Systems and Methods for Online Matching of Consumers and Retailers

Abstract

Systems and methods match buyers and sellers of goods and/or services online. More specifically, a website facilitates a search by consumers of retailers for goods and/or services. In addition, the website facilitates the advertising of goods and/or services by retailers. Specifically, a user of the system may search for particular products and services, and/or businesses. Interactive maps provide a user with location information of businesses and/or service providers that fit one or more criteria searched by the user. Icons may be generated on the map, whereupon users may obtain information relating to products or services searched for by selecting the icons. Further information may also be obtained relating to the businesses, service providers, products and/or services of the businesses and/or service providers. Users may select to buy particular products and/or services directly from the businesses and/or service providers, or may tag products and/or services for viewing at a later time. Moreover, users may correspond with others for recommending and/or reviewing particular products, services, businesses and/or service providers.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of providing information about a product for sale by a business comprising the steps of:
 providing an online system wherein the online system includes information relating to a plurality of businesses, each of the businesses having at least one product for sale;   accessing the system by a first business having a location and at least one product for sale;   inputting information into the system relating to the location of the business and the at least one product for sale,   wherein the system is searchable by a first user of the system and further wherein the information relating to the location of the first business is pictorially represented on the map by an icon indicating to the user the location of the first business and further wherein the user may obtain information about the business and the at least one product by selecting the icon.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the information relating to the at least one product for sale is a pictorial representation of the at least one product for sale. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the steps of:
 inputting information into the system relating to a plurality of products for sale by the first business, wherein at least one of the plurality of products is pictorially represented to the user if the at least one of the plurality of products matches at least one search parameter input by the user. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  where the plurality of products are pictorially represented to the user if each of the plurality of products matches the at least one search parameter input by the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of:
 accessing the system and changing information relating to at least one of the location of the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 having immediately available the changed information relating to at least one of the location of the first business and the at least one product for sale by the first business for searching by the first user of the system. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the steps of:
 providing an information page relating to the first business, wherein information relating to the first business and to the at least one product is displayed on the information page; and 
 accessing the information page relating to the first business by the first user, wherein the information page relating to the first business is accessed by the first user via the information about the business and the at least one product after selecting the icon. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the information about the business and the at least one product is displayed in a pop-up window after selecting the icon representing the first business on the map by the user. 
     
     
         18 - 20 . (canceled)