Systems and methods to connect people in a marketplace environment
Systems and methods to provide telephonic connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a listing on a marketplace, the listing including an assigned reference to be used to initiate a real time communication connection; and billing for a real time communication lead generated from presenting the listing in response to a real time communication initiated via the reference. In one embodiment, a method includes: conducting online auction of telephonic leads; determining a way to present listings based at least partially on received price bids on the telephonic leads (e.g., the order of placement, the selection for placement, etc); and providing the listings with information to initiate a telephonic connection in a way trackable to measure a number of telephonic calls generated from presenting the listings.
1. A method comprising:
transmitting visible content, by a server system, via a network to a first end-user device to display the visible content via a user interface, of a display device of the first end-user device prompting input specifying pricing information for one or more listings associated with a first entity;
collecting a geolocation, detected by a location device, of the first end-user device;
receiving a first transmission from the first end-user device, by the server system, to (a) identify a first price bid from the first entity for a first listing, and (b) determine a geographic area corresponding to (i) the detected geolocation of the first end-user device and (ii) a detected location associated with the first listing, of the one or more listings;
accessing a database of the server system to retrieve the first reference from a pool of unallocated references, not preassigned to a particular listing, and assigning, by the server system, the first reference to a first demand partner and a first version of the first listing;
accessing the database to retrieve the second reference from the pool of unallocated references, and assigning, by the server system, the second reference to a second demand partner and a second version of the first listing;
establishing a real time communication connection by routing, via the server system, a telephone call, via a Voice over Internet Protocol, to the first end-user device associated with the first entity in response to detecting an indication of a selection, via the user interface, of at least one of the first reference and the second reference;
transmitting via the network, by the server system, the first version of the first listing to the first demand partner, the first version of the first listing comprising the first reference, the first listing comprises information related to a first item of the first entity;
transmitting via the network by the server system the second version of the first listing to the second demand partner; and
after a first predetermined time period that is based on a first time corresponding to the transmitting the first version of the first listing, changing, by the server system, an assignment of the first reference stored in the database so that the first reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after a second predetermined time period that is based on a second time corresponding to the transmitting the second version of the first listing, changing by the server system an assignment of the second reference stored in the database such that the second reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the real time communication comprises a telephonic lead.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first price bid is for a telephonic lead to be generated from presenting information on behalf of the first entity.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
presenting second information related to a second item of a second entity, the second information of the second entity comprising information to request a telephonic connection to the second entity.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second information of the second entity comprises no direct telephonic contact information of the second entity; and the method further comprises:
receiving from a second customer a request for the telephonic connection to the second entity; and
according to a schedule of the second entity, establishing the telephonic connection between the second customer and the second entity through making separate connections to the second customer and the second entity and joining the separate connections.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first item of the first entity comprises at least one of a product or a service.
8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
billing the first entity according to a measurement of a number of telephonic calls initiated via the first reference.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first reference comprises a telephone number of a server and the telephone number is assigned to the first entity; the method further comprising:
receiving a telephonic call from a second customer, by the server, at the telephone number;
establishing a telephonic connection to the first entity by making a separate telephonic call to the first entity; and
bridging the telephonic call from the second customer with the telephone connection to the first entity to connect the second customer and the first entity.
10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining a way to present information on behalf of the first entity based at least partially on the first price bid.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the way to present information comprises determining an order of placement of first information to be presented on behalf of the first entity relative to placement of second information to be presented on behalf of a second entity, based at least partially on the first price bid and a second price bid of the second entity.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
performing a search to determine a result comprising the first information to be presented on behalf of the first entity.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the search is based at least partially on user specified search criteria on a geographical area.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the way to present information comprises selecting information to be presented at an advertisement location based at least partially on the first price bid and a second price bid of the second entity.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing information to initiate a first telephonic connection to the first entity in the way determined for presentation on behalf of the first entity.
16. A non-transitory machine readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by a server system, cause the server system to:
transmit visible content via a network to a first end-user device to display the content via a user interface, of a display device of the first end-user device, prompting with an application to prompt input specifying pricing information for one or more listings associated with a first entity;
collect a geolocation, detected by a location device, of the first end-user device;
receive a first transmission from the first end-user device by the server system to (a) identify a first price bid from the first seller for a first listing, and (b) determine a geographic area corresponding to (i) the detected geolocation of the first end-user device and (ii) a detected location associated with the first listing, of the one or more listings;
access a database of the server system to retrieve a first reference from a pool of unallocated references, not preassigned to a particular listing, and assign the first reference to a first demand partner and a first version of the first listing;
access the database to retrieve a second reference from the pool of unallocated references, and assign the second reference to a second demand partner and a second version of the first listing;
establish a real time communication connection by routing a telephone call, via a Voice over Internet Protocol, to the first end-user device associated with the first seller in response to detecting an indication of a selection, via the user interface, of at least one of the first reference and the second reference;
transmit via the network by the server system the first version of the first listing to the first demand partner, the first version of the first listing comprising the first reference, and the first listing comprises information related to a first item of the first entity;
transmit via the network, by the server system, the second version of the first listing to the second demand partner; and
after a first predetermined time period that is based on a first time corresponding to the transmitting the first listing, changing by the server system an assignment of the first reference stored in the database such that the first reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.
17. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the server system, further causes the server system to:
after a second predetermined time period that is based on a second time corresponding to the transmitting the second version of the first listing, changing by the server system an assignment of the second reference stored in the database such that the second reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.
18. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the server system, further causes the server system to:
present second information related to a second item of a second entity, the second information of the second entity comprising information to request a telephonic connection to the second entity.
19. A server system comprising:
one or more servers comprising memory storing instructions; and
at least one processor of the one or more servers coupled to the memory, the processor to execute the instructions to cause the server system to:
transmit visible content via a network to a first end-user device to display the content via a user interface, of a display device of the first end-user device, prompting with an application to prompt input specifying pricing information for one or more listings associated with a first entity;
collect a geolocation, detected by a location device, of the first end-user device;
receive a first transmission from the first end-user device to (a) identify a first price bid from the first seller for a first listing, and (b) determine a geographic area corresponding to (i) the detected geolocation of the first end-user device and (ii) a detected location associated with the first listing, of the one or more listings;
access a database of the server system to retrieve a first reference from a pool of unallocated references, not preassigned to a particular listing, and assign the first reference to a first demand partner and a first version of the first listing;
access the database to retrieve a second reference from the pool of unallocated references, and assign the second reference to a second demand partner and a second version of the first listing;
establish a real time communication connection by routing a telephone call, via a Voice over Internet Protocol, to the first end-user device associated with the first seller in response to detecting an indication of a selection, via the user interface, of at least one of the first reference and the second reference;
transmit, via the network, the first version of the first listing to the first demand partner, the first version of the first listing including the first reference, and the first listing comprises information related to a first item of the first entity;
transmit, via the network, the second version of the first listing to the second demand partner; and
after a first predetermined time period that is based on a first time corresponding to the transmitting the first listing, changing an assignment of the first reference stored in the database such that the first reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.
20. The server system of claim 19 , wherein the processor of the one or more servers further executes the instructions to cause the server system to:
after a second predetermined time period that is based on a second time corresponding to the transmitting the second version of the first listing, changing by the server system an assignment of the second reference stored in the database such that the second reference is recycled into the pool of unallocated references for subsequent reassigning to another entity.