Guided purchasing via smartphone

1. A computer-implemented method to guide purchasing via a user device, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, post-purchase consumer satisfaction information indicative of consumer satisfaction related to a process for purchasing a given product, the post- purchase consumer satisfaction information having been gathered from a plurality of consumers whom have completed the process for purchasing the given product;

determining, by the computing system, a plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product;

generating, by the computing system and using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, a task sequence for the identified plurality of tasks, the task sequence defining a specified order for the identified plurality of tasks determined using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information;

receiving, by the computing system, from a user device, and after having received the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, an indication that a user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product;

presenting, by the computing system via the user device and in response to receiving the indication that the user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product, the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks, each of the plurality of tasks being presented sequentially based on the user device's current state with respect to the task sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system via the user device, an indication that a task in the task sequence is complete;

updating, by the computing system, the user device's current state in the task sequence; and

identifying, by the computing system, a next uncompleted task from the task sequence based on the user device's updated state in the task sequence;

presenting, by the computing system via the user device, a notification indicating the next uncompleted task from the task sequence along with instructions for completing the next uncompleted task from the task sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tasks includes: (i) a task for choosing a product type, (ii) a task for choosing one or more product features, (iii) a task for choosing a product model, and (iv) a task for choosing a merchant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each task in the plurality of tasks is identified by the computing system as tasks that can be completed via a mobile computing device within a specified period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the intent to purchase comprises a deadline, and each task in the plurality of tasks is characterized by a time allocation, and

presenting the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks comprises presenting, for each task in the plurality of tasks, a deadline to complete a next uncompleted task as a function of a percentage of time allocated to the next uncompleted task along a critical path of the task sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks includes transmitting, by the computing system for each task in the plurality of tasks, an SMS message to the user device, the SMS message indicating a next uncompleted task according to the determined order for the tasks, wherein the SMS message is transmitted by the computing system in response to completion of the previous task according to the determined order for the tasks.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intent to purchase the given product is characterized by a deadline, and wherein determining plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product includes identifying sets of tasks that can collectively reasonably be completed by the deadline.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

querying, by the computing system and via the user device, the user to indicate a budget to associate with the intent to purchase the given product;

receiving, by computing system and in response to querying the user, information indicating a budget to associate with the intent to purchase the given product; and

associating, by the computing system, the budget with the intent to purchase the given product;

wherein determining the plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product includes identifying a set of tasks from a plurality of sets of tasks based on the budget associated with the intent to purchase the given product.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving post-purchase consumer satisfaction information indicative of consumer satisfaction related to a process for purchasing a given product, the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information having been gathered from a plurality of consumers whom have completed the process for purchasing the given product;

determining a plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product;

generating, using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, a task sequence for the identified plurality of tasks, the task sequence defining a specified order for the identified plurality of tasks determined using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information;

receiving, from a user device and after having received the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, an indication that a user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product;

presenting, via the user device and in response to receiving the indication that the user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product, the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks, each of the plurality of tasks being presented sequentially based on the user device's current state with respect to the task sequence.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system via the user device, an indication that a task in the task sequence is complete;

updating, by the computing system, the user device's current state in the task sequence; and

identifying, by the computing system, a next uncompleted task from the task sequence based on the user device's updated state in the task sequence;

presenting, by the computing system via the user device, a notification indicating the next uncompleted task from the task sequence along with instructions for completing the next uncompleted task from the task sequence.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tasks includes: (i) a task for choosing a product type, (ii) a task for choosing one or more product features, (iii) a task for choosing a product model, and (iv) a task for choosing a merchant.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein each task in the plurality of tasks is identified by the computing system as tasks that can be completed via a mobile computing device within a specified period of time.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein:

the intent to purchase comprises a deadline, and each task in the plurality of tasks is characterized by a time allocation, and presenting the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks comprises presenting, for each task in the plurality of tasks, a deadline to complete a next uncompleted task as a function of a percentage of time allocated to the next uncompleted task along a critical path of the task sequence.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein presenting the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks includes transmitting, by the computing system for each task in the plurality of tasks, an SMS message to the user device, the SMS message indicating a next uncompleted task according to the determined order for the tasks, wherein the SMS message is transmitted by the computing system in response to completion of the previous task according to the determined order for the tasks.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the intent to purchase the given product is characterized by a deadline, and wherein determining plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product includes identifying sets of tasks that can collectively reasonably be completed by the deadline.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

querying, by the computing system and via the user device, the user to indicate a budget to associate with the intent to purchase the given product;

receiving, by computing system and in response to querying the user, information indicating a budget to associate with the intent to purchase the given product; and

associating, by the computing system, the budget with the intent to purchase the given product;

wherein determining the plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product includes identifying a set of tasks from a plurality of sets of tasks based on the budget associated with the intent to purchase the given product.

17. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

computer readable storage containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving post-purchase consumer satisfaction information indicative of consumer satisfaction related to a process for purchasing a given product, the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information having been gathered from a plurality of consumers whom have completed the process for purchasing the given product;

determining a plurality of tasks required to purchase the given product;

generating, using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, a task sequence for the identified plurality of tasks, the task sequence defining a specified order for the identified plurality of tasks determined using the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information;

receiving, from a user device and after having received the post-purchase consumer satisfaction information, an indication that a user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product;

presenting, via the user device and in response to receiving the indication that the user of the user device has indicated an intent to purchase the given product, the plurality of tasks according to the determined order for the tasks, each of the plurality of tasks being presented sequentially based on the user device's current state with respect to the task sequence.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system via the user device, an indication that a task in the task sequence is complete;

updating, by the computing system, the user device's current state in the task sequence; and

identifying, by the computing system, a next uncompleted task from the task sequence based on the user device's updated state in the task sequence;

presenting, by the computing system via the user device, a notification indicating the next uncompleted task from the task sequence along with instructions for completing the next uncompleted task from the task sequence.

19. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of tasks includes: (i) a task for choosing a product type, (ii) a task for choosing one or more product features, (iii) a task for choosing a product model, and (iv) a task for choosing a merchant.

20. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein each task in the plurality of tasks is identified by the computing system as tasks that can be completed via a mobile computing device within a specified period of time.