Method and system for providing local information over a network
A method and system is provided where a first computer (e.g., a central server) collects information to be presented to one or more users. The information is organized into a plurality of first web-sites where each of these web-sites is addressable by a unique Universal Resource Locator (URL). A physical location is associated with each of the first web-sites. One of the first web-sites may be provided to a user as a user web-site. When the user or other individual seeks to access the user web-site, links to a plurality of the first web-sites are provided based on a relationship between the physical locations associated with the first web-sites and the physical location associated with the user web-site.
1. A method of performing a transaction comprising:
collecting information at a first computer system from a merchant, said information being organized into a first web-site being addressable by a unique Universal Resource Locator (URL) and having a physical location associated therewith; and
providing said information from said merchant to a user at a second computer system if said physical location is within a local area.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a circular area having a predetermined radius from a predetermined physical location.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a political area including a predetermined physical location.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a zip-code area including a predetermined physical location.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a circular area having a radius from a predetermined physical location such that said circular area includes a threshold amount of entities.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein said entities are telephone number locations.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a square area including the physical location associated with said user's web-site.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said local area is a predetermined radius from a physical location of said second computer system.
15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
specifying a predetermined physical location by said user; and
determining said local area based on said predetermined physical location.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said user specifies said predetermined physical location at a first time, the method further comprising:
modifying said predetermined physical location by said user at a second time.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein said second computer is coupled to the Internet via a telephone connection and said local area is based on a location of said telephone connection.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.
19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
billing said merchant when providing said information from the merchant to the second computer system.