the
overall
efficiency of the present invention and provides a user friendly environment
for the
web shopper. The persistent shopping cart also transverses the sites of other
sellers
participating in the E-commerce facility, so a shopper can buy multiple
product lines
from multiple suppliers in a single virtual shopping transaction.
As marketing system products and services are selected for purchase by the
registered Client, Member, Member Plus, and )BO, a list is accumulated and
maintained at the server computer. An exemplary list includes information
included
on shopping basket page 110 shown in Fig. 10. As each subsequent request for a
marketing system product and service is received at the server computer, the
product
or service is added to the list to create an updated list of marketing system
products
and services selected for purchase. As such, as the user adds products or
services to
the shopping basket, the server computer maintains an updated list so that all
products
may be purchased from multiple sources in a single virtual shopping
transaction.
It is envisioned by the present invention that there may be times when the
consumer adds items to a basket and then leaves the site before checking out.
In such
cases, the present invention can purge or "clean out" orphaned shopping carts
or
preserve the contents of the shopping cart and contact or email the particular
shopper
to inquire whether they wish to complete the purchase.
Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, a session is established when a
registered user accesses the E-Commerce web site. Likewise, the session is
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terminated when each registered user terminates access to the E-Commerce web
site.
At the server computer, the updated list of marketing system products and
services
selected for purchase via the plurality of shopping page web files is
maintained for a
holding period that begins when the registered user terminates the session
with the E-
Commerce site without purchasing the contents of the shopping basket (i.e.,
the user
"abandons" the cart). In the preferred embodiment, the list is maintained at
the server
computer for a holding period of at least 30 days. It should be apparent to
one of
ordinary skill in the art that the holding period can be less than or greater
than 30 days
depending upon the particulars of the marketing system and the economics of
maintaining "orphaned" carts.
According to the preferred embodiment, a dormant period is tracked,
preferably by the server computer. The dormant period preferably begins when
the
registered user terminates the session. If no marketing system products and
services
are added to the updated list during the dormant period, then an electronic
notification, for example, an email, is sent to the registered user at the
expiration of
the dormant period. It is preferred that the electronic notification includes
a message
to the user that the marketing system products and services in the updated
list (i.e., the
shopping basket) will be deleted following a deletion period if no additional
products
and services are added to the updated list or a purchase is not made by the
user. The
deletion period preferably begins at the expiration of the dormant period. In
the
preferred embodiment, the dormant period and the deletion period are each at
least 15
days. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the
dormant period
and the deletion period can each be less than or greater than 15 days
depending upon
the particulars of the marketing system and the economics of maintaining
"orphaned"
carts.
In a preferred embodiment, if a registered user at some point during the
dormant period adds any number of marketing system products and services to
the
updated list, then the dormant period is preferably reset, for example, to
zero or zero
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days to the beginning of the period, at the end of the user's session. This
reset
dormant period can be referred to as a second dormant period. The second
dormant
period can have the same or different duration that the original or first
dormant period.
Again, if no marketing system products and services are added to the updated
list
during the second dormant period, then an electronic notification is sent to
the
registered user at the expiration of the second dormant period. As described
above,
the electronic notification includes a message notifying the user that the
marketing
system products and services in the updated list will be deleted following a
deletion
period if no additional products and services are added to the updated list or
a
purchase is not made by the user. If a user does add a product to the list
during the
deletion period, then preferably both the dormant period and the deletion
periods are
reset. Alternately, only the deletion period is reset.
In a preferred embodiment, the dormant period can be reset, for example, three
times before the cart is emptied and the periods canceled. It should be
apparent to one
skilled in the art that the dormant period could be reset any number of times.
Moreover, if the user, at any time during the dormant period or the deletion
period, chooses to purchase the items in the list, then, in a preferred
embodiment, both
the dormant and deletion periods pertaining to the particular "orphaned" cart
are
stopped or canceled. It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the
art that
various adjustments can be made to the holding, deletion, and dormant periods
to
accommodate numerous variations of time periods depending, again, upon the
particulars of the marketing system and the economics of maintaining
"orphaned"
carts.
As part of the main navigation of the present invention, a general E-Commerce
search icon is available on all shopping page web files associated with the E-
Commerce web site. The search feature allows shoppers to type in the
particular SKU
number of a product or the product name for all products available.
Alternatively,
users can enter free form text into an HTML form. The feature will search the
SKU,
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product name, and a keyword column across all shopping page web files
associated
with the E-Commerce web site. The search is preferably designed to use SQL-
like
syntax so that exact, as well as similar, matches can be made. The keyword
column is
preferably a variable character field that contains comma-separated keywords.
These
keywords are setup at the same time a product is setup on the server computer.
The search is preferably accessible anywhere in the E-Commerce site. In a
preferred embodiment, users can restrict the search scope to cover a current
category
(for example, "category pages" 1200a-1200g shown in Fig. 12b) and products in
all
sub categories, which include products under category pages 1200a-1200g. It is
also
preferred that the search includes products sold by the marketing company that
are not
featured on generally accessible product pages. Another feature of the search
system
is that users may enter a particular shopping site, search for a particular
product, and
place an order without having to navigate throughout the entire site.
If a Client or Member searches for a specific SITU or product name, the search
will display the product matches. In one embodiment, each match is displayed
on a
single line that contains the product long name, price, and a link to the full
product
page. An appropriate messag
Z:D e is displayed if no items are found. The marketing
company may generate custom queries on this database to determine aspects such
as
common customer searches. Users can enter a shopping site, search for a
product and
place an order without navigating through the site.
Merchandizing Functions Common to all Shopping Stores
There are several exemplary merchandizing initiatives or functions common to
all shopping stores. These include, but are not limited to, electronic gift
certificates,
online coupons, deals of the week, special promotions, cross selling and up
selling.
There are also several preferred marketing and promotional functions for the E-
Commerce sites of the present invention. These are described in more detail
below.
CA 02747800 2011-07-29
In one embodiment of the present invention, cross selling and up selling are
used to increase sales revenue and to aid shoppers with purchasing decisions.
An up
sell will offer the shopper a product with more features at a slightly higher
price. A
cross sell will offer the shopper a related item when a user adds something to
the
shopping cart and will be shown on the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) page. For
example, on a laundry detergent purchase, an up sell would offer an enhanced
version
of the detergent, whereas a cross sell would offer a list of complementary
products,
such as softener and bleach to add to the shopping cart.
In one embodiment of the present invention, electronic or digital gift
certificates are used to allow shoppers to purchase and send certificates
electronically.
Preferably, certificates are available in several dollar amounts.
Some exemplary products of the present invention may offer a competitive
matrix of product information to aid shoppers with purchasing decisions. The
preferred bridal and gift registry area allows shoppers to reserve items from
any of the
shopping areas as well as catalog items. The "What's New" feature shows and
describes new core-line products.
In addition, a personal profile input form may be included within each of the
shopping page web files associated with the E-Commerce web site. This form can
be
a questionnaire or other suitable form that a shopper completes and submits
that
provides information about their lifestyle, shopping, or product preferences.
The
system reviews the form and provides product recommendations to the customer
throughout the individual shopping page web files, including, for example, the
"My
Home," "My Self," and "My Health" pages, which will be described in more
detail
below.
The information is preferably collected using a dynamically generated
questionnaire. The responses are subsequently associated with a person's
profile.
Questions may be shared between different questionnaires, such that an answer
to a
questionnaire in one location can be used in any other questionnaires that
share the
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same or similar question. The result of completing a questionnaire is a list
of
recommended products generated on a report, which displays a photo,
description,
pricing, and option to add any of the products to the shopping cart in the
manner
described above.
In addition, as a subset of personalizing the site, shoppers can be provided
with an e-mail notification with a digital coupon. The email contains an
explanation
of the coupon and a link that brings the user to the E-Commerce web site. It
can also
automatically add the item to the shopping basket and apply the coupon against
the
shopping basket. In an alternative embodiment, the user is able to add a SKU
or
product identifier to the basket and enter the coupon manually to redeem the
coupon.
The coupon is thus validated in the basket. Each coupon has an associated
identifier.
The identifier is related to an IMC number to ensure authenticity and
uniqueness.
When an IBO, Member, Member Plus, or Client redeems the coupon, the redemption
date is filled in. If the redemption date is already filled in, then the
coupon is invalid.
Each shopping site also provides product "deals of the week" and other special
promotions. These promotions are customized according to a user profile. The
ability
to show or not show specials to all non-direct fulfillment IBOs, Members. and
Clients
is also provided.
Preferably, products are grouped together into product clusters. These
clusters
are then offered as a set, possibly at a discounted price. When orders for
these clusters
are viewed by the shoppers, the individual SKU numbers will be exploded for
customer viewing (i.e., a gift set that contains three items).
As part of the site personalization feature, a shopper can request to receive
e-
mail notifications of product specials. This request can be turned on or off
from a link
in the navigation menu, or with instructions sent with every e-mail
notification.
Each shopping store also provides a Help and/or Ask the Expert area where a
user can receive, for example, but not limited to, expert advice, virtual
interactive
consultation, how-to text-based or interactive demonstrations, referral
service, and up-
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to-the-minute information. Multimedia demonstrations using animated GIF images
may also be offered within the store using streaming video or other suitable
graphical
systems.
Shopping Functions Specific to "My Home"
In one embodiment of the present invention, the marketing company may offer
an extensive selection of one type of product via a shopping page web file.
For
example, the marketing company may offer an extensive selection of home
cleaning
products in the E-Commerce site of the present invention to the Web consumer.
As
shown in Fig. 12a, exemplary products offered by the present invention,
include but
are not limited to, the products described below for laundry 1200, cleaners
and
disinfectants 1201, water-treatment 1203, cookware and cutlery 1205, tableware
1202,
crystal/giftware 1204, and home services 1206 as shown in Fig. 12a. Each of
these
exemplary products and an exemplary layout of the My Home store can be seen
with
reference to Figs. 12a-12h. In addition, the site may provide numerous links
to
merchant partner sites 1500, providing other products and services.
As shown in Fig. 12a, the My Home site 1210, in addition to the product areas
described above and described further in detail below, the site preferably
includes a
link to a special features area 1207 which preferably includes links to
special offers
1207a, a what's new section 1207b, expert advice 1207c, product search 1207d,
discussion groups 1207e, a my assessment area 1207f, clean it up 1207g, which
can
provide cleaning tips, water watch 1207h, which can provide further links to
government web sites, such as the EPA, and cooking club 1207i.
Exemplary laundry products are shown in Fig. 12b and include core-line home
products such as concentrated detergent 1200a, stain treatments 1200b,
bleaches
1200c, fabric softeners & finishes 1200d, water softeners 1200e, fabric
protector
1200f, and combination packs 1200g. Exemplary merchandizing initiatives that
are
common to the Laundry Product area include, but are not limited to, the
following:
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Stain Remediesfor Laundry/Home - This interactive page asks the shopper the
stain type and fabric type and displays the most suitable product for removing
the stain.
Stain Stories (Moderated Bulletin Board) - This is an area where the shopper
can enter (e-mail) a story about a stain challenge and the solution using
products from the marketing company. This information is handled in the
form of a moderated bulletin board where input will be reviewed prior to
posting on the site.
Laundry 101 - This feature provides information on the lost art of laundry
care-"what your mother never told you." The feature also provides
instructions on how to do laundry, how to read clothing laundry instruction
labels, and other laundry issues.
Personal Laundry Prescription - This is a user-specific survey that will
assess
the shopper's laundry style and provide a product recommendation based on
input received. Typically, users provide profile information and, based on
answers provided to questions, the survey displays a unique recommendation
to the particular user.
Time Saving Tips - This is a list of laundry-related time saving tips.
Exemplary cleaners and disinfectants 1201 are shown in Fig. 12c and include
core-line house products such as multi-purpose cleaners 1201a, bathroom
cleansers
1201b, kitchen cleansers 1201c, and cleaning product combinations 1201d.
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Exemplary merchandizing initiatives that are common to the House Cleaning
Product
area include, but are not limited to, the following:
Personal Cleaning Plan - This is a survey that the shopper completes which
asks for a description of cleaning products used and provides a product
recommendation based on input received. This is similar to the Personal
Laundry Prescription described above- Users provide profile information and
a recommendation will be returned. Direct links to product pages are also
offered.
Time Saving Tips - This is a list of cleaning-related time saving tips.
Exemplary tableware products 1202 are shown in Fig. 12d and include core-
line tableware products such as dinnerware 1202a, stemware 1202b, flatware
1202c,
servicewear 1202d, and table linens 1202e. Exemplary merchandizing initiatives
that
are common to the Tableware area include, but are not limited to, the
following:
Decorating for the Seasons - This section provides tips and decorating ideas
for seasonal table, mantle and flower treatments.
Decorating and Entertainment Tips - This is an informational etiquette
section. Shoppers receive tips on information such as setting up a table,
folding napkins, setting up a buffet and icebreakers.
Decorating Style Quiz - Shopper picks a decorating style from different
predetermined style profiles. The style profile defines the shopper as
transitional, traditional, casual, or formal and the system provides product
recommendations that fit the shopper's style.
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Interactive Table Top - This feature allows the shopper to select products and
display them on an online virtual tabletop.
Exemplary water-treatment products 1203 are shown in Fig. 12e and include
water treatment products and services including home systems 1203a,
replacement
filters 1203b, technical support and parts 1203c, and a water treatment
library 1203d.
Exemplary merchandizing initiatives that are common to the Water Treatment
products area include, but are not limited to, the following:
Water Safety Facts - From this page, a shopper can find information on water
safety facts in their residential area by entering their zip code. There also
are
links to localized water safety reports and water facts. If requested,
proactive
e-mail can be sent to those requesting the latest news on water safety issues.
Water Safety Reports in the News - From this page, a shopper can find
information on water safety news reports and sign up to receive e-mail with
water safety reports.
Exemplary crystal/giftware products 1204 are shown in Fig. 12f and include
vases 1204a, candleholders 1204b, bowls 1204c, stemware 1204d, paperweights
1204e, and Christmas ornaments 1204f.
Exemplary cookware and cutlery products 1205 are shown in Fig. 12g and
include core-line cookware 1205a, create your own cookware set & accessories
1205b, cutlery & shears 1205c, replacement parts 1205d. Exemplary
merchandizing
initiatives that are common to the cookware and cutlery products area include,
but are
not limited to, the following:
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Cooking Club - This feature provides a recipe exchange area, database of
Cooking Club members, profiles of longtime members, special offers to
members, lists of recipes of the month, and links to other recipe Web sites.
Streaming Video - The streaming video features stories about cookware and
cooking.
Recipes - This feature provides a recipe exchange area where shoppers can
post a recipe to the site.
Exemplary home services links are shown in Fig. 12h and include security
systems 1206a, time-management systems 1206b. telecommunications 1206c, realty
and mortgage services 1206d, and insurance services 1206e. In a preferred
embodiment, realty and mortgage services 1206d and insurance services 1206e
are
only available to Members, Members Plus, and I130s.
Shopping Functions Specific to "My Health"
The "My Health" store is a single source for traditional and alternative
health
solutions including natural products tailored to the Web shopper's personal
needs.
This store offers a variety of health care products such as vitamins and
dietary
supplements. The site also offers consumers a source for personalized,
credible,-
comprehensive and up-to-date information services about natural and
alternative
health solutions.
The site is preferably organized into the following exemplary logical areas
which are shown in Figs. 13a-13e: Vitamins 1302, Foods 1303, Therapeutic
Magnets
1304, and Weight Management 1305 page web files or sites. As shown in Fig.
13a, in
addition to the logical areas noted above, the site 1300 also includes a
special features
area 1301 which can include links to specials 1301a, a "What's New" section
1301b,
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Expert Advice 1301c, Product search 1301d, a discussion group 1301e for
shoppers, a
"my assessment" area 1301f, and a reference desk 1301g, which can provide
information relating to various products and services.
Referring to Fig. 13b, the vitamins page 1302 preferably includes exemplary
core-line products including children's vitamins 1302a, multivitamins 1302b,
antioxidants 1302c, herbals 1302d, other supplements 1302e, and additional
support
materials. Exemplary merchandizing initiatives that are common in the vitamins
area
include, but are not limited to, the following:
Library of Health-Related Issues Link - This is an in-depth and extensive
library that is searchable by symptoms with links to product information and
recommendations. The presentation of Library choices may be based on
personal profile information provided by the user (i.e., if the primary
concern
is heart disease, a user can personalize the site to highlight the current
news in
areas of interest). In an exemplary embodiment, a link is provided to a health
education organization that acts as a resource for IBOs and other customers
Link to Product Information for Physicians - This is a downloadable area
where physicians can come to find out technical information on a marketing
company's health care products. Information is targeted to physicians but is
open to viewing by all site users. This information may be modified by
geographical area as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Links to Other Health Sites - The store provide links to other health sites,
such
as, for example, Magnabloc.com, Trimadvantage.com, blionline.com, and
NUTR]LITE.com sites.
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The Foods page web file 1303 preferably includes a plurality of exemplary
food products 1303a as shown in Fig. 13c. The Therapeutic Magnets page web
file
1304 preferably includes products relating to various magnetic products 1304a
sold.
for example, under the Magna Bloc title as shown in Fig. 13d. The Weight
Management page web file 1305 preferably includes dietary supplements and
other
weight loss related products 1305a as shown in Fig. 13e.
Shopping Functions Specific to "My Self"
The "My Self' store is a virtual spa service that provides information about
current trends, skin care/cosmetics, hair care and aromatherapy product
categories.
Each of the exemplary page web files associated with the My Self page web file
1400
are shown in Figs. 14a-14e. The stores offer time conscious Web consumers
customization, expert advice, virtual interactive consultation, how-to
demonstrations,
referral service, and up-to-the-minute information,
The site 1400 is preferably organized into the following logical areas as can
best be seen in Fig. 14a. These include the special features 1401 including:
Special
offers 1401a, What's New 1401b, Expert Advice 1401c, Product Search 1401d,
Discussion Group 1401e, My Assessment 1401f, and Virtual Face 1401g. In
addition,
the site further includes links to the Hair Salon 1402, Skin Care 1403, and
Cosmetics
Counter 1404. Exemplary products include hair care, skin care, color cosmetics
and
aromatherapy products.
The Hair Salon page web file 1402, as shown in Fig. 14b, preferably includes
core-line products such as shampoos 1402a, conditioners 1402b, treatment
products
1402c, styling products 1402d, and other support materials. The Skin Care page
web
file 1403, as shown in Fig. 14c, preferably includes core-line products such
as daily
skin care systems 1403a, time defying products, supplemental skin care,
special
treatment products 1403b, and support materials. The Cosmetics Counter page
web
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file 1404, as shown in Figs. 14d and 14e, preferably includes core-line
products such
as face, eyes, cheeks, lips, nails, accessories and support materials 1405 as
well as an
application tips area 1406 including a plurality of information 1407 regarding
advice
for beauty applications. An exemplary area preferably includes core-line
products
such as calming and energizing products as well as support materials.
Exemplary
merchandizing initiatives that are common in the cosmetics counter page web
file
1404 include, but are not limited to, the following:
Virtual Face - The "Virtual Face" feature allows a shopper to experiment with
different hair colors and makeup styles. Multiple, finite combinations may be
shown based on user input of profile information. These will preferably be
static images. In another embodiment, this feature allows users to scan in
their
own face and try different product combinations in a fully interactive mode.
As would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, this scanning could be
achieved, for example, by scanning in a photograph using a scanner, such as
the 91000 Flatbed Digital Scanner produced by Hewlett PackardTM of Palo
Alto, California, and forwarding the scanned image via, for example, email.
Alternatively, a digital image, such as obtained using a digital camera, can
be
used. A digital image from a CD-Rom or other storage media could also be
used.
What's New - The "What's New" feature shows the latest trends in cosmetics.
skin care, and hair and how to create trendy looks using the product line. It
also provides the most up-to-date information regarding scientific discoveries
and demographic trends in the skin care industry. This feature also links to
product pages.
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Links to Merchant Service Partners
According to the present invention, and as shown in Fig. 15, the marketing
company preferably has several merchant partners or partner stores 1500 that
participate and are affiliated with the E-Commerce site of the present
invention.
Exemplary partners provide products and services in a number of areas.
Exemplary
product and service areas include, but are not limited to, home and family
services
1501, office and technology 1502, sports and leisure 1503, food and gifts
1504, and
"other products" 1505 which can include flowers, computers, books, apparel,
and
home and garden, for example.
Links to these merchant partner sites are preferably provided to shoppers
based
on their membership level (i.e., Client, Member, Member Plus, BO). In the
preferred
embodiment, a user must be authenticated as a registered Client, Member,
Member
Plus, or IBO to have access to the merchant partner links. Each of these
relationships
with the exemplary merchant partners are described in more detail below.
Security - there is a link to a security company Web site. In addition to
this link, facts and figures on home security as well as free security
consultation may be provided.
Energy - there is a link to an energy company Web site. In addition to
this link, tips on how to save money on an energy bill may be provided.
Telecom - there is a link to a telecom company Web site. In addition to
this link, tips on saving money on a monthly phone bill may be
provided.
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Time-Management - there is a link to a time-management company
Web site.
Realty and Mortgage - there is a link to a Realty and Mortgage
company Web site. Access to this site is preferably limited to
Independent Business Owners.
Universal IBO Benefits - there is a link to the Universal IBO Benefits
Web site. Access to this site is preferably limited to Independent
Business Owners.
Auto Network - there is a link to information pertaining to an auto
network.
Shopping Specific to Other Products
The Store for More site 2950 provides an area for products that do not fall
within the parameters that define the "My Home", "My Health", and "My Self'
shopping sites. These products may include catalog items as well as a link to
the
marketing company-sponsored Internet Service Provider.
Members have the opportunity to sign up for the Internet Service Provider. It
is a fee-based service. Preferred categories within the Internet Service
Provider
include, but are not limited to, custom set-up software, e-mail, personal home
pages,
etc.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a separate store "Hot Buys" 2900
is included offering a subset of the "Store for More' 2950 (see Fig. 1)
merchandise.
This store may include 25 to 30 products with a particularly good price/value
relationship. These items may be added to the perpetual shopping cart for
ordering.
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The products will be fulfilled on one order with "My Home," "My Health" and
"My
Self"products.
The Store for More site 2950 allows users to browse for products by
categories. The main page lists the categories and when a user selects a
category, the
user sees either sub categories or product lists. When the user selects
products from
the list they are then taken to a product detail page. At the product detail
page the user
can add the product to their shopping basket or view more information about
the
product as described above.
In addition, a search function is provided allowing Clients, Members,
Members Plus, and Independent Business Owners to seek out known "Store for
More"
products and add them to their order in a manner similar to the search
function
described above. An Independent Business Owner preferably has access to a text
listing of products for ordering.
Order Fulfillment Process
The E-Commerce site according to the present invention features an order
management system that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
changing
orders; canceling orders; support for recurring orders; and handling back
orders.
Business-to-business capabilities are taken into design considerations.
Miscellaneous
items such as gift certificates also may be handled by the system of the
present
invention. Entry of custom instructions for personalized items, such as
monograms,
are available to the shopper as well.
Exemplary payment methods that may be employed by the present invention
include credit card processing or automatic bank drafts. As used herein, bank
drafts
are preferably payment option for warehouse-authorized IBOs that allows them
to
order by mail or telephone and pay for the order by having the marketing
company
draft from their checking account. When the marketing company receives the
IBO's
order and PIN (Personal Identification Number), the marketing company sends
the
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billing information to the 1B0's bank, which then produces a transaction that
will be
drawn on the 1BO's bank account. Both the IBO's bank and the marketing company
must approve the authorization for drafts against the 1BO's account. The PIN,
as used
in the present invention, is preferably a four-digit personal identification
number that
uniquely identifies each 1BO. In one embodiment, the PIN is assigned randomly
by
computer to all bank draft authorized ISO's. This is preferably a confidential
number
known only to the IBO and is used to generate a bank draft payment or to
obtain
PV/BV estimates.
Other mechanisms may be employed to provide receipt and notification
events throughout the order cycle. The ability to provide month's sales volume
and
order history is also available.
As described above, at any point during the shopping process, a user can view
the contents of their personalized shopping cart. From the cart, the user can
perform
the following exemplary functions: change quantities; remove items, clear the
basket;
add or delete an item; indicate whether an item should be added to the user's
standing
order list; checkout; or continue shopping. The user is also able to mark
individual
items or complete standing orders. Upon completion of his or her shopping
experience, the user proceeds through the checkout process. Each of these
options
have been described above.
When a shopper selects the check out link, the system first determines if they
are registered. If the shopper is not registered they must register before
checking out.
If the shopper has been authenticated, they will have the opportunity to
review and
confirm their personal information.
The registered shopper then proceeds to complete information such as billing,
shipping, and payment information. The shopper also has the opportunity to
redeem
coupons or digital gift certificates on the payment information page. When a
shopper
is ready to check out, depending on the items placed in their cart, they may
be able to
access the financing page. The financing page provides sign-up information and
static
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forms that tie in with the order processing system. Alternatively, an
interactive form
allowing online signup may be provided to the shopper.
Users may also place individual products or an entire order on a standing
order
quickly and easily through the present invention. Users may also have multiple
standing orders and the ability to add an item to a standing order on a one-
time basis.
In a preferred embodiment, the standing order program (SOP) profiles are
maintained
on the mainframe. IBO's are able to access and maintain SOP profiles via the
Virtual
Office. In a preferred embodiment, the standing order functionality can access
the
information maintained in the SOP profiles but it should be apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art that information contained in the standing order is
not limited
to that information maintained in the profiles.
As part of the delivery information, the Web consumer also has the option of
indicating whether an order should be sent as a gift. This means the order
will be
shipped without an invoice containing pricing information. Otherwise, the
order will
generally be shipped with an invoice which is a computerized printout of an
order
issued to an IBO. It provides the IBO and the marketing company with an
accounting
of the merchandise ordered, PV and BV, IBO Cost, retail, tax, postage,
redeemed
vouchers/coupons, shipping information and IBO information.
It is preferred that the order delivery mechanism be able to handle non-direct
fulfillment orders. Non-direct fulfillment orders are, for example, orders
that are
placed directly by the IBO for the Member or Client and are personally
delivered by
the IBO to the respective Member or Client. If a Member or Client in a non-
direct
fulfillment group comes into the site, they will shop just like everyone else,
and the
order will be invoiced and fulfilled by the marketing company. When an IBO in
a
non-direct fulfillment organization shops on the site and the order is
submitted, the
IBO will get a notice indicating the "passing on" of the order to the Platinum
IBO or
Ordering IBO. The Ordering IBO then pays the marketing company, receives the
merchandise, and resells it to the customer. The person ordering will also be
sent a
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confirming email. Information in the shopping cart (i.e., the order) will be e-
mailed to
the Platinum 1130 or Ordering IBO.
Once a shopper completes the payment information, the shopper has an
additional chance to review the shopping cart before submitting the order. If
the user
chooses to submit the order, the user will subsequently receive an order
confirmation
notice by e-mail. E-Mail notifications are sent to the customer at various
points
throughout the order life cycle, including, but not limited to the following:
order
processed/failed on host; order extracted for warehouse (non-cancelable), and
order
shipped. Details included on the email notification include order status,
order
number, line item details, sub totals, tax shipping, service charges, and a
grand total.
The notification also includes shipping/billing information. It also
preferably contains
a link that allows the user to view order history details-
In a preferred embodiment, a user may request information regarding the status
of the order at any time after initial processing and before receipt of the
products.
Such a request could be fulfilled electronically, for example, but not limited
to, by
email, or by any other well-known methods, such as but not limited to,
telephone or
mail.
A process for handling returns in compliance with the marketing company's
guarantee policy is also preferably included. The satisfaction guarantees are
clearly
stated at key decision making points in the ordering process, such as when
viewing
product information and at checkout. Procedures for returning a-product for
refund
are posted and return forms are made available to download and print. Requests
for
exchanges/replacements are preferably handled via an online form. The user
will
enter his/her invoice number, item(s) and quantity(s) to exchange/mplace,
reason for
exchange (e.g. damaged, shorted, broken, wrong size, etc.) and any additional
comments in the appropriate fields located on the form. The form will be e-
mailed to
customer service, which will then process the request.
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In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-
paid postage label to be used in conjunction with returns or exchanges of
products. A
flow diagram depicting the process by which a user administers the pre-paid
postage
label in product exchanges and/or returns is shown in Fig. 27. As shown in
Fig. 27,
the system presents the user with a copy of the satisfaction guarantee 2702.
It should
be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the satisfaction
guarantee is
presented to the user via, for example, a web page or text box preferably
associated
with the shopping page web file. After the user has a chance to review
satisfaction
guarantee 2702, the user selects whether the user wishes to "return" or
"exchange"
(box 2704) an item or plurality of items.
If the user selects "return," an on-line return form 2706 is presented to the
user. The user is then requested to enter a plurality of information (box
2708) on
return form 2706, including, but not limited to, quantity, stock number or
SKU, the
reason for the return, product description, and an invoice number.
Additionally, it is
preferred that a comments section is provided on return form 2706 so that the
user can
supply feedback to the marketing company or merchant partners. As should be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, a plurality of products and/or
services can
be listed on return form 2706.
After the information has been added to the return form and accepted by the
user, the return form is then presented to the user in a format (box 2710)
that can be
printed on a conventional printer connected to the user's computer, for
example. The
user is requested to print the form and include the form in the box containing
the
product or products to be returned. Finally, a pre-paid postage label used in
conjunction with, for example, the United States Postal Service, is presented
to the
user's computer (box 2712). The user can print out the pre-paid postage label
and
include it with the package of products to be returned to the marketing
company. In
this fashion, the marketing company pays for the cost of mailing the returned
items.
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If the user selects to "exchange" a product or products, the user is presented
with an exchange form 2714. The user is then requested to enter a plurality of
information (box 2716) on exchange form 2714, including, but not limited to,
quantity, stock number or SKU, the reason for the return, product description,
and an
invoice number. In addition, exchange form 2714 preferably includes an
additional
field which shows the user those items available for exchange. In a preferred
embodiment, products or services which are less than or equal to the price of
the
article to be exchanged will be available for exchange. The present invention,
however, is not limited to such restrictions.
After the information has been added to the exchange form and accepted by
the user, the information is sent to the marketing company (box 2718). The
marketing
company completes the exchange processing. The exchange form may be forwarded
to the marketing company by any method, including, but not limited to, email,
regular
mail, or telephone. It is preferred, however, that the exchange form is sent
to the
customer service representative via email.
"Member Perks" Site Functionality
The "Member Perks" or "Member Benefits" page web file or site 1600, as
shown in Fig. 16, is directed towards allowing a Member to customize personal
information for both the shopping and business environment. Personalization is
preferably provided via a link on the "My Business" or "My Marketing System"
page
web file 1601. Profiling is the central component of the E-Commerce site of
the
present invention which offers advantages and extra incentives to promote
Member
loyalty. Much of what makes member benefits significant is the total package
of
services available to Members (i.e., access to services, etc.) rather than the
"Member
Perks" section of the site itself.
Personalization in the "Member Perks" site is preferably implemented in two
ways: 1) linking to existing Internet portal services and 2) developing a
customized
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control panel. Exemplary links to existing Internet portal services include,
but are not
limited to, the following: links to online national news; weather; sports; and
stock
quote feeds. This offers Members a customizable experience.
The second version of personalization employs the notion of a customizable
control panel. On a limited basis, this site offers links to current internet
service feeds
along with other select personalization features that are offered within the E-
Commerce shopping modules. Personalization can also include availability to
PVIBV
information for Members Plus and Independent Business Owners. The Frequent
Buyer Program, or Member Rewards Program 1602, preferably designed exclusively
for Members, is also personalized.
The "Master Profiles" 1605 preferably contain a business profile, family
member profiles, shopping profiles, and other frequently accessed services.
Membership benefits 1603 are displayed within the Member Perks 1600 page
web file to attract potential customers to the opportunities of the marketing
company
business partnership. To entice visitors to sign up for site membership via,
for
example, the Member Sign-up process 1604, an online gift certificate may be
offered
that can be applied to future purchases. Moreover, Membership pricing 1606
allows
visitors to view the benefits of membership through reduced pricing
structures.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an on-line form associated
with the member perks page is supplied to a registered user. The user then
enters the
user's personal information onto the on-line form and this information is
stored on a
server computer. This information is subsequently used to customize the layout
of the
plurality of web files based on the personal information supplied by the user.
In the preferred embodiment, access to the Member Service page web file is
based upon the participation level of the individual. It is preferred that
surfers, or non-
registered users may not access the Member Perks page. Clients preferably have
access to limited personalization and features within the Member Perks page-
As
shown in Fig. 17, exemplary features available to Clients include persistent
navigation
1701, which allows Clients to conveniently access a plurality of web pages
associated
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with the marketing system via the Member Service page web file, persistent
merchandizing 1702, internet service feeds 1703, promotional email lists 1704,
links
to merchant partners 1705, and a number of products and services 1706. As
shown in
Fig. 18, Members preferably receive all the features available to a Client,
including
persistent navigation 1801, persistent merchandizing 1802, internet service
feeds
1803, links to merchant partners 1805, and a number of products and services
1806,
plus the rewards of the Frequent Buyer Program 1807 and the Rewards
Merchandizing feature 1808 that complements the program. These will be
described
in more detail below. IBOs and Members Plus preferably receive all the
benefits of a
Member, plus the benefits of customized feeds 1909, such as PV/BV inquiry and
business news (see, for example Fig. 19). News feeds are preferably created
and
maintained by a marketing group associated with the marketing company.
In addition, the Member Perks area provides Member-only products and
services designed to encourage Member loyalty and make becoming a Member
attractive and exciting. At each membership level, shoppers are provided
significant
content and business value to encourage them to return often to the site.
Additional
benefits and services are offered at each level of membership, making the
upgrade
from Member to Member Plus to Independent Business Owner an easy and exciting
decision. The following exemplary features are preferably implemented in this
site:
Frequent Buyer/Rewards Programs - this program tracks a Member's
shopping history. Frequent buyers receive discounts and other incentives to
keep them coming back to the site.
Internet Service Feeds - Members have the option to customize their
environment by selecting from a variety of Internet service feeds such as
news,
weather, sports, electronic greeting cards, maps, horoscope and financial
information.
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In one embodiment of the present invention, the following exemplary services
are available in the Member Benefits section:
Rental Cars: Direct link to shop and book rental cars at a preferred
price.
Hotels: Direct link to shop and book room reservations at a preferred
price.
E've products: Direct link to shop and order eye products at a preferred
price.
Computer Producrs: Direct link to shop and order computer products at
a preferred price.
Universal IBO Benefits: Direct link to get quotes and apply for
Insurance products at a special price.
As noted above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention preferably
includes a method and system for facilitating an on-line shopping and rewards
program. Such a program rewards frequent buyers with purchasing opportunities
based upon the volume of marketing system products and services purchased by
that
particular customer.
According to the preferred embodiment, the method comprises maintaining a
catalog which includes marketing system products and services on a server
computer.
An exemplary catalog 2000 is shown in Fig. 20. As can be seen in Fig. 20,
catalog
2000 preferably includes a plurality of information relating to the marketing
system
products and services, including, but not limited to, a product number 2010
("PROD.
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NO.") associated with a particular marketing system product or service. In a
particularly preferred embodiment. catalog 2000 also includes a marketing
products
and services index which includes a product identifier, or "PROD. ID." 2020
for each
of the marketing system products and services. In addition. each of the
marketing
system products and services are assigned a corresponding rewards value 2030
and a
redemption value 2040. These values are also preferably stored in the catalog.
The
rewards value 2030 for a particular product or service may have the same or
different
value than the redemption value 2040 for that product or service.
In the preferred embodiment, a registered Client, Member, Member Plus, or
IBO is provided with an on-line order form (which can be the same as or
similar to the
form described above with respect to shopping) which allows
purchase/redemption
from the catalog. In addition. a registered Client, Member, Member Plus, or
IBO is
also provided with an on-line redemption form which also allows
purchase/redemption from the catalog. In this fashion, the user is allowed to
purchase
or redeem items from the catalog using the payment method described above or
using
points, which have been earned from previous product purchases.
Each of the on-line order form and on-line redemption form can be in the form
of the shopping basket form described above with respect to shopping and as
shown in
Fig. 10. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that any
suitable on-
line form may be used in the present invention as long as the form provides a
convenient method for allowing a registered Client, Member, Member Plus, or
IBO to
purchase products and redeem points for products. Likewise, it should be
apparent to
one of skill in the an that separate on-line forms can be used to carry out
the
purchase/redemption function or a single form can be used.
When a registered user submits a rewards exchange request for marketing
system products and services via the on-line redemption form, a redemption
value
corresponding to the marketing system products and services chosen by the
registered
Client, Member, Member Plus, and lBO is preferably subtracted from a rewards
database 2050. Rewards database 2050 is preferably maintained on the server
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computer for storing reward points 2050a corresponding to a registered Client,
Member, Member Plus, and 1BO and a type identifier 2050b. Type identifier
2050b is
preferably a value associated with one of a Client, Member, Member Plus, and
IBO.
An exemplary type identifier 2050b is a string selected from the group
consisting of
Client, Member, Member Plus, and IBO. As such, the rewards database allows the
system to keep up with the total number of rewards points accumulated by the
registered user.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, catalog 2000
includes an accrual record 2060 and a redemption record 2070. Accrual record
2060
preferably includes a product number 2060a, a type identifier 2060b, and an
accrual
value 2060c for the product number. Type identifier 2060b is preferably a
value
associated with one of a Client, Member, Member Plus, and 1BO. An exemplary
type
identifier 2060b is a string selected from the group consisting of Client,
Member,
Member Plus, and IBO. In the preferred embodiment, accrual record 2060
comprises
an accrual value 2060c for each type identifier. In this fashion, as a
registered Client,
Member, Member Plus, and IBO purchases products, he or she will accumulate
accrual values differently based upon the particular participation level.
These accrual
values are then transferred into rewards points 2050a and stored in rewards
catalog
2050.
Likewise, redemption record 2070 preferably includes a product number
2070a, a type identifier 2070b, and a redemption value 2070c for the product
number.
Type identifier 2070b is preferably a value associated with one of the Client,
Member,
Member Plus, and 1BO. An exemplary type identifier 2070b is a string selected
from
the group consisting of Client, Member, Member Plus, and IBO. In the preferred
embodiment, redemption record 2070 comprises a redemption value 2070c for each
type identifier. In this fashion, as a registered Client, Member, Member Plus,
and IBO
purchases products, he or she will use redemption values differently based
upon the
particular participation level.
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The following illustrates an exemplary' purchase and redemption as set forth
by
the present invention. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art, that
the example that follows is for illustrative purposes only and should not be
construed
to limit the present invention. A registered customer purchases a product,
which for
the sake of simplicity will be referred to herein as "product A," from the
marketing
company. Product A has an accrual value 2060c equal to, for example, 150
points for
a type corresponding to a Member. Alternatively, for example, product A can
have an
accrual value 2060c equal to 200 points for a type corresponding to a Member
Plus or
100 for type corresponding to a Client. This accrual value is added to the
rewards
points 2050a value maintained in rewards database 2050, thereby increasing the
user's
rewards points 2050a by 150 points. If the user later wishes to redeem the 150
points
for another product or service having a redemption value 2070c of 150 points
or less,
the user initiates the process as described herein above. In response,
redemption value
2070c, which may be less than or equal to 150 points, is then subtracted from
rewards
points 2050a in rewards database 2050. In an exemplary embodiment of the
present
invention, redemption value for the redeemed product, may be, for example, 150
points for a Member, 100 points for a Member Plus, and 200 points for a
Client. This
process may then be continued for subsequent purchases and/or redemptions.
"Virtual Office" Site Functionality
The "Virtual Office" site, or office page web file 2100 preferably contains
the
tools and information needed to build a successful and prosperous marketing
business.
An exemplary Virtual Office Site Map is shown in Fig. 21. The site 2100
preferably
includes a virtual office home page 2110. Office home page 2110 includes a
"What's
New Content" link 2110a, which provides links to new items within the office
page
web file and a "Virtual Office Tour" 2110b, which allows an individual to tour
the
capacities of the office page web file.
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From the virtual office home page 2110, a user can navigate to one of several
associated page web files. Exemplary associated page web files include, but
are not
limited to, a quick links page 2120a, a virtual office tour page 2120b, a "My
Business" page 2120d, an information page 2120e, and a services page 2120f.
The site 2100 provides a virtual office for Independent Business Owners and
Members Plus on the Internet. The Virtual Office provides Members Plus and
ISO's
with up-to-date business-related information as well as the tools needed to
run, plan,
and grow a successful E-Commerce business. Qualified users can find items such
as
volume information, sponsoring information, new products and services, reports
and
business support materials. Additionally, this area of the site offers
interactive
features, such as online business transactions.
As noted above, there is also a link to a business transaction service area or
"My Business" page 2120d. Preferably, page 2120d includes the following
exemplary links: rewards/incentives 2130a, my organization 2130b, PV/BV 2130c,
business information 2130d, and a Platinum Only exclusive page 2130e, which
allows
IBOs who have qualified for a Platinum level to view certain information about
their
businesses. In one embodiment, a Platinum Level is an 1130 who has met certain
qualification levels, such as but not limited to, sponsoring at least six
groups
producing at a 25% performance bonus level (see Table 1) for at least six
consecutive
months.
The PV/BV page 2130c preferably allows Independent Business Owners to
perform Point Value and Business Volume (PV/BV) transfers from one 1BO to
another or perform PV/BV inquiries about their personal group. In addition,
the IBO
can view rewards and incentives available based on product sales and business
growth
via the rewards and incentives page 2130a.
In the "My Organization" page 2130b, an IBO or Member Plus may view the
line of sponsorship including a personal group comprising at least one
individual
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selected from the group consisting of a registered Client, Member, Member
Plus, and
a second 1BO.
It is preferred that a calculator 2130f is available in the Virtual Office
site. The
calculator can be used as a demonstration tool for Independent Business Owners
to
show prospects how they can reach their own business goals. The calculator can
also
be used to determine growth needed to reach certain pin levels, growth needed
to
reach incentive trips, sales volume needed to qualify for an incentive trip,
and level of
business needed to produce certain income. Pin levels generally represent, for
example, the highest award level an IBO has attained.
The "What's New" link 2110a is preferably part of the Virtual Office home
page and highlights and provides the links to any new information in the
Virtual
Office section of the site.
The site also contains a business information area 2130d which contains
business forms, such as registration and renewal forms, that members may
access. It
is also preferred that the Virtual Office site contain suitable reports
accessible by
Members and 1BO's within the Virtual Office site. One example of such a report
is a
PV/BV status report. From the PV/BV status report, an Independent Business
Owner
can access their PV/BV monthly totals. 1BO profile information is also
available
showing a profile of the IBO's business. The IBO profile information may be
limited
by level. Independent Business Owners can also access information on their
down-
line that indicates which individuals need to renew their membership. As used
herein.
down-line refers to those IBOs who make up an individual ISO's personal group.
This group could include people the IBO personally sponsors into the marketing
system as well as IBOs that the down-line 1BOs have sponsored.
The business information link 2130d also preferably has links to several
additional areas that include forms, policies, business practice information
and tax
information. All forms are preferably available in PDF format in the download
area,
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these may include: order; deposit; financing; membership; renewal; special
order;
affiliate; bank drafts; electronic deposit forms; warehouse authorization.
The information page 2120e features several publications that include, for
example: recognition pages and product news.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the following exemplary services
2120f are made available to IBOs in the Virtual Office area:
Credit Cards - Information on the program and on-line application for
credit cards. This is preferably a direct link to a merchant bank.
Tax Audit - Information on the program providing tax audit
representation to IBO's with links to providers
In the preferred embodiment, the My Organization page 2130b, as noted
above, allows an IBO to view information regarding the IBO's line of
sponsorship
(LOS). The IBO is preferably given various options as to what information the
IBO
would like to view. Exemplary options are set forth below:
1. Flag all of my immediate down lines. including my immediate
sponsor and my immediate upline.
2. Flag down lines that have entered my organization 7 or fewer days
ago. (in one embodiment, a limit of I to 30 days is provided)
3. Flag down lines (excluding down line PD organizations) whose
renewal fee is 10 or more days late. (in one embodiment, a
limit of 1 to 90 days is provided)
4. Flag down lines with a `last name' or `member number / IBO or
IMC number' of
This information is derived from queries into a Member Summary Table
preferably
established at the server computer. Item I above allows the IBO to begin what
is
referred to as "LOS Surfing" without any filters being applied. Items 2
through 4
places a flag next to a list of down lines meeting the specified criteria. For
Platinum
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IBOs this is a list from within their direct distributorship. For other IBOs
this is a list
from their immediate down lines. As used herein, a Platinum IBO is an IBO who
has
successfully satisfied sales performance criteria and is considered the leader
of a
group of other IBOs he or she has directly sponsored, and of those who these
IBO's
have sponsored, and so on down-line.
As noted above, LOS information is derived from the Member Summary
Table. This allows an IBO to surf or navigate through their organization. An
organization is navigated one level at a time (e.g., from Platinum Distributor
to
Platinum Distributor or Member Plus to Member Plus).
Referring to Fig. 22, there is shown an example of the structure and content
of
LOS information for an IBO named "Bob" 2200. Fig. 22 shows what an exemplary
initial display of Bob's organization would look like if option 1 above was
selected on
the "My Organization" page 2130b of Fig. 21. The display shows Bob's 2200
immediate sponsor 2210, immediate upline 2220, and down lines (Jim 2230, Joe
2240
and John 2250). The phrase "upline" generally refers to, for example, but is
not
limited to, those IBOs in a line of sponsorship who were sponsored before a
particular
IBO, in this case Bob. Only if Bob selects Jim's organization, will he see
Jim's down
lines. Bob could continue to select down lines as desired.
In addition to LOS surfing, an IBO has access to information relating to the
sales of marketing system products and services to, and by, both the IBO and
the
IBO's personal group via the Virtual Office site. Again, the IBOs personal
group, like
the LOS, preferably includes at least one individual selected from the group
consisting
of a registered Member Plus, and IBO. Information that is supplied to the IBO
may
include sales of marketing system products and services to the personal group
and
sales of marketing system products and services by the personal group.
Additionally,
information relating to sales of marketing system products and services to the
IBO
and sales of marketing system products and services by the IBO can be provided
to
the IBO.
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Additionally, many IBOs prefer to view the total point values and business
volumes being generated by individuals in their personal groups. In order to
accomplish this, the present invention totals individual point values (PV)
assigned to
the marketing system products and services sold to and by one of the
registered users
to achieve a total individual point value. The invention further totals
individual
business volumes (BV) assigned to the marketing system products and services
sold
to and by one of the registered users to achieve a total individual business
volume.
The IBO can then view the total individual point value and the total
individual
business volume via the virtual office page web file.
In another embodiment, the present invention allows the IBO to view the total
PV associated with sales made by and to the IBO and the total BV associated
with
sales made by and to the IBO. As described above, the total point values for
each
product sold by and to the EBO is added to the total business volumes for each
product
sold by and to the 1BO. These values are then added together to allow the 1BO
to
view his own personal total PV and BV values.
In another embodiment, the present invention allows the EBO to view the total
PV associated with sales made by and to the IBO's personal group and the total
BV
associated with sales made by and to the ISO's personal group. As described
above,
the total point values for each product sold by and to the 1B0's personal
group is
added to the total business volumes for each product sold by and to the 1130's
personal group. These values are then added together to allow the 1B0 to view
his
personal group's total PV and BV values.
In another embodiment, the present invention adds the ISO's personal group's
total PV and BV values to those of the individual IBO to obtain a total group
PV and
a total group BV. This of course would contain all products and services sold
to and
by the IBO and sold to and by the ISO's personal group. These values are then
presented to the EBO upon the ISO's request to view his or her total group PV
and
By.
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In another embodiment, the present invention establishes a plurality of
escalating levels, wherein the escalating levels are preferably a function of
sales and
marketing products and services. For example, a level may be based on a total
volume of sales of marketing system products and services. Therefore, as more
products and services are sold, the higher the level can be attained.
Within the office page web file, as noted above, an interactive calculation
method, for example, an electronic calculator, is preferably provided. The
interactive
calculation method allows the 1130 to determine a quantity or volume of sales
needed
to reach one of the plurality of escalating levels. In a preferred embodiment,
the IBO
can use the interactive calculation method to determine a quantity or volume
of sales
needed by one of the individuals in the IBO's personal group to reach one of
the
plurality of levels. This information can then be used by the IBO to help each
of the
individuals in. the BO's personal group meet the next sales challenge and to
provide
them with the help that they need. In this fashion, each of the pieces of
information
provided by the office page web file 2100 aids the 1130 in growing the ISO's
personal
business via the E-Commerce web site of the present invention.
Customer Service Functionality
The E-Commerce Web site of the present invention also preferably provides a
variety of customer service functions in order to minimize the need for
shoppers to
make a phone call for assistance. Exemplary functions are described-
hereinafter.
In the preferred embodiment, customer service is an option from the main
navigation in the E-Commerce web site and is available in all areas associated
with
the web site. It is preferred that customer service option be available to all
visitors to
the web site.
A layout of an exemplary customer service page web file 2300 is shown in Fig.
23. In a preferred embodiment, customer service page web file includes a
plurality of
associate page web files including: a "How to use" file 2300a; an "About Us"
file
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2300b, which describes, for example, the marketing company of the present
invention; a "Placing an Order" file 2300c, which describes how to place an
order; an
"About My Order" file 2300d, which includes information about prior or
existing
orders: a "Contact Us" file 2300e, which includes contact information for the
marketing company: a "Edit Profile" file 2300f, which allows the user to edit
their
personal information which has been previously provided by the user, and a
"Forgot
Password" file 2300g, which allows the user to lookup their password in case
they
have forgotten it..
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when a user selects the
Customer Service file 2300 from within the web site, the user receives a
personal
greeting from a Virtual Customer Service Representative 2400 ("VCSR") (as can
best
be seen in Fig. 24). VCSR 2400 is preferably an image of an individual
portrayed as a
Customer Service Representative ("CSR") on a helpline. As the user selects
areas of
Customer Service to view, the same CSR will remain with the user, but new
images of
the same CSR appears. The VCSR provides the user with information and choices
while guiding them through their experience within the web site. Repeat visits
to
Customer Service preferably gives a different CSR on a rotating basis.
Exemplary choices, as shown in Fig. 24, include, accessing account
information 2405, using a searchable FAQ of common questions 2410, review the
Satisfaction Guarantee information 2420, and "Contact Us" or contact the
marketing
company 2425. These choices will be discussed in more detail below.
"Contact Us" 2425 preferably comprises of one or more e-mail contact
methods. Online e-mail forms for sending questions or requests are provided
where
appropriate. The general "Contact Us" form handles all general customer
service-
related and feedback questions in addition to requests for exchanges and
refunds of
products. In addition to e-mail communications, phone numbers and postal
addresses
for written communication are provided.
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The satisfaction guarantees accessible by the view satisfaction guarantees
link
2420 are also clearly stated at key decision making points in the ordering
process such
as viewing product information and at checkout. Procedures for returning a
product
for refund is posted in simple terms. In the United States, a pre-paid postage
label is
provided online for returning items.
The searchable Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) area 2410 is also available
for each section of the E-Commerce site. The marketing company preferably
provides
the initial list of FAQs for each section and then maintains it once users
pose
questions.
A customer is also able to pose a product usage related problem or question
and receive recommended products and instructions (e.g., "How do I get grass
stains
out of blue jeans?"). Product support spans both customer service and the
shopping
experience and is coordinated between the two functional areas.
The site can also include an online pop-up (tool-tip) help for various
functional,
membership, shopping and navigational items.
Content Managernent and Maintenance
Content management and maintenance of the E-Commerce site of the present
invention allows suitably privileged users access to management functions on
the
product catalog and merchant information database on the server computer.
Particular
areas of the site are the responsibility of the content owners regarding
ongoing
maintenance. All site content is preferably copyrighted and owned by the
marketing
company. These areas are identified to assist with resource planning.
In terms of user access, access to the content management and maintenance
will be restricted. Employees of the marketing company are able to add, delete
and
modify items in the product catalog database. The typical use of the item
management
tool is to modify item attributes such as long and short description, and item
images.
The management system tracks basic audit information such as the time, date
and user
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who made the last change to an item. Exemplary attributes include, but are not
limited to the following:
General Shopping
= Product information consists of complete and partial product
descriptions, product images in multiple sizes and translations;
= Supports multi-currency payment options;
= Product selection determined by target group. Products are flagged
according to membership type, country of origin and language;
= Deals of the week and promotions;
= Product/SKU search function across all stores, delineated by target
group;
= E-Mail alert of product specials;
= Online content and maintenance of a list of Frequently Asked
Questions;
= Cross-selling and up-selling;
= Competitive matrix of information where content exists;
= Product clusters, ability to purchase multiple products;
= Animated gifs, including multimedia demos;
= Links to other merchant sites and services;
= Content outside of product content such as order processing, e-mail
correspondence to support multilingual requirements; and
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
"My Health " Store
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= Online technical product information for physicians; and
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
"My Self' Store
= Online content for the "What's Hot" in hair and color area;
= Online content for the "What's New" area; and
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
"My Home " Store
= Online content for stain remedies for laundry and home;
= Online content for Laundry 101 feature (how to do laundry, read
labels, etc.);
= Online content for different holiday decorating tips;
= Online water safety facts organized by country zip code or postal
code;
= Online "My Home" store testimonials;
= Online content for the range of personal laundry prescriptions;
= Online content for the range of personal cleaning plans;
= Online content and product images for the range of decorating
styles;
= Online content and product images for range of interactive tabletop
options; and
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
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"Member Benefits"
= Online content needed for frequent buyer reward programs; and
= Online content needed for certificates and any sign-up benefits;
= All e-mail, features and links to services such as News, Sports,
Weather and Stock Information, support multilingual and
multinational requirements.
"Virtual Office"
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
Customer Service
= Online content for product warranties, service contracts and
registration forms;
= Online content for pop-up helps descriptions;
= Reply to online multilingual inquiries;
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements; and
= Online content and maintenance of a list of Frequently Asked
Questions.
Income options
= Online content for Sales and Marketing Plan and/or any other
business materials provided to shopper; and
= All features, static navigation images and text and links to support
multilingual requirements.
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The management system also provides an interface to create, modify and delete
product categories as well as place items in a product class hierarchy. The
management system also provides an interface to create, modify and delete
product
item shipping information. This includes being able to create, modify and
delete
shipping types and assign prices for shipping types for a given item. In
addition, for
each item, a default shipping method can be specified. This also includes
specifying
valid ship to regions for the specified items.
Use scenarios with Management Content
1. Managed content with generated pace
In this scenario, there is preferably a management template and a display
template associated with each page type. A content manager needs to open a
browser
system from his/her workstation and go to a special internal web site that is
used to
manage content associated with the web site. The content manager logs on, and
selects an operation from a list of links to include: check in-box (workflow),
and a
link to administration for each section the content manager is allowed to work
with.
(Users, groups and permissions are set up and maintained in a manager).
Administration for each content section entails adding a new content page
using a
simple data entry form or selecting an existing page from a list, pulling up
the data in
that form, and saving changes. The entire application is operating-inside a
navigation
program, such as Internet Explorer 4.x.
Behind the scenes, the workflow application and the content administration
pieces reside on a server computer. The application server component (which
displays the pages to the internet user) pulls these records off of the same
database
that the server computer is managing.
2. Content management with E-Commerce Server/ASP gage delivery
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This scenario applies to catalogs associated with one or more of the plurality
of shopping page web files. The content management for the Shopping catalogs
is
one option in the administration list. To the content manager, it does not
look any
different, and it leverages the same workflow application. However, the
process to
launch content is preferably different. Instead of using the database for the
product
information pages (product information pages encompassing any content that is
served in the Shopping application of the E-Commerce web site), the manager
manages content up to the database insertion point - the "live" content is
stored in the
Commerce product/catalog/shopping database. A customized workflow is necessary
for any section of the E-Commerce site that uses this hybrid content
management/content delivery system.
When the content manager selects to edit a content page in the catalog, the
application "pulls" the data for that record from the live database. The new
or
updated record in progress is stored in an "edits" database (a separate
database that
could be a table on the logical database on the E-Commerce SQL cluster) until
workflow is completed. Preview is enabled by bringing up the live ASP
template, and
passing parameters (these can include all information required to draw the
page in
ASP as well as a "preview" flag). The "preview" flag needs to be able to
change the
data connection, so that the page is looking to the "edits" database. Upon
"launch,"
the last step in workflow, the customized workflow application in executes an
"update" query on the live database (or table) and replaces the record.
Reporting
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There are several business reports made available to Members Plus and IBO's
within the Virtual Office site as noted above. Exemplary reports include, but
are not
limited to the following:
PV/BV Status Reports - Independent Business Owners can access their
PV/BV monthly totals and line of sponsorship of PV/BV.
IBO Profiles - IBO profile information made available showing a
profile of their business. May be limited by level.
Line of Sponsorship Information - Allows Independent Business
Owners to view down-line pertinent personal information such as
name, address and telephone number.
Internal Business Information - Allows Independent Business Owners
to view their PV/BV information and qualification information for
their internal organization.
Renewal Information for Down-line - Allows Independent Business
Owners to access information on their down-line that indicates which
individuals need to renew their membership.
There are also a number of system reports made available to Members Plus
and IBO's within the Virtual Office site. Exemplary system reports include,
but are
not limited to the following:
Order Fulfillment and System Reporting - Tracks and analyzes
shopper's interaction with the site such as popular pages, trends,
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popular deals and promotions, the path visitors take to get to popular
pages, how long they stay, where they came from.
Network Communications Configuration
Referring now to Fig. 25, there is shown one embodiment of an exemplary
implementation of a marketing company network suitable for use with the
present
invention. The company preferably hosts all Web-related services within the
firewalls
of the company. As shown in Fig. 25, a DMZ 2502 is iocated between an external
firewall 2504 and an internal firewall 2506. DMZ 2502 preferably comprises web
servers 2510 for receiving Web traffic and routing Database traffic. Servers
2512
route http traffic. Traffic is routed by internal firewall 2506 onto Internal
Network
2520. Host 2530 and internal servers 2540 also route traffic onto the Internal
Network
2520. User 2550 interfaces to the system preferably through a public network
such as
the Internet 2555.
Data may be stored according to the present invention in a variety of well-
known data sources, which can reside in mainframe, AS1400, UNIX and PC based
systems, such as host 2530. The majority of the E-Commerce transactions are
preferably transactions running on a Legacy system. The backend data sources
in host
2530, for example, reside in the following exemplary formats: IMS on the MVS
hosts,
DB2/400 on the AS/400 hosts and Sybase on the UNIX systems. The following
table
(Table 3) identifies an embodiment of intended locations of database
information
required to support an E-Commerce environment of the present invention. It
should
be apparent to one of skill in the art that the following table is exemplary
and does not
limit the present invention to the particular objects set forth below.
TABLE 3
Windows NT ES/9000 AS/400
Recurring Web Recurring Order Recurring Order
Order Management Management Management
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Web Order Tracking Order Order
Tracking Customer Tracking Customer
Service Service
E-Mail and List
Processing
Web Content
Management
Web Membership Membership Membership
Management Management Management
Promotional Pricing Promotional Pricing Promotional Pricing
Content Search
Inventory Inventory Inventory
Moreover, data is stored in a variety of data sources that reside in, for
example,
Legacy. UNIX and PC based systems. It is preferred that a majority of the E-
Commerce transactions be processed on either an IBM ES19000 and/or AS/400
Legacy system, such as host 2530. It should be apparent however that other
suitable
systems may also be employed.
Testing
To implement a system as embodied in the present invention, it should be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that an iterative testing and
deployment plan
could be useful. Exemplary testing procedures for implementing the present
invention
are discussed below. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art, however,
that other suitable devices and/or methods may be used.
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Unit Testing
The process of testing individual application components/modules. This
entails the individual programmer testing the component versus the
specification
given. This test ensures that the component operates within the specified
parameters
and is self-contained insofar as tracing and error trapping.
Integration Testing
This phase of testing is to test the interaction between the components
specified
in the design specification. All components acting independently should now
operate
smoothly within the integrated environment with respect to data integrity,
memory
usage, error handling and tracing.
Regression Testing
The process of developing a reiterative process (usually scripts) that will
test
the base functionality of a site. This ensures that changes made during
application
development do not produce further en-ors throughout the system.
Systems/QualityAssurance (QA) Testing
The process of testing a suite of application components/modules, which
constitute the complete application. This is usually described as "black-box
testing",
because Quality Assurance personnel are concerned with ensuring that the
application
behaves, as it should (i.e., the application functions according to end-user
requirements).
Stress Testing
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The process of verifying that different services will be delivered as expected
under varying loads. Microsoft offers several in-house developed tools free of
charge
for stress testing. One such tool, the Microsoft Web Capacity Analysis Tool
(WCAT)
is well-suited for testing E-Commerce configurations. The tool is used to
simulate a
variety of workload scenarios on the network, allowing a determination to be
made
regarding the best configuration for the server and network. WCAT is designed
specifically for evaluating Internet servers running Microsoft Windows NT
Server
and Microsoft Internet Information Server (US).
WCAT provides more than 40 ready-to-run workload simulations that enable
the user to test the download of various-sized pages or content from the
server at
different levels of connectivity. The tool is capable of testing Internet
server
performance using Active Server Pages (ASP), Internet Server Application
Programming Interface (ISAPI) extensions and Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
applications.
To determine the maximum possible performance of the E-Commerce sites, the
following are preferred:
= An isolated private network should be available (so as not to disrupt
normal business operations);
= The generation of enough Web clients to max out a test Web server ;
= Adequate network bandwidth (100 MBPS or better) ;
= Several network cards/connections to distribute the load ; and
= A multiprocessor database server for scalability testing (intended hardware
for database services).
Performance/Capacity Testing
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Performance/Capacity test ensures that the system is capable of meeting its
performance and capacity requirements. A performance/capacity test
specification
outlines the tests to be performed, sample data that needs to be created and
any test
software that needs to be developed.
Usability Testing
The process of verifying that users can accomplish their tasks with the
software
as well as ensuring that software meets recognized standards. As an example,
the
CSS Style Testing Tool (StyleT) performs a series of tests to ensure that the
syntax of
the Web content meets the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) Specification.
Acceptance Testing
The user organization tests the complete application against the requirements
of functional acceptance ("black-box" testing). E-Commerce brings together
very
complex business logic (different membership types, language requirements,
product
types, member profiles, content creation and distribution methods) as well as
several
layers of technology. Testing is forecasted to be one of the critical success
factors and
accordingly requires considerably more time to validate and implement the
deliverables.
Computer System
A computer system capable of carrying out the functionality described herein
is shown in more detail in Fig. 26. Computer system 2600 includes one or more
processors, such as processor 2604. Processor 2604 is connected to a
communication
bus 2606. Various software embodiments are described in terms of this
exemplary
computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a
person
skilled in the relevant an how to implement the invention using other computer
systems and/or computer architectures.
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Computer system 2600 also includes a main memory 2608, preferably random
access memory (RAM), and can also include a secondary memory 2610. Secondary
memory 2610 can include, for example, a hard disk drive 2612 and/or a
removable
storage drive 2614, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive,
an optical
disk drive, etc. Removable storage drive 2614 reads from and/or writes to a
removable storage unit 2618 in a well known manner. Removable storage unit
2618,
represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc. which is read by
and written
to by removable storage drive 2614. As will be appreciated, removable storage
unit
2618 includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer
software and/or data.
In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 2610 may include other
similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be
loaded into
computer system 2600. Such means can include, for example, a removable storage
unit 2622 and an interface 2620. Examples of such can include a program
cartridge
and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a
removable
memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and other
removable storage units 2622 and interfaces 2620 which allow software and data
to be
transferred from removable storage unit 2622 to computer system 2600.
Computer system 2600 can also include a communications interface 2624.
Communications interface 2624 allows software and data to be transferred
between
computer system 2600 and external devices. Examples of communications
interface
2624 can include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a
communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc. Software and data
transferred via
communications interface 2624 are in the form of signals 2626 that can be
electronic,
electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by
communications,
interface 2624. Signals 2626 are provided to communications interface via a
channel
2628. Channel 2628 carries signals 2626 and can be implemented using wire or
cable,
fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link and other
communications
channels.
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In this document, the terms "computer program medium" and "computer
usable medium" are used to generally refer to media such as removable storage
device
2618, a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 2612, and signals 2626. These
computer
program products are means for providing software to computer system 2600.
Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored in main
memory 2608 and/or secondary memory 2610. Computer programs can also be
received via communications interface 2624. Such computer programs, when
executed, enable computer system 2600 to perform the features of the present
invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when
executed,
enable processor 2604 to perform the features of the present invention.
Accordingly,
such computer programs represent controllers of computer system 2600.
In an embodiment where the invention is implemented using software, the
software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer
system 2600 using removable storage drive 2614, hard drive 2612 or
communications
interface 2624. The control logic (software), when executed by processor 2604,
causes processor 2604 to perform the functions of the invention as described
herein.
In another embodiment, the invention is implemented primarily in hardware
using, for example, hardware components such as application specific
integrated
circuits (ASICs). Implementation of such a hardware state machine so as to
perform
the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the
relevant art(s).
In yet another embodiment, the invention is implemented using a combination of
both
hardware and software.
Conclusion
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described
above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example
only,
and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention
should not be
limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.
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