Method for supporting EC supply overseas, program therefor, or support server

Abstract

To provide a support method capable of supporting EC supply overseas, facilitating delivery overseas, and promoting a cross-over EC.SOLUTION: A method for supporting EC supply overseas includes: a step in which a support server 100 transmits display information of at least one product included in product information for an existing EC site toward a user terminal 120 of a user (S201); and a step in which the support server 100 receives a notification indicating that the displayed product has been selected from the user terminal 120 (S202). The method can further include: a step in which the support server 100 transmits a cost for purchasing the selected product toward the user terminal 120 (S203); and a step in which the support server 100 receives a notification indicating that the selected product will be purchased from the user terminal 120 (S204).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support method for supporting the provision of electronic commerce (EC) overseas, a program therefor, or a support server. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the rapid spread of the Internet and smartphones has made it possible to access a wide range of information borderlessly across national borders. There are many websites from which information can be obtained, but there has also been an increase in overseas access to websites that offer e-commerce (e-commerce sites). Depending on the e-commerce site, even if it does not offer content in foreign languages, a certain percentage of its accesses come from overseas. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, unlike websites whose purpose is to disseminate information, e-commerce sites cannot achieve their purpose without completing payment and delivery, which is an obstacle to globalization. Overseas delivery in particular poses various challenges.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, which facilitates overseas delivery and promotes cross-border e-commerce.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a program for causing a computer to execute the support method, and to provide a support server for supporting the provision of EC overseas, which is configured by executing the program. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that it includes the steps of: sending display information of at least one product included in first product information for a first e-commerce site to a user terminal of an overseas user; receiving a notification from the user terminal that one or more displayed products have been selected; sending the purchase cost of the selected one or more products to the user terminal; and receiving a notification that the selected one or more products will be purchased.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the first aspect, the first product information is acquired from a first server on which the first EC site is provided.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the second aspect, the first product information is acquired from the first server using an API.

[0009] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second or third aspect, the display information has a transition button for transitioning to an EC site provided on the first server.

[0010] Furthermore, a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, it includes a step of selecting purchasable products from among the multiple products included in the first product information.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the selection includes not displaying on the user terminal any products that the overseas user cannot import.

[0012] Furthermore, a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the selection includes making it impossible for the overseas user to select products that cannot be imported on the user terminal.

[0013] An eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the selection includes, after receiving notification that the overseas user has selected a product with import restrictions, notifying the user terminal that the selected product is subject to import restrictions.

[0014] A ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the selection includes, after receiving the notification of purchase, notifying the user terminal that the selected product is subject to import restrictions.

[0015] A tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, the selection is performed according to the country in which the overseas user's delivery address is located.

[0016] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the tenth aspect, characterized in that the selection is performed by referring to an import restriction table that associates country names with import-restricted items.

[0017] Furthermore, a twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the tenth or eleventh aspect, it includes a step in which the overseas user inputs the delivery address or the country of location before the sorting.

[0018] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the twelfth aspect, the delivery address or the country of location is input at the time of user registration.

[0019] A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the tenth or eleventh aspect, it further comprises a step of guessing the country in which the delivery address is located before the sorting.

[0020] Furthermore, the 15th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 14th aspect, the estimation is made based on an IP address assigned to the user terminal.

[0021] Furthermore, a 16th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 1st to 15th aspects, it includes a step of transmitting display information of at least one product included in second product information for a second e-commerce EC site to the user terminal of the overseas user.

[0022] Furthermore, the 17th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the 16th aspect, the second product information is obtained from a second server different from the first server on which the second EC site is provided.

[0023] Furthermore, the 18th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the 16th or 17th aspect, the unit price of one or more products included in the first product information is different from the unit price of one or more products included in the second product information.

[0024] Furthermore, a 19th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 18th aspects, the display information is configured so that, when there is an overlap between a product included in the first product information and a product included in the second product information, only the cheaper product is displayed or the cheaper product is displayed preferentially.

[0025] Furthermore, a 20th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 16th to 19th aspects, a category is assigned to each of the multiple products included in the first product information and the multiple products included in the second product information, and the display information can be displayed on the user terminal for each category.

[0026] Furthermore, a 21st aspect of the present invention, in the 20th aspect, is characterized in that a subdomain or subdirectory for each category is assigned to the display information.

[0027] A 22nd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 20th or 21st aspect, the category includes an EC site.

[0028] A 23rd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 20th to 22nd aspects, the category includes an amount.

[0029] A 24th aspect of the present invention is any one of the 20th to 23rd aspects, characterized in that the category includes a region.

[0030] Furthermore, a 25th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 20th to 24th aspects, the categories include categories used according to the attributes of the overseas users.

[0031] Furthermore, a 26th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 20th to 25th aspects, the category includes a country or region where the delivery address is located.

[0032] Furthermore, a 27th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 20th to 26th aspects, the categories include a language used.

[0033] Furthermore, the 28th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 20th to 27th aspects, the categories include a combination of a plurality of categories.

[0034] Furthermore, the 29th aspect of the present invention is the 28th aspect, characterized in that the combination is determined based on a purchase history.

[0035] Furthermore, a 30th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 29th aspect, the purchase history includes the purchase history of one or more users other than the overseas user who have a delivery address in the country where the overseas user is located.

[0036] A 31st aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 28th aspect, the combination includes a combination of region, product category, and price.

[0037] Furthermore, a 32nd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 20th to 31st aspects, it includes a step of machine translating display information of a page that is not the top page of the display for each category into the language used by the overseas user.

[0038] Furthermore, the 33rd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the 32nd aspect, only a part of the top page is machine translated.

[0039] A 34th aspect of the present invention is the 32nd aspect, characterized in that none of the top pages are machine translated.

[0040] Furthermore, a 35th aspect of the present invention, in any one of the 1st to 34th aspects, is characterized in that said display information can be displayed in a language used by said overseas user.

[0041] Furthermore, a 36th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 35th aspect, it further comprises a step in which the overseas user inputs the language used before transmitting the display information.

[0042] Furthermore, a 37th aspect of the present invention, in the 35th aspect, is characterized in that it further comprises a step of guessing the language used before transmitting the display information.

[0043] Furthermore, a 38th aspect of the present invention is the 37th aspect, characterized in that the inference uses a language setting of a web browser on the user terminal.

[0044] Furthermore, a 39th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 35th to 38th aspects, the display information adjusts at least one of the recommended products, the amount of animation, and the background color depending on the language used.

[0045] Furthermore, the 40th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 1st to 39th aspects, it further includes a step of transmitting and displaying available delivery methods for the selected one or more products to the user terminal.

[0046] Furthermore, a 41st aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 40th aspect, the available delivery methods are transmitted in response to receiving the notification of the purchase.

[0047] Furthermore, the 42nd aspect of the present invention, in any one of the 1st to 41st aspects, is characterized in that the purchase cost includes the price of the selected one or more products.

[0048] Furthermore, the 43rd aspect of the present invention, in the 42nd aspect, is characterized in that the purchase cost includes a delivery cost for the selected one or more products.

[0049] Furthermore, a 44th aspect of the present invention, in the 43rd aspect, is characterized in that the delivery cost varies depending on the country in which the delivery address is located.

[0050] Furthermore, the 45th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 43rd or 44th aspect, the delivery cost is calculated based on at least one of weight, size, delivery company, and delivery method.

[0051] Furthermore, a 46th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 43rd to 45th aspects, the delivery fee is transmitted to the user terminal together with the price of the selected one or more products.

[0052] Furthermore, a 47th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 46th aspect, the product information includes at least one of weight or size for each product, and the delivery cost is estimated based on at least one of the total weight or total size of the selected one or more products.

[0053] Furthermore, a 48th aspect of the present invention is any one of the 43rd to 45th aspects, characterized in that the delivery fee is transmitted to the user terminal separately from the price.

[0054] Furthermore, a 49th aspect of the present invention, in any one of the 43rd to 48th aspects, is characterized in that the purchase cost is expressed in the currency of the country in which the delivery address is located.

[0055] Furthermore, the 50th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the 1st to 49th aspects, the user terminal is a mobile terminal.

[0056] Furthermore, the 51st aspect of the present invention, in any one of the 1st to 49th aspects, is characterized in that the user terminal is a PC.

[0057] In addition, a 52nd aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that the support method includes the steps of sending display information of at least one product included in first product information for a first e-commerce site to a user terminal of an overseas user, receiving a notification from the user terminal that one or more displayed products have been selected, sending the purchase cost of the selected one or more products to the user terminal, and receiving a notification that the selected one or more products will be purchased.

[0058] In addition, a 53rd aspect of the present invention is a support server for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, comprising a transmitting unit that transmits display information of at least one product included in first product information for a first e-commerce site to a user terminal of an overseas user, and a receiving unit that receives a notification from the user terminal that one or more displayed products have been selected, wherein the transmitting unit transmits and displays the purchase cost of the selected one or more products to the user terminal, and the receiving unit receives a notification that the selected one or more products will be purchased.

[0059] In addition, a 54th aspect of the present invention is a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that it includes a step of transferring a web browser of a user terminal of an overseas user from a first e-commerce site to a website provided on a support server of the 53rd aspect that handles first product information of the first e-commerce site.

[0060] Furthermore, a 55th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 54th aspect, the forwarding is performed after a pop-up screen is displayed to the overseas user indicating that overseas delivery is possible.

[0061] Furthermore, a 56th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 54th aspect, the transfer is performed after the overseas user inputs or selects the country of their location on a pop-up screen.

[0062] Furthermore, the 57th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 54th aspect, the transfer is carried out by the overseas user clicking or tapping on a part of a banner placed at the top or bottom of the webpage of the first EC site.

[0063] Furthermore, the 58th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 54th aspect, the transfer is performed by clicking or tapping on a part of a message in a chat window provided on the web page of the first EC site.

[0064] Furthermore, a 59th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 58th aspect, the overseas user's response to the question displayed in the chat window is used when making a purchase on the website to which the user is forwarded.

[0065] Furthermore, the 60th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 54th to 59th aspects, the web page of the first EC site is a web page associated with a certain product, and the web page to which the user is forwarded is a page for notifying the support server of the intention to purchase the certain product.

[0066] Furthermore, the 61st aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 54th to 60th aspects, it further includes a step of determining the country of the delivery address of the overseas user, and if the result of the determination is that the country is included in the countries for which delivery is not possible on the first EC site, the forwarding is performed.

[0067] Furthermore, the 62nd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the 61st aspect, the transfer is not performed if the country of location is included in the countries for which sales are not permitted on the first EC site.

[0068] Furthermore, the 63rd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 54th to 60th aspects, it further includes a step of determining the country of the delivery address of the overseas user, and if the result of the determination is that the country is included in the countries for which delivery is possible on the first EC site, the forwarding is not performed.

[0069] Furthermore, the 64th aspect of the present invention, in any one of the 61st to 63rd aspects, is characterized in that said determination is made based on an IP address assigned to said user terminal.

[0070] Furthermore, a 65th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 61st to 64th aspects, one or more products are recommended for display on the user terminal based on the access history of one or more other users from the same country as the country in which the overseas user is located to the website.

[0071] Furthermore, the 66th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 61st to 64th aspects, one or more products to be displayed on the user terminal are recommended based on the access history of one or more other users from the same country as the country in which the overseas user is located to the first EC site.

[0072] Furthermore, the 67th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 61st to 64th aspects, one or more products are recommended for display on the user terminal based on the access history of one or more users from the target country of the first EC site to the first EC site.

[0073] In addition, a 68th aspect of the present invention is a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that it includes the steps of receiving a first URL entered on a generation page for generating an order page displayed on a user terminal, obtaining the product name and price of the product associated with the product page as product information from the product page indicated by the first URL, generating the order page for ordering a proxy purchase of the product from a support server for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas based on the obtained product information, and determining a second URL which is the URL of the order page.

[0074] Furthermore, the 69th aspect of the present invention, in the 68th aspect, is characterized in that the second URL is displayed on the generated page.

[0075] Furthermore, the 70th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the 68th or 69th aspect, the product information further includes at least one of the inventory of the product, a product description, and the weight or size of the product.

[0076] Furthermore, the 71st aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of the 68th to 70th aspects, the generated page includes a country field for inputting or selecting the delivery address or country of the person placing the order.

[0077] Furthermore, a 72nd aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the 71st aspect, if the product cannot be delivered to the delivery address or its country, the order page is not generated.

[0078] In addition, a 73rd aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that the support method includes the steps of receiving a first URL entered on a generation page for generating an order page displayed on a user terminal, obtaining the product name and price of the product associated with the product page as product information from the product page indicated by the first URL, generating the order page based on the obtained product information to order a proxy purchase of the product from a support server for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, and determining a second URL which is the URL of the order page.

[0079] Furthermore, a 74th aspect of the present invention is a support device for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, comprising a receiving unit that receives a first URL entered on a generation page for generating an order page displayed on a user terminal, and a processing unit that determines a second URL that is the URL of the order page, wherein the processing unit obtains, from the product page indicated by the first URL, the product name and price of the product associated with the product page as product information, and generates the order page for receiving an order for proxy purchasing of the product based on the obtained product information.

[0080] In addition, a 75th aspect of the present invention is a support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas, characterized in that it includes the steps of receiving a first URL of a web page displayed on a user terminal, obtaining product information, from the product page indicated by the first URL, the product name and price of the product associated with the product page, generating an order page for ordering a proxy purchase of the product to a support server for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas based on the obtained product information, determining a second URL which is the URL of the order page, and transferring the user terminal to the order page. [Effects of the Invention]

[0081] According to one aspect of the present invention, overseas users do not purchase products directly from the e-commerce site, but instead select products on a website provided by a support server that supports the provision of e-commerce services overseas, and the operator of the support server purchases the products on their behalf. By adopting this configuration, various problems that have arisen in overseas delivery can be alleviated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0082] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of a support server for supporting the provision of EC overseas according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a support method for supporting the provision of EC overseas according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display (product name, purchase price, delivery fee, "Checkout" button, etc.) for checking the contents of a shopping cart on a website provided by a support server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a categorized display of websites provided by a support server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up screen for transferring from an EC site that does not support overseas delivery according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a web banner for redirecting from an e-commerce site that does not support overseas delivery according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a chat window for transferring from an e-commerce site that does not support overseas delivery according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a URL generation page for an order page for a support server for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process for generating a URL for an order page for a support server for supporting overseas e-commerce provision according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0083] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments can be combined with each other as appropriate. (Basic configuration of the present invention)

[0084] FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of a support server for supporting the provision of EC overseas according to the present invention.

[0085] The support server 100 includes a processing unit 101 such as a CPU, a communication unit 102 for communicating with other computers on a computer network, and a storage unit 103 for storing information used in the processing in the processing unit 101.

[0086] The storage unit 103 stores product information (corresponding to "first product information") for an existing EC site (corresponding to "first EC site"). The product information includes the product name, price, etc. for each product. The product information can be product information provided by the EC site and stored in the storage unit 103, or it can be obtained via the communication unit 102 from the server 110 (corresponding to "first server") on which the EC site is provided using an API provided by the EC site and stored in the storage unit 103. The EC site can also be scraped and stored in the storage unit 103.

[0087] The product information may be stored in part or in whole in a product information database (not shown) that can communicate with the support server 100, instead of in the storage unit 103.

[0088] The processing unit 101 generates display information for displaying at least one product included in the acquired product information on a display screen, and transmits the display information to the user terminal 120 of the overseas user via the communication unit 102.

[0089] The display information may be an HTML file that can be displayed in a web browser. If the user terminal 120 is not a PC but a smartphone, tablet, or the like, the display information may be displayed by a mobile application installed on the user terminal 120. The display information may also be displayed on the display screen of a wireless terminal (not shown) such as an IoT device connected to an IP network such as the Internet, for example, by displaying predetermined products or buttons for purchasing the products. The display information may also include transition buttons for transitioning to existing e-commerce sites, appropriately associated with each product.

[0090] The display information may include information for the support server 100 to receive product photos from overseas users and display one or more identical or similar products determined through image analysis of the received photos on the display screen. This makes it significantly easier for overseas users to purchase products that they have seen in magazines, websites, etc. and become interested in.

[0091] The overseas user selects the product he or she wishes to purchase from at least one product displayed on the user terminal 120, confirms the purchase cost, and transmits a notification of purchase to the support server 100.

[0092] The operator of the support server 100, who has received a notification of purchase of one or more products, acquires the one or more products from the EC site on behalf of the overseas user using the operator's own delivery address. The operator inspects the one or more delivered products, packages them, and ships them to the overseas user.

[0093] Conventionally, there are services that allow overseas users to make purchases on e-commerce sites that do not support overseas delivery by assigning a shipping address to the overseas user for purchases and having the delivered products delivered to the overseas user. In the cross-border e-commerce support service provided using the present invention, overseas users do not purchase directly from the e-commerce site, but instead select products on a website provided by support server 100 that supports the provision of e-commerce overseas, and the operator of support server 100 obtains the products on their behalf.

[0094] By adopting such a configuration, the present invention can alleviate various problems that arise in overseas deliveries.

[0095] The support method for supporting the provision of e-commerce overseas according to the present invention includes a step (S201) in which the support server 100 sends display information of at least one product included in product information for an existing e-commerce site to the user terminal 120 of an overseas user, and a step (S202) in which the support server 100 receives a notification from the user terminal 120 that the displayed product has been selected, and can further include a step (S203) in which the support server 100 sends the purchase cost of the selected product to the user terminal 120, and a step (S204) in which the support server 100 receives a notification from the user terminal 120 that the selected product will be purchased.

[0096] The support server 100 has functions corresponding to each process by executing a program for causing a computer to execute the support method in the support server 100. For example, the communication unit 102 functions as a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.

[0097] It should be noted that, as used herein, a "server" may consist of a single server or multiple servers that can communicate with each other over a computer network, and that a "program" executed on the server may include one or multiple programs executed on one or multiple servers. (Import Restrictions)

[0098] In traditional services that assign shipping addresses for purchases to overseas users, e-commerce sites may end up selling products that should not be sold, because the overseas users appear to be domestic e-commerce site users. For example, there are prohibited items such as reptile leather products, the import and export of which is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and items such as pharmaceuticals that are subject to quantity restrictions on import. For such products, operators of traditional services may discover problems when inspecting the delivered products and notify overseas users that they cannot be shipped.

[0099] The support method according to this embodiment further includes a step of selecting purchasable products from among the products included in the product information. The selection can prevent overseas users from displaying products that cannot be imported on the user terminal 120. For example, before transmitting product information, it is possible to determine which products are not importable or have import restrictions and exclude them from the product information transmitted to the user terminal 120, or to include them in the product information transmitted to the user terminal 120 but not display them on the user terminal 120. It is also possible to prevent overseas users from selecting products that cannot be imported on the user terminal 120. After receiving a notification that an overseas user has selected a product with import restrictions, it is also possible to notify the user terminal 120 that the selected product has import restrictions. After receiving a notification from the user terminal 120 that the selected product has import restrictions, it is also possible to notify the user terminal 120 that the selected product has import restrictions.

[0100] The selection can be performed based on the country of the overseas user's shipping address. For example, the selection can be performed by referring to an import restriction table that associates country names with import-restricted items. Import-restricted items include prohibited items that overseas users cannot import, and items with quantity restrictions on import for overseas users. The import restriction table can be generated using machine learning based on the user's purchase history.

[0101] The delivery address can be obtained by having the user enter their name, address including country, language, email address, etc. as part of user registration before selection. At least the name and address can be required. Also, the user may be requested to enter a delivery address in response to receiving a notification that a displayed product has been selected. Also, the user may be requested to enter a delivery address in response to receiving a notification that a purchase is to be made. Also, instead of the delivery address, only the country in which the delivery address is located may be required to be entered.

[0102] The country of the delivery address may be inferred or determined before the sorting process, based on the IP address assigned to the user terminal 120. If the user terminal 120 is a mobile terminal, the country of the delivery address may be inferred or determined based on GPS location information or wireless communication base station location information.

[0103] As described above, by selecting items that are restricted from import, the burden on the operator of the support server 100 of discovering restricted import items during inspection and having to coordinate with overseas users regarding how to deal with the situation is reduced. (Multiple e-commerce sites)

[0104] One of the problems with shipping overseas is the shipping costs. Especially on e-commerce sites with low unit prices, shipping costs can take up a large proportion of the total purchase, and in many cases customers do not even make a purchase. Because shipping costs are high when shipping overseas, many e-commerce sites face this problem.

[0105] The support method of this embodiment allows you to purchase products offered on multiple EC sites in bulk, which makes it possible to have them shipped together with products from EC sites with higher average unit prices, thereby relatively reducing shipping costs.

[0106] Specifically, the storage unit 103 or the product information database of the support server 100 can store product information (corresponding to "second product information") for a second EC site (corresponding to "second EC site"), similar to the first EC site. This product information can be acquired from a server (not shown) (corresponding to "second server") that provides the second EC site and is different from the server that provides the first EC site.

[0107] The processing unit 101 generates display information for displaying at least one product included in the acquired product information on a display screen, and transmits the display information to the user terminal 120 of the overseas user via the communication unit 102. The display information can simultaneously display one or more products included in the first product information and one or more products included in the second product information.

[0108] The overseas user can select the desired product from at least one product displayed on the user terminal 120, add it to the shopping cart, and continue selecting the products they wish to purchase, including the products offered on the first EC site (see Figure 3). After completing the selection, the overseas user can click or tap a "Pay" button or the like to send a notification of purchase to the support server 100.

[0109] Furthermore, when there are overlapping products included in multiple product information, the display information can be configured to display only the cheaper product or to display the cheaper product preferentially. This can prevent the screen from becoming cluttered due to the display of multiple identical products from multiple e-commerce sites. (View by category)

[0110] In the support method according to this embodiment, a category is assigned to each of a plurality of products included in a plurality of EC sites, and each category can be displayed on the user terminal 120. This makes it easier for overseas users to find multiple products they wish to purchase. In particular, it makes it easier to purchase products offered on multiple EC sites at once, regardless of the boundaries between the EC sites.

[0111] A subdomain or subdirectory can be assigned for each category to the display information sent to the user terminal 120. Specifically, if there is a category called "category 1" and the overall top page of websites provided on the support server 100 is "http: / / www.xxxx.com / ", a subdomain or subdirectory such as "http: / / category 1.xxxx.com / " or "http: / / www.xxxx.com / category 1 / " can be used.

[0112] Categories include e-commerce sites, prices, regions, product categories, etc. Products can be displayed by the e-commerce site from which the product information was obtained, by setting a minimum, maximum, or range for the price, by region such as Hokkaido specialties, or by product category such as food and beverages such as sweets. Figure 4 shows an example of displaying products by the regional category "Made in Japan."

[0113] Categories also include categories used according to the user's attributes, such as gender and age. For example, for women, fashion can be used as a category to display. A user's attributes can be determined based on the information entered during user registration. Categories can also be displayed based on the country or region (city, etc.) where the user's delivery address is located, the language used, nationality, etc.

[0114] The category can also be a combination of multiple categories. For example, a combination of region, product category, and price, such as "Hokkaido sweets for 5,000 yen," or a combination of country of location and language, such as "Chinese speakers in the United States."

[0115] The combination can be determined based on the purchase history, and in particular, based on the purchase history of users who have a shipping address in the country where the shipping address of the overseas user who will be making the product selection is located. (Multilingual support)

[0116] In order for overseas users to appropriately select and purchase products offered on e-commerce sites in other countries, it is desirable to adapt the display of the website provided on the support server 100 to the language used by the overseas user. Therefore, the support method according to this embodiment can display information in the language used by the overseas user.

[0117] The language of choice may be prompted by the user before the displayed information is sent to the user terminal 120 .

[0118] The language used may also be inferred using, for example, the language settings of the web browser of the user terminal 120.

[0119] Furthermore, the displayed information can adjust at least one of the recommended products, the amount of animation, and the background color depending on the language used. For example, the products to be recommended based on purchase history will differ depending on whether the language used is Chinese or English. Also, Chinese speakers tend to prefer dynamic content with a lot of animation or fast changes on web pages compared to English speakers, so it is preferable to adjust the display to suit their preferences. The same applies to the background color. There are times when it is useful to distinguish between traditional and simplified Chinese characters.

[0120] When displaying by category, machine translation can be used to translate the information displayed on pages other than the top page of the category display into the language used by overseas users. For the top page, it is preferable to have only a portion machine translated, or to have none of the page machine translated and have a human translator translate it. This makes it easier for overseas users to accurately understand the content of the top page and use the machine translation to understand the content of subsequent pages while keeping translation costs down. (Delivery method)

[0121] There are a wide variety of products offered on e-commerce sites, and the types of products that overseas users can select from on websites provided on the support server 100 are diverse. Among these products are hazardous materials such as high-pressure gases and flammable liquids that cannot be carried on airplanes, and overseas users may not be able to import them into their home countries depending on the delivery method. For example, kerosene stoves cannot be shipped by air but can be shipped by sea. Also, some delivery methods have price limits.

[0122] Therefore, the support method according to this embodiment further includes a step of transmitting and displaying available delivery methods for the selected product to the user terminal 120. The list of available delivery methods can be transmitted in response to receiving a notification of purchase from the user terminal 120.

[0123] As described above, by informing the user of available delivery methods in advance, the burden on the operator of the support server 100 of discovering that an unavailable delivery method has been specified during inspection and having to coordinate with the overseas user to deal with the situation is reduced. Along with the available overseas delivery methods, at least one of the price and the number of days required for each delivery method can also be displayed. (Purchase cost)

[0124] The purchase cost transmitted to the user terminal 120 includes the price of the selected item. Furthermore, the purchase cost may include a shipping cost for the selected item, which may vary depending on the country of the shipping address. Furthermore, the shipping cost may be calculated based on at least one of weight, size, shipping company, and shipping method.

[0125] The delivery cost may be displayed on the user terminal 120 together with the price of the selected product, or may be displayed separately from the price. If the product information includes at least one of weight and size, the delivery cost can be estimated based on at least one of the total weight and total size of the selected product or products and displayed together with the price. After the operator of the support server 100 obtains the selected product or products on behalf of the user, the delivery cost can be calculated based on at least one of the total weight and total size and displayed separately from the price.

[0126] In addition, purchase costs may be expressed in the currency of the country where the overseas user's shipping address is located. (transfer)

[0127] E-commerce sites that do not support overseas shipping receive a certain number of hits from overseas, but are unable to convert these hits into actual sales. Therefore, in the support method according to this embodiment, the web browser of the user terminal 120 that accesses the e-commerce site is redirected from the e-commerce site to a website provided on the support server 100.

[0128] The transfer can be carried out after a pop-up screen is displayed to the overseas user informing them that the products offered on the e-commerce site can be delivered overseas.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 5, the pop-up screen 500 has a transfer button 501 ("CONTINUE SHOPPING") for transferring, and the transfer can be performed in response to the overseas user clicking or tapping on this button. The pop-up screen 500 can also be placed close to the right edge of the web browser. This lowers the hurdle for each e-commerce site to adopt pop-up displays for overseas users. Transfer can be performed by clicking or tapping on a part of the pop-up screen, in addition to the transfer button. The pop-up screen 500 may also include video as content.

[0130] The transfer can occur after the international user enters or selects the shipping address or country on the pop-up screen 500 .

[0131] In addition to the pop-up screen 500, the forwarding can also be performed using a banner or web banner 600 as shown in Fig. 6. The banner 600 is placed at the top or bottom of the web page, and forwarding can be initiated by clicking or tapping on a part of the banner.

[0132] The transfer can be performed by displaying a transfer button or web banner in place of the selection button (such as an "ADD TO CART" button) or purchase button of each product, and clicking or tapping on this. Alternatively, the transfer button can be placed near the selection button or purchase button instead of replacing it.

[0133] Forwarding can also be initiated by providing a chat window 700 on a webpage, displaying a link or URL to the forwarding destination in a message 701 within the window 700, and the overseas user clicking or tapping on the link, which is at least a part of the message 701. As described below, the user's country of location can be determined based on the user's IP address or other factors, and the message 701 can inform the user that overseas delivery is available in the local language or in English. The destination of the link can be any webpage provided by the support server 100 or a webpage associated with the e-commerce site from which the user was forwarded. However, if the webpage accessed by the overseas user is an individual product page, the user can add the product to a shopping cart for purchase, and the destination of the link can be a webpage such as a purchase page or payment page that notifies the user of the purchase of the product. This can reduce the likelihood of the user abandoning the site after being forwarded. Furthermore, the user can pre-specify the desired quantity, size, etc., when purchasing from the destination website by answering questions displayed automatically or by a chat operator in the chat window 700. The delivery address or the country where it is located can also be specified in advance, and the response results can be used on the page or site to which the user is forwarded. The response results can be stored on the server or in a database or storage device that can be communicated with from the server.

[0134] The method further includes a step of determining the country of the user's delivery address. This can be performed if the determination reveals that the country is overseas or if the country is included in the list of countries for which delivery is not permitted by the e-commerce site. This is because it may be desirable not to redirect access from countries for which the e-commerce site itself can deliver. In this case, the pop-up screen 500 or banner 600 can be placed in a prominent location on the display screen of the user terminal 120. For example, it is preferable to place the pop-up screen 500 near the center and the banner 600 at the top. Delivery availability may be determined on a product-by-product basis, and if some products are not deliverable but the overall product is deliverable, the user may be redirected. When a user accesses an individual product page, the delivery availability of that product may be determined, and if it is, the user may be redirected.

[0135] Furthermore, if the country is included in the list of countries where sales are not permitted on the e-commerce site, forwarding or the display of the pop-up screen 500 or banner 600 that is a prerequisite for forwarding may not be performed. This is because sales via the support server 100 may not be appropriate for countries where there are contracted sales agents. The country can be determined based on the IP address assigned to the user terminal 120. In other words, the country where the user terminal 120 is located may be assumed to be the country of the delivery address.

[0136] By placing a tag or code on some or all of the web pages of an e-commerce site to determine the country of the delivery address of the user who accessed the page or the country from which the page was accessed, and by assigning a session ID to identify the accessing user, it becomes possible to identify, for each user, the access history of the user who accessed the destination website, such as which web pages about which products the user viewed on the destination website, which products the user clicked or tapped on to show interest in, and which products the user added to the shopping cart or actually purchased, as well as the access history of the user on the source e-commerce site, such as the products that were viewed most frequently, the products that the user clicked or tapped on most frequently, and the products the user purchased most frequently.

[0137] Specifically, when a script is loaded into the web browser of the user terminal 120, a session ID identifying the user terminal 120 is assigned and stored in the support server 100 or another server. A validity period or expiration date can be set for the session ID. When the user terminal 120 accesses another website on which a session management script is installed, the presence or absence of a session ID is determined. If a session ID is present, the access source IP address, accessed website, browser type, browser language (used language), access time, UserAgent, and other information can be associated with the session ID and stored as log information in the support server 100 or another server. Regardless of whether a session exists, a specific tag, code, or script can be installed on each page, and each time those pages are accessed, the access source IP address, accessed website, browser type, browser language (used language), access time, UserAgent, and other information can be stored. Furthermore, access history can be identified by the country of the user's shipping address or the country of the access source. The country can be identified, for example, using the access source IP address.

[0138] For example, in promoting multilingual support, it is possible to select which pages on a website provided on the support server 100 should be translated accurately by a translator based on the access histories of multiple users. Furthermore, product recommendations on a website provided on the support server 100 can be made based on the behavioral or access history of the user, or the access history of one or more other users from the same country as the user to at least one of the website and the redirecting e-commerce site, or the recommendation can be made based on the access history of one or more users from the country in which the redirecting e-commerce site is located or from a target country (for example, users who accessed the e-commerce site from Japan if it is operated in Japan). In addition to recommendations, various histories may also be used when a translator selects pages to translate. In addition, the viewing time of each website can be calculated based on the time it takes for the next page to be viewed. By setting a predetermined threshold, if a user transitions to another page within a short period of time, the weighting of the page being viewed can be reduced and the information can be used as log information. In addition, the display screen, such as product recommendations, can be changed based on the browser language of the overseas user accessing the site, or based on the IP address and browser language of the access source. For example, the display can be different for Chinese browser users and English browser users accessing the site from the United States. (Order page generation (1))

[0139] For example, foreigner A residing or staying in Japan may be asked by friend B outside Japan to purchase a Japanese product. In many cases, the request is made by reading article X, which introduces Japanese products in a foreign language such as English, and then sending a link to article X to friend A in Japan via email, message, chat, etc. Friend A, who receives the request, may purchase the product at a physical store and mail it, or may find page Y on a Japanese e-commerce site and reply to friend B, allowing friend B to purchase the product themselves. However, if the e-commerce site sells the product but does not offer international shipping, or if it does not offer shipping to friend B's country, friend A, who is in Japan, must still purchase the product from the e-commerce site and have it shipped overseas to friend B.

[0140] In such a case, as shown in Figure 8, when the URL of a specific product page Y on a Japanese e-commerce site is entered in the first URL field 801, a URL to an order page Z for purchasing the product on the user's behalf is generated and displayed in the second URL field 802. By doing so, foreigner A residing in Japan can send this URL to friend B, who can then request that friend B make the purchase on their behalf.

[0141] In one embodiment, the server providing the web page 800 for generating the order page is a platform for supporting overseas e-commerce, including payment and delivery, such as the support server 100. After receiving the first URL entered in the first URL field 801 displayed on the display screen of the user terminal of foreigner A (S901), the server obtains product information, such as the product name and price of the product associated with the web page, from the web page indicated by the first URL (S902). At least one of the product description, inventory, weight, and size may also be obtained. Based on the obtained product information, the server generates information for displaying an order page for ordering a proxy purchase of the product (S903). The order page allows the user to select the quantity and size of the product, and may also allow the user to enter the requester's name, address including country, language, email address, and other information. If the requester is already registered as a user of the support server 100, entering this user information is unnecessary. Furthermore, foreigner A may enter some or all of the requester information together with or in addition to entering the first URL. The server then determines a second URL for the generated order page (S904) and displays it in the second URL field 802 of the generated page 800 (S905). While the second URL field 802 is provided on the same page as the web page 800 containing the first URL field 801 in the above example, the present invention is not limited to this. It can be displayed on a separate page or sent to the user terminal via email, message, chat, or the like. Furthermore, if the destination, such as the requester's email address, is known, the second URL can be sent directly to the requester. The server providing the order page generation page and the server actually receiving the proxy purchase order may be the same server, or they may be separate servers. The functions corresponding to the described processes are realized by executing a program on each server or device, as described for the support server 100.

[0142] The order page may have a button that allows requester B to input the required information and notify the server of the purchase, but before proceeding with the payment process, the server may check whether the product to be purchased can be delivered to the country where requester B is located. Alternatively, the delivery address or its country 803 may be entered or selected on web page 800 for generating the order page, and if the specified product cannot be delivered to that country for reasons such as import prohibition, a message indicating that generation is not possible may be displayed or sent without generating the order page. In this case, if a product description has been acquired as part of the product information, this can be used to improve the accuracy of determining whether delivery is possible due to import prohibition or the like. (Order page generation (2))

[0143] In the above explanation, the order page is generated by a foreign person A residing in Japan entering a URL into the first URL field 801. However, it is also possible to install a plug-in application on the user terminal that automatically obtains the URL of the web page currently displayed by the web browser by clicking or tapping a button, and generates product information and an order page using the product information on the user terminal. Clicking or tapping the plug-in icon may allow the user to enter requester information, including contact information such as the email address of friend B, who made the request, and the generated order page may be directly transmitted. At least one of the generation of product information and the generation of the order page may be performed not on the user terminal but on a server that receives the URL displayed on the user terminal.

[0144] In addition, instead of a foreigner A living in Japan installing a plug-in application, a friend B living overseas can install it on their own device and click or tap on a web page showing a product of interest. This will cause the server providing the web page, the server actually receiving the proxy purchase order, or another server to generate product information and an order page, and then redirect the web browser on the friend B's device to the order page.

[0145] Alternatively, when Friend B directly accesses a Japanese e-commerce site without going through a third party such as a foreigner A residing in Japan, a pop-up screen, banner, chat window, or the like may be displayed as described above. Friend B can click or tap on the pop-up screen, banner, chat window, or the like to generate an order page on the server that provides the e-commerce site or a separate server, and display it on Friend B's user device. In other words, Friend B's user device can be redirected to the order page. The various aspects described above can be applied to the details of the redirection. This allows even small e-commerce businesses that cannot allocate resources to providing product information such as product names and prices to the support server 100 shown in FIG. 1 in advance and linking the support server 100 to easily sell products to users from overseas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 100 Support Server 101 Processing section 102 Communications Department 103 Storage section 110 Server 120 user terminals 500 Pop-up Screen 501 Transfer button 600 web banners 700 chat windows 701 Messages 800 Order Page Generation Page 801 First URL field 802 Second URL field 803 Country selection field

Claims

1. A support method for supporting the provision of EC overseas, comprising: determining the country of the international user's shipping address; a step of displaying a message to transfer the web browser of the user terminal of the overseas user from the first EC site to a website provided on a support server that handles first product information of the first EC site; Including, The support server a transmitting unit that transmits display information of at least one product included in first product information for a first EC site to the user terminal of the overseas user; a receiving unit that receives a notification from the user terminal that one or more displayed products have been selected; The support method is characterized in that the website to which the user is transferred is displayed based on the display information.

2. The support method according to claim 1 , wherein the forwarding is performed after a pop-up screen is displayed to the overseas user indicating that overseas delivery is possible.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding is performed after the overseas user inputs or selects the country of their location on a pop-up screen.

4. The support method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer is performed by the overseas user clicking or tapping on a portion of a banner located at the top or bottom of the webpage of the first EC site.

5. The support method according to claim 1 , wherein the forwarding is performed by clicking or tapping on a part of a message in a chat window provided on the web page of the first EC site.

6. 6. The support method according to claim 5, wherein the overseas user's answer to the question displayed in the chat window is used when making a purchase on the website to which the user is forwarded.

7. the web page of the first EC site is a web page related to a certain product, 7. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the web page to which the user is transferred is a page for notifying the support server of the intention to purchase the certain product.

8. The support method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the forwarding is performed when the determination result shows that the country of location is included in countries for which delivery is not possible on the first EC site.

9. The support method according to claim 8, wherein the transfer is not performed if the country of location is included in the countries that are prohibited from sale on the first EC site.

10. The support method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that if the result of the determination is that the country of location is included in countries for which delivery is possible on the first EC site, the transfer is not performed.

11. 11. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the determination is made based on an IP address assigned to the user terminal.

12. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that one or more product recommendations displayed on the user terminal are made based on the access history of one or more other users from the same country as the country where the overseas user is located to the website.

13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that one or more products to be displayed on the user terminal are recommended based on the access history of one or more other users from the same country as the country where the overseas user is located to the first EC site.

14. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that one or more product recommendations to be displayed on the user terminal are made based on the access history of one or more users from the target country of the first EC site to the first EC site.

15. A program for causing a computer to execute a support method for supporting the provision of EC overseas, the support method comprising: determining the country of the international user's shipping address; a step of displaying a message to transfer the web browser of the user terminal of the overseas user from the first EC site to a website provided on a support server that handles first product information of the first EC site; Including, The support server a transmitting unit that transmits display information of at least one product included in first product information for a first EC site to the user terminal of the overseas user; a receiving unit that receives a notification from the user terminal that one or more displayed products have been selected; The program is characterized in that the website to which the user is transferred is displayed based on the display information.

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