Systems, methods, and computer program products facilitating real-time transactions through the purchase of lead options

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products facilitating real-time service transactions between two or more users, including at least one client and at least one service provider. Service providers complete project profiles identifying projects they wish to work on, and clients complete project profiles identifying projects they would like to pay service providers to complete. The project profiles including identifying parameters such as the type of service or project, start date, completion date, skills required for completion, and the like. Both the clients and service providers may then purchase lead options to identify their desire for obtaining a matching user. The lead options can be a sum of money a user wishes to pay for a lead. The systems, methods and computer products then determine matching clients and service providers based upon the project profiles, and identifies to one or more lead option submitting users the immediately available users that match the project profile submitted by the user. In this manner, clients and service providers can utilize the present invention to locate immediately appropriate and available users with which to transact with.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . The method of claim  1 , wherein at least one lead option paid for by at least one user, is purchased by at least one second user.  
     
     
         20 . The method of claim  1 , wherein at least one lead option paid for by at least one service provider, is purchased by at least one second service provider.  
     
     
         21 . The method of claim  1  comprising implementing a brokering engine deployed for use by a multitude of lead marketplaces.  
     
     
         22 . The method of claim  1  comprising presenting leads to users on a different web page, or on a different screen, other than the location of where registration information is input.  
     
     
         23 . The method of claim  1  comprising brokering or negotiating or facilitating transactions between a multitude of lead marketplaces, thereby locating available service providers to perform overflow project work.  
     
     
         24 . The method of claim  1 , comprising the buying and selling of lead options in a marketplace.  
     
     
         25 . The method of claim  1 , comprising the registering of at least one service provider who desires to perform project work.  
     
     
         26 . The method of claim  1 , comprising the registering of at least one user who desires project work to be performed.  
     
     
         27 . The method of claim  1  comprising the registration of users or service providers including at least one of identification information, payment information, or a password that is stored for use to identify the registered user or service provider.  
     
     
         28 . The method of claim  1  comprising managing associated project work monetary transactions automatically according to at least one set of parameters.  
     
     
         29 . The method of claim  1 , providing a database containing at least one registered service provider who is qualified to provide a bid to perform the project work described by the at least user; wherein 
 the at least one registered and qualified service provider provides at least one documented bid to a lead for the project work the user desires to be performed;    receiving the at least one documented bid from the at least one service provider to perform the project work described by the at least one user; wherein    the at least one user and the at least one service provider agree that the service provider will perform the project work for the at least one user in exchange for a service fee; wherein    the at least one user pays the at least one service provider the service fee for performing the project work.    
     
     
         30 . The method of claim  1  comprising the user or service provider paying a transaction fee calculated to be a percentage of the service fee amount.  
     
     
         31 . The method of claim  1  comprising facilitating a real-time transaction between two or more users, wherein the two or more users comprise at least one user and at least one service provider: 
 registering a first user profile, wherein registering the first user profile identifies a first user;    receiving first project profile information from the first user, wherein the first project profile information includes at least one attribute associated with a profile describing project work in demand;    registering at least one service provider profile, wherein registering the service provider profile identifies a service provider;    receiving project profile information from the service provider, wherein the project profile information includes at least one attribute associated with at least one service provider's request to perform project work;    determining if at least one service provider is available to transact with the first user, and,    where the service provider is available to transact with the first user, matching the first user and the service provider based at least in part upon through the submission of lead option information that describes a preference for obtaining one or more matching leads.    
     
     
         32 . The method of claim  1  comprising tracking the quality of services provided of at least one project work transaction.  
     
     
         33 . The method of claim  1  comprising tracking the quality of the business conduct between service provider and user.  
     
     
         34 . The method of claim  1  comprising the tracking of reputation information of the user or the service provider.  
     
     
         35 . The method of claim  1  composing of checking the availability of at least one service provider to contact the at least one user in substantially real time after the transmission of the lead.  
     
     
         36 . The method of claim  1  composing of checking the availability of at least one user to contact the at least one service provider immediately in substantially real time after the transmission of the lead.  
     
     
         37 . The method of claim  1  composing of checking the availability of at least one service provider to perform the project work requested by the at least one user.  
     
     
         38 . The method of claim  1  composing of storing historical lead option transaction information of at least one lead option.  
     
     
         39 . The method of claim  1  comprising providing users or service providers the option to receive notification of their likelihood of receiving leads according to their project profile or lead option information.  
     
     
         40 . The method of claim  1  comprising providing information to users and service providers that display an estimate of how much time is anticipated to elapse until a lead is generated by the lead option information and project profile information provided.  
     
     
         41 . The method of claim  1  comprising providing report information that assists in estimating the likelihood that a lead option will produce leads.  
     
     
         42 . The method of claim  1  comprising increasing the effectiveness of the matching algorithm by selecting an optimum pool of potential matching users based on a numerical value representing the degree of the at least one service provider's ability to successfully transact with the at least one user.  
     
     
         43 . The method of claim  1  wherein calculating an optimized selection of potential matching service providers comprising; 
 receiving a minimum matching value representing the degree of match of service provider's project profiles with user's project profiles; and    receiving a preferred number of potential matching service providers to be selected for the function of maximum price comparing; and    receiving a step value representing an increment to add or subtract to the minimum matching value; and wherein    if the number of potential matching service providers selected is not equal to the preferred number of potential matching service providers, the minimum matching value is increased or decreased by the step value and;    the calculation of new set of potential matching service providers is performed; and    the next number of selected potential matching service providers is compared to the preferred number of selected potential matching service providers, and such calculation and selection is repeated until the number of matching potential service providers selected is optimized to be within a tolerance level of the number of preferred matching service providers; and wherein    such optimized selection of potential matching service providers is used in one or more of the steps in generating leads.    
     
     
         44 . The method of claim  1  comprising increasing the effectiveness of the matching algorithm by using organization profile information consisting of data describing the service provider's or user's size, resources, personality, quality control, or preferred business processes.  
     
     
         45 . The method of claim  1  comprising increasing the effectiveness of the matching algorithm in selecting an optimized potential pool of service providers based on mandatory project work parameters input by the user and required to be matched to the service provider's project profile information or the service provider's lead option information.  
     
     
         46 . The method of claim  1  comprising increasing the effectiveness of the matching algorithm by prioritizing the ability of the service providers to meet the at least one user's project parameters including at least of one of: user's preferred time frame to complete project, or the user's preferred cost basis, or the user's preferred quality level of workmanship.  
     
     
         47 . The method of claim  1  comprising providing to users and service providers at least one of chat rooms, voice communication service, or video communication services to enable users and service providers to communicate and negotiate transactions in substantially real time.  
     
     
         48 . The method of claim  1  comprising using an automated email process to communicate to users or service providers.  
     
     
         49 . The method of claim  1  comprising facilitating commissions for the sale or purchase or delivery of leads.  
     
     
         50 . The method of claim  1  comprising facilitating the automated splitting of transaction fees among various marketplaces.  
     
     
         51 . The method of claim  1  comprising providing to users and service providers contract assistance by providing at least one of contract templates, or contract advice, or contract storage and retrieval.  
     
     
         52 . The method of claim  1  comprising using payment information from service providers to make payments.  
     
     
         53 . The method of claim  1  comprising using payment information from users to make payments.