Success-based commission brokerage program, success-based commission brokerage system

Abstract

If a customer purchases a product from a sales partner's product introduction site via a specific link (such as an affiliate link) and then repurchases the product using a different device, this will be counted as a contribution to the sales partner. [Solution] The system provides a performance determination means that acquires purchase information when a customer visits the seller's website via a specific link on the sales partner's website and makes a purchase, and determines past access history and purchase information, and a performance-based intermediary system that stores the purchase history as the sales partner's performance and grants a reward if a purchase has been made.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a success-based referral program and a success-based referral system.

Background Art

[0002] It is common practice to advertise a company's own products or services (hereinafter referred to as "products, etc.") on the Internet. In recent years, not only providers of products, etc., but also persons other than providers of products, such as so-called influencers, may introduce products, etc. on their own websites, etc. There are many websites that introduce products, and (potential) customers of products, etc. obtain information on products, etc. by browsing such websites.

[0003] One form of advertising on the Internet is affiliate advertising. Here, the seller (advertiser), customer (consumer), affiliate service provider (Affiliate Service Provider, hereinafter referred to as "ASP"), and sales partner (affiliator) in an affiliate advertising system will be described.

[0004] A seller who wishes to increase access from customers to its own product, etc. website (product sales website) pays an advertising fee to an ASP for promotional advertising. The ASP provides advertisements, etc. including an affiliate link to a sales partner. Then, the sales partner posts advertisements, etc. including the affiliate link on its own website, blog, etc. Here, an affiliate link is a link using a special URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which parameters are embedded and is for analyzing an access route, etc.

[0005] When a customer accesses a sales partner's website (product introduction site), and then further accesses the advertiser's website (product sales site) via an affiliate link and purchases the seller's products, the ASP (Affiliate Service Provider) pays a commission to the sales partner. In other words, affiliate advertising is a performance-based advertising model. Examples of such affiliate advertising services include a8.net (registered trademark) and afb (registered trademark).

[0006] However, if a customer does not use the affiliate link mentioned above, for example, if they directly access the product sales site and purchase the product, the sales partner will not receive any commission. Specifically, this refers to situations where a customer views a product sales site via an affiliate link from a sales partner's product introduction site, then closes the page (browser) after remembering the product name and the URL of the product sales site. Later, they revisit the sales site by searching for the product name or by directly entering the remembered URL, and make a purchase.

[0007] In the cases described above, even if time has passed, the sales partner can be said to have contributed to the purchase of the goods or services because the customer purchased the goods or services after going through the affiliate link. However, since session information is lost when the browser is closed, it is impossible to distinguish whether a purchase made through direct access to the seller's webpage was due to the sales partner's contribution or not.

[0008] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that makes it possible to identify the website of the partner site that led the user to the advertiser site, etc., even if the user accesses the advertiser site, etc., via a link such as a banner advertisement placed on the website of a partner site, etc., makes a purchase or other action, and then directly accesses the advertiser site, etc., which is the linked website. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-165394

[0010] However, Patent Document 1 does not address cases such as when the same customer accesses and repurchases using a different device than the one used for the initial purchase. For example, suppose a customer visits a sales partner's product introduction site, visits the product sales site via an affiliate link, and views or purchases the product being introduced. Then, suppose that customer visits the same product sales site on a different device and purchases the same product again (repurchase).

[0011] In the case of the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to detect repurchases when the terminal is different, and the contribution of the sales partner is not considered in relation to repurchases. In other words, acquiring repeat customers who make repeat purchases is beneficial for sellers, and sales partners who guide such repeat customers to product sales sites should receive higher compensation, but such a system is not in place.

[0012] In particular, in today's world, where an increasing number of users own both stationary devices such as desktop or laptop personal computers (PCs) and portable devices such as smartphones, using both PCs and portable devices is common, and the access described above is a normal occurrence. However, this means that the contributions of sales partners cannot be accurately counted. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] The problem we are trying to solve is that the contributions of sales partners cannot be properly measured. For example, even if a customer reaches the seller's product sales site through a specific link (such as a link containing special parameters or an affiliate link) from a sales partner's product introduction site, if the customer closes the browser, it may not be counted as a contribution from the sales partner. Also, even if a customer purchases a product and then purchases the same product again on the same sales site using a different device, that purchase may not be counted as a contribution from the sales partner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The most important feature of the present invention is that it includes performance determination means that periodically acquires purchase information and determines whether the storage unit has stored past purchase information by the same customer as the customer of the purchase information, or whether the storage unit has stored information indicating that the customer has accessed a product sales site through a specific link (specific access information); performance storage means that stores the past purchase information or specific access information as the performance of a sales partner when the storage unit of a predetermined terminal has stored it; and reward calculation and awarding means that awards a reward to the sales partner based on the partner performance.

[0015] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and employs, for example, the following means. In other words, the computer is used to function as (1) a user registration means, (2) a purchase history determination means, and (3) a reward calculation and awarding means. The above (1) User registration means is, A seller registration method for registering seller information. A sales partner registration means for registering information of sales partners who introduce the goods or services of the aforementioned seller, and The system includes a means for providing information to the aforementioned seller or sales partner, which includes a specific link containing special parameters, The purchase history determination means described in (2) above is: Purchase information acquisition method for obtaining customer purchase information, (2-1) The storage unit determines whether it stores the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information. If it does not store it, it determines whether the storage unit of itself or the storage unit of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link, or (2-2) The performance determination means determines whether the storage unit of itself or the storage unit of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link. If it does not store it, it determines whether the storage unit stores the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information, and performance storage means for storing partner performance when it is confirmed that the past purchase information or the information indicating access to the product sales site through the specific link is stored, The reward calculation and granting means (3) provides a successful reward type intermediation program, which is characterized in that it grants a reward to the sales partner based on the partner performance.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] When a customer who has viewed the product introduction site of a sales partner makes a purchase or the like, the successful reward type intermediation program of the present invention refers to the past purchase performance of the customer, and if there is a purchase performance, a reward is granted as the contribution of the sales partner. Therefore, there is an advantage that the contribution of the sales partner, particularly the acquisition of repeat customers, can be correctly evaluated and an appropriate reward can be granted. For this reason, the motivation of the advertisement of the sales partner is improved, and it is expected that the sales partner will devise the product introduction site so as to be able to induce potential customers who will become repeat customers, and a higher advertising effect can be expected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a diagram (network configuration diagram) showing an outline of the successful reward type intermediation system 1. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an EC site management screen (before registration). [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the EC site addition screen. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the EC site management screen (after registration). [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the sales partner management screen (before registration). [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the sales partner addition screen. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the sales partner management screen (after registration). [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the analytics screen (by EC site). [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the analytics screen (by sales partner). [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the sales partner invitation screen (before registration). [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the new sales partner invitation screen. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the sales partner invitation screen (after registration). [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the specific code display screen. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing the specific access information handling process. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing the purchase performance determination process. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing the reward calculation and granting process. [Figure 17] It is a hardware configuration diagram of server 10. [Figure 18] It is a hardware configuration diagram of terminal 20.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same or corresponding parts may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the drawings used below are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual device configuration, user interface (UI), data structure, etc.

[0019] (Summary of the embodiment) The outline of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram (network diagram) showing an overview of the system that processes data using the success-fee-based intermediary program P1 of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "success-fee-based intermediary system 1").

[0020] When a seller operating a product sales website applies, server 10 issues information (such as a code (e.g., QR code (registered trademark))) containing a specific link (URL) and provides it to the seller. The seller provides the code to a sales partner, and the sales partner posts the code on the product introduction website.

[0021] When a customer accesses a product sales site by scanning the code, etc., information indicating that the customer is accessing the product sales site through a URL or code (information containing a specific link) posted on the product introduction site (specific access information (such as local storage information)) is stored on the customer's terminal 20.

[0022] If a customer purchases the product or service, it counts as a sales partner's performance, and the sales partner receives a commission. On the other hand, even if a customer does not purchase goods on their first visit, if they revisit the sales site and make a purchase, the server 10 retrieves and verifies the visit information (specific access information) stored on the customer's terminal 20, thereby counting it as a sales partner's achievement.

[0023] Furthermore, server 10 retrieves and stores customer information, such as the customer's address, that the customer enters when purchasing goods, etc., from the product sales website. Then, if the customer makes another purchase of goods, the server 10 compares the customer information related to that purchase with the customer information stored in the storage unit 14, and if they match, it records it as a sales partner's performance.

[0024] In summary, server 10 obtains customer purchase information from the product sales site, compares the customer information contained in the purchase information with the customer information stored, and determines whether they match, that is, whether it is a repeat purchase. If no matching customer information is found, the server stores the customer information and then checks whether visit information (specific access information) is stored on the customer's terminal 20. If specific access information is stored on the customer's terminal 20, the server records the purchase as a sales partner's achievement.

[0025] Server 10 provides sellers (advertisers) with a tangible record of their sales partners' performance. Sellers can see which sales partners are performing well, and in particular, which sales partners are acquiring repeat customers.

[0026] Thus, the sales partner's performance is judged not only when a customer purchases goods or services through a code on the sales site, but also when the customer closes their browser after visiting or when they make a repeat purchase. This not only increases the motivation of sales partners to introduce their products, but also provides sellers (advertisers) with tangible information about excellent sales partners, thereby delivering superior advertising effectiveness.

[0027] (Details of the embodiment) The following describes in detail the success-fee type intermediary system 1 according to this embodiment. The performance-based intermediary system 1 includes a computer (server 10) equipped with a performance-based intermediary program P1, and provides an online system that can provide more appropriate compensation to product sellers and sales partners. In other words, the success-fee-based intermediary system 1 is a system in which the information processing performed by the success-fee-based intermediary program P1 is concretely realized using hardware resources. The following describes, in order, the components that make up the success-fee-based intermediary system 1: 1. User interface, 2. Program processing, 3. Data, and 4. Hardware configuration.

[0028] (Definition of terms) Here, I will define some terms. "Goods, etc." refers to goods or services. An example of a service would be a massage service booked online. A "user" is anyone who uses the performance-based intermediary system 1. Users include sellers, sales partners, and administrators. Customers may be included as users, but since they are generally not aware of the existence of the performance-based intermediary system 1 in their actions (such as browsing product sales sites), the term "user" in this text mainly refers to sellers, sales partners, or administrators. A "user" is not limited to a natural person; it may also be a legal entity (the same applies to "customer"). The "Administrator" is the person who manages the performance-based brokerage system 1 (specifically, the performance-based brokerage program P1). They have special authority over the performance-based brokerage system 1. A "customer" is someone who makes a purchase or is expected to make a purchase. This includes potential customers, regardless of whether they have actually made a purchase or not. They are, in other words, consumers. A "seller" is someone who sells goods or services. They own, operate, or manage a website selling goods or services, and sell those goods or services on that website. They are also advertisers who place advertisements. In other words, they pay commissions to sales partners who promote the seller's goods or services. A "product sales site" is a website used to sell products. However, it is not limited to sites where payments are processed on the site itself. For example, a product sales site may be a website where a seller provides detailed descriptions of their products, while a separate website is used for payments. Examples of such sites include those where payments are made through a shopping mall site or using payment methods provided by the shopping mall site. A "sales partner" is someone who introduces a seller's products or services. They own, operate, or manage a website introducing the seller's products or services, and promote them on that website. They are sometimes referred to as influencers or affiliates. Sales partners can earn compensation for introducing products or services. A "product introduction site" is a website used to introduce products and services. A "specific link" is a link (URL) that includes special parameters. These special parameters make it possible to identify at least which product introduction site is accessing which product sales site (source and destination). It can have a mechanism similar to what is called an affiliate link. The destination here is the final destination, and the source may be something other than the final destination, such as an intermediate point. A specific link may include information such as the affiliate's name or language parameters. Publicly known information can be used as the information that can be included. "Specific access information" refers to information indicating that a user is accessing a product sales website through a specific link. Specific access information includes customer information (especially information about the customer's device). Examples include information stored in cookies and local storage.

[0029] (Registered trademark display) The following are all registered trademarks (separated by slashes). QR code / a8.net / afb / DUNS / Windows / Mac / Edge / Safari / Bluetooth / ZigBee

[0030] In the following, when the term "○○ processing" is used, it means that the computer's processor executes processing based on the "○○" program stored in the program storage. The same word will be used in place of "○○" throughout this paragraph. In other words, the "○○" program is a program that makes the computer function as a "○○" means by executing the "○○" process. Furthermore, this means that the control unit equipped with the processor also functions as a "○○" unit (or "○○" device). In this case, the "○○" section means that it executes the "○○" process based on the "○○" program.

[0031] For example, the success-fee-based mediation program P1 is a program that makes a computer function as a success-fee-based mediation means by executing a success-fee-based mediation process. In this case, the control unit 12 of the computer equipped with the processor 122 functions as a success-fee-based mediation unit 12a (or success-fee-based mediation device).

[0032] In the success-based commission system 1, each terminal (computer), such as server 10, terminal 20, product introduction site server 30, or product sales site server 40, is equipped with a processor. However, in this embodiment, the term "processor" refers to either the processor 122 of server 10 or the processor 422 of product sales site server 40. Which one is being referred to depends on the context.

[0033] For simplicity, in the following, the action of "the processor 122 of server 10 receiving a request from a terminal and returning data to be displayed in the terminal's browser" may be described as "the processor 122 displays (causes) the data to be displayed in the terminal's browser" or "the processor 122 displays (causes) the data to be displayed." Similarly, the action of "the processor 122 of server 10 causing data to be stored in the data storage unit 14b of storage unit 14" may be described as "the processor stores (data)." Furthermore, the process of "terminal 20 saving cookies, etc., to the memory unit 24 (data storage unit)" may be described as "storing (data, etc.) in the memory unit of terminal 20."

[0034] 1. User Interface (UI) First, the interface that the success-based commission-based intermediary system 1 of this embodiment displays on the user's (administrator, seller, or sales partner, etc.) terminal will be explained with reference to a diagram. Note that these UIs are different from those displayed on the customer's device 20.

[0035] Note that for items that perform the same or similar processing, the same code may be used and the explanation may be omitted. For example, although the contents of the side menu differ between the administrator's screen and the seller's screen, the same code is used for the side menus as they have similar functionality.

[0036] The interface described below is a simplified version. Only icons related to functions necessary for explanation will be displayed, and other publicly known icons will be omitted. For example, the back button for returning to the previously displayed page has been omitted.

[0037] Figure 2 shows the EC site administration screen (before registration). The user (administrator) manages the e-commerce site (product sales site) through the e-commerce site administration screen. As shown in Figure 2, the UI includes a side menu (UI-11) and a main screen (UI-12). When the user selects an item from the side menu (the text on the left side of Figure 2), the processor 122 displays the corresponding information on the main screen. First, let's explain the screen that administrators use. Screens operated by administrators are indicated by "Administrator" displayed in the upper left corner of the screen.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, since the e-commerce site is not registered initially, "None" is displayed on the main screen UI-12. Additionally, the "Add EC Site" button (UI-13) is displayed in the upper right corner of the main screen (UI-12). When a user (administrator) presses (clicks or taps, etc.) the EC site addition button UI-13, processor 122 displays the EC site addition screen described in the next section.

[0039] Figure 3 shows the screen for adding an e-commerce site. The EC site addition screen is a screen that accepts input of information about product sales sites (EC sites) and sellers that utilize the success-based intermediary system 1.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the user (administrator) enters the registration name (EC site name), seller (EC site owner) information (email address, phone number, address, bank account information (bank name, branch name, account number, account holder name)), EC site URL, billing-related information (billing date), system usage fee (fixed), system usage fee (variable), partner commission, and operation start date into the text boxes of the EC site information input field UI-14. The user (administrator) also uploads image information (store images). After the user enters the necessary information, when the user presses the save button UI-15, the processor 122 saves (remembers) the entered information. Note that in Figure 3, for simplicity, text boxes such as address and bank account information are shown on a single line, but in reality, they consist of multiple lines.

[0041] The system usage fee (fixed) is a fee paid by the seller (EC site) to the administrator (performance-based intermediary system 1). It is a monthly payment and is a fixed cost that does not depend on sales figures or other factors. The system usage fee (variable) is a percentage of the sales amount that the seller pays to the administrator (performance-based intermediary system 1), representing the commission paid by the seller to the administrator. System usage fees (variable) are also fees paid by the seller to the administrator, similar to system usage fees (fixed), but these are so-called variable costs that depend on sales figures, etc.

[0042] Partner compensation is a percentage of sales revenue that a seller pays to a sales partner.

[0043] The start date of operation is the day the system begins operation. In other words, it is the day on which the system measures customer movement to product sales sites via specific links using the performance-based intermediary system 1.

[0044] Image information refers to image information related to product sales websites, such as store thumbnail information. Image files can be uploaded by dragging and dropping them into the frame shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, clicking the "+" button in Figure 3 will display a file selection window (not shown) where you can specify the image file name. This image information contains images used by sales partners. Sales partners can, for example, embed links in these images.

[0045] Please note that the input information shown here is just an example and is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the information mentioned above, the seller's (the owner of the e-commerce site) information may also include the name and contact information of the person in charge. It may also include a seller-specific number (for example, a My Number for individuals, a corporate number for corporations, or a DUNS (registered trademark) number). In addition to the billing date mentioned above, billing-related information may also include information such as the closing date, payment due month, or payment due date.

[0046] Furthermore, although Figure 3 shows only one address text box for simplicity, it could be divided into sections such as postal code, prefecture name, city / ward / town name, building name, etc. Similarly, for bank account information, the system may include input fields for entering necessary information such as bank name, bank code, branch name, branch number, account number, account type (e.g., savings account, current account), or account holder's name.

[0047] Figure 4 shows the EC site administration screen (after registration). As shown in Figure 4, when saving is performed on the EC site addition screen, the processor 122 displays the registered name of the EC site on the EC site management screen. Additionally, processor 122 displays the edit button UI-16 for each e-commerce site. When the user presses the edit button UI-16, the processor 122 displays a screen for modifying information, such as an e-commerce site addition screen (not shown).

[0048] Figure 5 shows the sales partner management screen (before registration). The sales partner management screen is used to manage information about product introduction sites and sales partners that utilize the performance-based intermediary system 1.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5, initially, the sales partner information is not registered, so "None" is displayed on the main screen UI-12. Additionally, the "Add Sales Partner" button (UI-17) is displayed in the upper right corner of the main screen (UI-12). When the user (administrator) presses the Add Sales Partner button UI-17, the processor 122 displays the Add Sales Partner screen described in the next section.

[0050] Figure 6 shows the screen for adding a sales partner. The sales partner addition screen is a screen that accepts input of information about sales partners who will be using the success-based commission system 1. Processor 122 displays the sales partner information input field UI-18 on the main screen UI-12.

[0051] The sales partner information input field UI-18 is a field for receiving information about the sales partner, including options to select whether the sales partner is an individual or a corporation. As shown in Figure 6, the user (administrator) enters various information into the radio buttons and text boxes in the sales partner information input field UI-18. For example, they enter information such as whether the sales partner is an individual or a corporation.

[0052] The items described above are omitted here, but it is possible that some of the items already described are included but not shown in Figure 6. When the user presses the save button, processor 122 saves the entered information and displays the sales partner management screen (after registration) as described in the next section.

[0053] Figure 7 shows the sales partner management screen (after registration). As shown in Figure 7, when saving is performed on the sales partner addition screen, processor 122 displays the name, registration date, and email address of the registered sales partner on the sales partner management screen. An edit button for editing the sales partner's information is also displayed for each sales partner.

[0054] Figure 8 shows the analytics screen (by e-commerce site). When a user selects an item for a specific e-commerce site under the Analytics item in the side menu UI-11, processor 122 displays the period selection field UI-19, the e-commerce site selection field UI-20, and the details display field UI-21 on the main screen UI-12.

[0055] The period selection field UI-19 is where the user enters the period (start and end dates) for which they want to display the details described below. Processor 122 displays the details for the entered period. The EC site selection field UI-20 is a field that accepts the user's selection input for the EC site (product sales site) they wish to display. Processor 122 displays details about the entered EC site.

[0056] The details display field UI-21 is a field that displays sales and compensation amounts by period. As shown in Figure 8, the UI-21 detail display field of this embodiment displays the following items: period (date), sales revenue, commission revenue, compensation payment amount, number of visits, and number of sales transactions.

[0057] Commission revenue is the amount paid by the seller (advertiser) to the administrator based on sales revenue. In this embodiment, the administrator receives a commission of 1% of sales revenue.

[0058] The commission payment is the amount paid by the seller (advertiser) to the sales partner based on sales revenue. In this embodiment, 7% of sales revenue is the commission received by the sales partner.

[0059] The number of visits refers to the number of visits (accesses) to the e-commerce site during the specified period (day), and the number of sales refers to the number of sales that occurred on the e-commerce site.

[0060] For example, in the example in Figure 8, the e-commerce site received 94 visits on October 10, 2024, resulting in one sale. The total sales revenue was 3,334 yen. The administrator's commission from this sale is 1% of the sales revenue, or 33 yen (rounded down), and the sales partner's commission is 7% of the sales revenue, or 233 yen (rounded down).

[0061] While Figure 8 displays results for each day, it is also possible to display totals such as sales figures for a specific period. These lists can be exported in formats such as CSV files. In this case, the readability and usability of the acquired data are improved.

[0062] Figure 9 shows the analytics screen (by sales partner). When the user selects a partner-specific item under the Analytics item in the side menu UI-11, processor 122 displays a time period selection field, a sales partner selection field UI-22, and a details display field on the main screen UI-12. Explanations of items already described will be omitted. The sales partner selection field UI-22 is a field where the user can select and input the sales partners they wish to display. The processor 122 displays details about the selected sales partners.

[0063] Next, I will explain the screen that the seller (advertiser) operates. Although omitted above, in this embodiment, an administrator with higher authority can perform the same operations as the seller (advertiser) (the same applies hereinafter).

[0064] Figure 10 shows the sales partner invitation screen (before registration). As shown in Figure 10, since no sales partners are registered initially, "None" is displayed on the main screen UI-12. Additionally, the sales partner introduction button UI-23 is displayed in the upper right corner of the main screen UI-12. When a user (seller) presses the sales partner referral button UI-23, processor 122 displays the new sales partner invitation screen described in the next section.

[0065] Figure 11 shows the screen for inviting new sales partners. The New Sales Partner Invitation screen is a screen where the seller can input information about sales partners they invite (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Sales Partner Candidates").

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, the user (seller) enters the inviter's name (sales partner's name) and the sales partner's information (email address) into the text box of the invited partner information input field UI-24.

[0067] The user (seller) also enters the commission rate, which is the percentage of the sales amount that the seller will pay to the sales partner, into the commission rate input field UI-25.

[0068] After the user (seller) enters the required information, when they press the invitation email send button UI-26, processor 122 saves the entered information and sends an email to the email address to prompt registration.

[0069] Emails designed to encourage registration might include, for example, an invitation to become a sales partner for the performance-based intermediary system 1, or a link (URL) to a website for information registration (not shown). When the recipient of the email (a potential sales partner) clicks the link, they are redirected to a website displaying a screen similar to the sales partner addition screen mentioned above. Once the recipient enters their information and clicks a button indicating completion (such as an application or submit button), that information is sent to the administrator, and the site awaits the administrator's approval.

[0070] Figure 12 shows the sales partner invitation screen (after registration). As shown in Figure 12, when the invitation email send button UI-26 is pressed on the new sales partner invitation screen, processor 122 displays the registered name and status of the invited sales partner candidate. Processor 122 also displays an edit button for each sales partner candidate. As shown in Figure 12, a user (seller) can set up multiple sales partners (primary partners).

[0071] Here, the status indicates the progress of sales partner registration after clicking the invitation email send button UI-26. In this embodiment, the status will be "Invited" immediately after the user (seller) sends an invitation email to a potential sales partner. After that, once the prospective sales partner enters their information and clicks the button indicating that they have completed the above information entry, the status will change to "Applied". Then, once the administrator approves the applicant as a sales partner, they become an official sales partner (the registered name disappears from the partner invitation screen and the information is displayed in partner management).

[0072] Figure 13 shows the screen displaying the specific code. On the specific code display screen, the processor 122 displays an information UI-30 that includes a specific link.

[0073] If there is an approved sales partner, selecting the invitation URL in the side menu UI-11 will cause the processor 122 to display an information UI-30 with a specific link on the main screen UI-12. As shown in Figure 13, the information UI-30 with a specific link in this embodiment is a URL (UI-301) and a QR code (UI-302).

[0074] The seller (the owner of the e-commerce site) provides their sales partners with information UI-30 containing this specific link. Sales partners use information containing specific links in their original form and / or embedded in text, images, etc., in their advertising media. "Including it in text or images" means, for example, setting the text "Click here for the sales site of this product" as a hyperlink and setting its destination to the above URL (UI-301), or setting the link destination when an image is clicked to the above URL (UI-301).

[0075] In addition to the above, sellers (EC site owners) can manage their partners through the partner management screen. However, the partner management screen has already been explained, so it will be omitted here.

[0076] In addition, partners, like sellers (e-commerce site owners), can invite other partners. Hereafter, the partner who is making the invitation will be referred to as the primary partner, and the partner being invited (the partner's partner) will be referred to as the secondary partner.

[0077] In this case, the compensation rate (for secondary partners) is set as a percentage of sales, with the primary partner's own compensation rate (7% in the above example) as the upper limit (for example, 6.3%). For example, if your (primary partner's) commission rate is 7%, and the secondary partner's commission rate is 6.3%, then 90% of the sales revenue will go to the secondary partner, and 10% to the primary partner. The screen UI is the same as described above, so it will be omitted here.

[0078] Alternatively, it could indicate what percentage of the reward received by the user (7% in the example above) should be allocated to the secondary partner, with the user's own reward rate being set at 100%. For example, entering 90% could result in 6.3% of the user's own reward rate being allocated to the secondary partner.

[0079] A primary partner can set up multiple secondary partners. The primary partner can set individual reward ratios for each secondary partner, up to the maximum reward they themselves receive (not shown). For example, they might split the rewards with secondary partner A in a 1:9 ratio and with secondary partner B in a 2:8 ratio.

[0080] With the above configuration, users can register information about sellers (owners of e-commerce sites (websites selling goods, etc.)) and sales partners.

[0081] 2. Program Processing <Success-based intermediary service> The program processing performed in the success-fee type intermediary system 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0082] In this embodiment, the processor performs success-based mediation processing based on the success-based mediation program P1. The success-based commission-based intermediary program P1 of this embodiment includes a user registration program P12, a specific access information handling program P14, a purchase performance determination program P16, and a commission calculation and grant program P18. The processor then executes user registration processing, specific access information handling processing, purchase performance determination processing, and commission calculation and grant processing, respectively, through these programs. In other words, each of the programs described above causes the computer to function as a means for user registration, a means for handling specific access information, a means for determining purchase history, and a means for calculating and awarding rewards.

[0083] In addition to the above, the processor also performs display processing (display processing for administrators, display processing for sellers, display processing for sales partners) to show processing results and other information on the user's terminal. For examples of displays resulting from display processing, please refer to the UI section. For example, the process of displaying the analytics screen (by sales partner) is called the analytics screen (by sales partner) display process.

[0084] These programs may be implemented on multiple hardware devices. For example, in this embodiment, the success-based commission-based mediation process is performed collaboratively by server 10 (processor 122) and the product sales site server 40 (processor 422).

[0085] <2-1. User Registration Process> In the user registration process, the processor 122 performs a seller registration process to register the seller's information, a sales partner registration process to register the sales partner's information to introduce the seller's products or services, and a specific link information provision process to provide the seller or sales partner with information including a specific link with special parameters.

[0086] Furthermore, in the user registration process, the processor 122 accepts invitations from sales partners (primary sales partners) to other sales partners (secondary sales partners) and executes a secondary partner registration process to register the information of those other sales partners.

[0087] Although flowcharts and other diagrams are omitted, the processor 122 accepts input of information about the seller or sales partner on the website and registers this information (storage in the storage unit 14) (referred to as the seller registration process and the sales partner registration process, respectively). Information about the seller or sales partner will be explained in the data section.

[0088] In this embodiment, the administrator can register sellers or sales partners (including secondary sales partners), sellers can register sales partners (including secondary sales partners), and sales partners can register other sales partners (secondary sales partners). As mentioned above, sellers can register multiple sales partners, and primary sales partners can register multiple secondary sales partners. Furthermore, secondary sales partners can register other sales partners (tertiary sales partners), and the same applies to the following.

[0089] The processor 122 also provides the seller or sales partner with information including a specific link containing special parameters (specific link information provision processing).

[0090] Here, "specific link" refers to a link (URL) that includes special parameters, as mentioned above.

[0091] Information containing specific links with special parameters includes, for example, QR codes containing specific links. In this case, when the customer scans the QR code containing a specific link with terminal 20, the product sales site will ultimately be displayed on terminal 20.

[0092] However, specific links do not always need to be embedded in something; "information containing a specific link with special parameters" can also be the "specific link with special parameters" itself, for example, the URL of the specific link.

[0093] In other words, in this embodiment, the specific link is used not only in the form of the URL itself, but also in a form embedded in a QR code or string of characters, etc.

[0094] The form of "information containing a specific link" is not particularly limited, but it may be text, a QR code, or an image (still image or video) other than a QR code. For example, a banner. In addition, combinations of these may also be used.

[0095] QR codes are used to be displayed on sales partners' websites (product introduction sites), as well as on paper materials (printed media in a broad sense) such as flyers and business cards created by sales partners.

[0096] In other words, these URLs and QR codes are displayed on websites and printed materials, and serve to connect the terminal 20 with the product sales site. Examples using print media will be discussed later.

[0097] <2-2. Handling of Specific Access Information> In the processing of specific access information, the processor mediates access from a product introduction site to a product sales site via a specific link. During this process, information indicating that the user is accessing a product sales site via a specific link (specific access information) is stored in the user's own memory or the customer's terminal memory. The storage unit is usually the storage unit 14 of server 10, but it may also be the storage unit 44 of the product sales site server 40. In this embodiment, the "own storage unit or the customer's terminal storage unit" corresponds to the storage unit 24 of the customer's terminal 20.

[0098] In this embodiment, the specific access information includes information about a specific link, and also includes customer information (particularly information about the customer's terminal). In other words, specific access information holds information about the device accessing the product introduction site or product sales site. To put it another way, specific access information is linked to the customer's device.

[0099] Specific access information consists of cookies and / or local storage information, and is stored on terminal 20. Publicly known technologies related to cookies or local storage will be used as appropriate.

[0100] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processing of specific access information. The following explanation will be given with reference to Figure 14.

[0101] When a request is received from the customer's terminal 20, the product introduction site server 30 returns a response (data from the product introduction site). In this process, when a customer accesses the product or service through a specific link on the product or service introduction site (for example, by clicking on an advertisement containing a specific link or scanning a QR code) (Step 1), the product or service introduction site server 30 connects to server 10 via redirection (Step 2).

[0102] Processor 122 selects the appropriate browser for each OS (operating system) and connects to the product sales site (Step 3). In this embodiment, selecting an appropriate browser for each OS means, for example, determining whether the user terminal's OS is Windows or Mac, and then launching the corresponding browser, such as Edge or Safari. In other words, processor 122 selects the appropriate browser depending on two or more (actually four or more) different OS conditions.

[0103] During the communication up to this point, terminal 20 obtains specific access information. If the specific access information is not stored in the storage unit 24 (browser), it stores the specific access information in the browser. If it is already stored (especially if customer terminal information is stored), nothing is done at this point.

[0104] The product sales site server 40 (the web server that builds the sales system) sends its own web page information to the terminal 20 (step 4), and the terminal 20 displays the product sales site in its browser.

[0105] The above is just one example; specific access information may be stored in the memory of server 10 (its own memory) or in the memory of the server 40 on the product sales site side.

[0106] In summary, in the processing of specific access information, at least one terminal constituting the success-fee type intermediary system 1 stores information (specific access information) indicating that it is accessing a product sales site via a specific link in a storage unit. In this embodiment, the terminal is the customer's terminal 20.

[0107] In this embodiment, terminal 20 specifically stores specific access information in the browser. Such mechanisms include cookies and / or local storage, but in this embodiment, local storage is used as the essential mode.

[0108] However, this is not the only method; any other method is acceptable as long as it involves storing information in the browser or other location on terminal 20. However, local storage is preferable to cookies and similar methods because it can store data for longer periods (almost indefinitely).

[0109] Since specific access information is stored in the browser of terminal 20, the information is retained even if the customer closes the web browser. Even if the customer accesses the product sales site again at a later date and purchases products, server 10 will check the specific access information, and it will be counted as a sales partner's achievement. Details will be explained in the section on purchase achievement determination processing.

[0110] <2-3. Purchase History Determination Process> In the purchase history determination process, the processor obtains the customer's purchase information (purchase information acquisition process). Furthermore, after obtaining the purchase information, the processor (2-1) Determine whether the storage unit has stored the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information, and if it does not, determine whether its own storage unit or the storage unit of the customer's terminal has stored information (specific access information) indicating that the customer of the purchase information is accessing the product sales site through the specific link, or (2-2) Determine whether the store itself or the store of the customer's terminal stores information (specific access information) indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link. If it does not store such information, determine whether the store stores the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information (history determination process). Furthermore, the processor stores partner performance (performance storage processing) when it can confirm the storage of past purchase information or information indicating that the user has accessed the product sales site through the specified link (specific access information).

[0111] In the performance determination process of this embodiment, the "storage unit" in the part "whether or not the storage unit stores past purchase information" is the storage unit 14 of the server 10. Furthermore, in the phrase "whether or not the customer's own memory unit or the customer's terminal memory unit stores information indicating that the customer is accessing the product sales site through the specified link (specified access information)," the memory unit refers to the memory unit 24 of the customer's terminal 20.

[0112] Furthermore, based on the above, "confirmation of memory (storage)" in the performance memory processing of this embodiment means that the above past purchase information is stored in the memory unit 14 of the server 10, or that information indicating that the customer is accessing the product sales site via the above specific link (specific access information) is stored in the memory unit 24 of the customer's terminal 20. This configuration is explained in the flowchart below.

[0113] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the purchase history determination process. Assume a user directly accesses a product sales website, purchases the product, and completes the payment. At this time, the sales system on the product sales website server 40 holds the customer's purchase information. In this embodiment, purchase information includes transaction information and customer information. Transaction information includes, for example, product name and sales figures, while customer information includes name and (shipping) address.

[0114] The processor 422 of the product sales site server 40 periodically requests purchase information from the sales system of the product sales site server 40 via module 44A (program) (step 21), and retrieves the purchase information (in bulk) from the sales system (purchase information retrieval process, step 22).

[0115] In this embodiment, "regularly" means when there are data updates on the product sales site 40. However, this is not the only option; requests may be made at predetermined intervals. For example, administrators can freely set the information request interval to be at least every millisecond. Specifically, requests may be made every hour. However, since a high update frequency will impact server costs, optimization can be implemented based on operational status.

[0116] Returning to Figure 15, the processor 422 transmits the acquired purchase information to the server 10 via module 44A (step 23).

[0117] The processor 122 of the server 10, which has received purchase information including customer information, refers to (searches) the data table of the storage unit 14 for the acquired information (step 24).

[0118] Here, we will first explain the pattern (1) above in the performance evaluation process. If the customer information obtained in step 23 matches the customer information stored in the data table of server 10 (storage unit 14) (step 25 Yes), the processor 122 determines whether there are multiple sales partners involved with that customer (who are introducing products, etc., to that customer) (step 26).

[0119] If there are multiple sales partners (Step 26: Yes), select the highest priority sales partner (Step 27) and save the information as that sales partner's sales performance (Step 28: Performance Storage Processing). Here, the highest priority sales partner can be arbitrarily selected by the administrator or seller. For example, this could be a sales partner who registered early or a partner with a proven sales record.

[0120] If there are no multiple sales partners (i.e., only one) (Step 26 No), save the information as that sales partner's sales performance (Step 28).

[0121] On the other hand, if the customer information obtained in step 23 does not match the customer information stored in the data table (step 25 No), the processor 122 stores the newly obtained customer information (the customer information obtained in step 23) in the data table (customer data table D20) of the server 10 (storage unit 14) (step 29, "Purchase Information Storage Processing").

[0122] Furthermore, server 10 queries terminal 20 regarding the storage of specific access information (step 30) and obtains a response (step 31).

[0123] Then, if terminal 20 has stored specific access information (step 32 Yes), processor 122 executes the processes from steps 26 to 28 described above.

[0124] On the other hand, if terminal 20 does not store specific access information (step 32 No), processor 122 terminates processing.

[0125] Here, if no past purchase information by the same customer as the purchase information obtained in step 23 exists in the storage unit 14 (customer data table D20) of server 10, and terminal 20 does not store specific access information, it can be determined that the customer is a customer who accessed the product sales site directly (not via a specific link) and made a purchase of products for the first time. In this case, the customer's purchase is not attributed to the sales partner's contribution and therefore does not count towards the sales partner's performance.

[0126] In the example above, the determination of whether customer information matches (steps 25 and 29) is performed first, followed by the determination of whether terminal 20 possesses specific access information (steps 30 to 32). However, since it is possible to determine that a customer has accessed a product introduction site if either of these pieces of information is available, the order of processing could be reversed. In other words, after determining whether or not specific access information is possessed, it is also possible to determine whether or not the customer information matches (the pattern of (2) above in the performance determination process - not illustrated).

[0127] <2-4. Reward Calculation and Granting Process> In the reward calculation and awarding process, processor 122 awards rewards to sales partners based on their performance.

[0128] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the reward calculation and awarding process. The processor 122 starts the reward calculation and awarding process when the sales record is saved in the purchase record determination process described in the previous section, or when a request is made by the user (sales partner) on the system.

[0129] Processor 122 first obtains the sales performance data of the sales partner (step 41). Then, the compensation is calculated using a predetermined formula based on the acquired sales performance (sales amount in this embodiment) (step 42). For example, it may be 7% of sales, but in reality, it may include complex calculations such as tax calculations. Processor 122 rewards the sales partner (step 43) and stores various data (step 44).

[0130] Here, the granting of rewards may, for example, involve preparing for reward payment (such as bank transfer) by storing monetary information in the storage unit 14 of server 10 so that sales partners can access it, or it may involve actually executing the reward payment (such as bank transfer). Alternatively, it may involve granting alternative currencies such as points.

[0131] With the above configuration, by checking whether the customer information of the customer who made the purchase has already been stored in the storage unit (customer data table D20) or whether the terminal 20 has stored specific access information, the server 10 can check in detail whether the customer has previously made a purchase on the product sales site or has accessed the product sales site via a specific link. This means that even if a customer accesses a product sales site via a specific link and does not purchase the product at that stage, if they later access the product sales site again and make a purchase, it can be correctly counted as a sales partner's achievement, thus increasing the sales partner's motivation to promote products.

[0132] 3. Data The data handled by the success-fee type intermediary system 1 of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to the diagrams. The success-fee type intermediary system 1 of this embodiment includes a success-fee type intermediary data table D1 in its storage unit.

[0133] The success-fee type intermediary data table D1 may be distributed across the storage unit 14 of server 10 or the storage unit 44 of the product sales site server 40, or it may be stored entirely in one of the storage units. Furthermore, the data stored in the storage unit 14 of server 10 or the storage unit 44 of the product sales site server 40 may be duplicated. Furthermore, the data may be stored on devices other than those mentioned above.

[0134] The success-fee-based brokerage data table D1 includes the total transaction data table D10, customer data table D20, seller data table D30, sales partner data table D40, and daily visit data table D50.

[0135] The all-transaction data table D10 is a data table that contains data related to all transactions (all transaction data).

[0136] [Table 1]

[0137] Table 1 illustrates the data contained in the all-transaction data table D10. As shown in Table 1, the all-transaction data table D10 includes the following items: a unique transaction ID, a customer ID (explained in the next section), a customer purchase date indicating the date of purchase of goods, a purchase time, a sales partner ID (described later), a unique seller ID assigned to each seller (advertiser), the sales amount for that transaction, the type of purchase (direct, return visit, repeat purchase), and the amount of commission paid to the sales partner.

[0138] Here, the type of purchase refers to whether a user who visited a product sales site via a specific link made a purchase immediately upon accessing that link (direct purchase), left the product sales site but made a purchase again by accessing it directly or elsewhere (revisited visit), or made a repeat purchase from a user who had already made a purchase before (repurchase). Includes.

[0139] The all-transaction data table D10 may also include the name of the product or service or the category of the product or service (hereinafter referred to as "product information"). The goods or services sold may include, for example, cosmetics (sunscreen, lotion, etc.) or hamburgers. Alternatively, these may be categorized (higher-level concepts) (for example, daily necessities, food, etc.).

[0140] The examples shown here are just a few; other transaction-related information may also be included. On the other hand, some of the above information may be contained in another data table. For example, sales figures and commission amounts may be stored in the seller data table D30 and the sales partner data table D40, which will be described later.

[0141] Furthermore, the data may include processed information. For example, information that hashed for security purposes. This is especially important because personal information needs to be protected with a high level of security. Therefore, the same applies to the data tables shown below, which can include processed information as data.

[0142] Customer data table D20 is a data table that contains data (customer information / customer data) about customers who purchase products, etc.

[0143] [Table 2]

[0144] Table 2 shows an example of the data contained in customer data table D20. As shown in Table 2, customer data table D20 includes the following fields: unique customer ID, last name, first name, registration date, contact information (email address, phone number, etc.), address (address 1, address 2), age (or date of birth), and gender.

[0145] In addition to the above, customer data table D20 includes the date and time the data was created and the date and time the data was updated.

[0146] In this embodiment, the customer data table D20 also includes information related to specific access information. Information related to specific access information includes, for example, the user's environment, such as information about the customer's terminal (terminal 20). Specific examples include network information such as IP addresses and access history (for product introduction sites and product sales sites), and device information such as the OS and MAC address.

[0147] In addition, the customer data table D20 may also include information held in cookies and / or local storage that are generally stored in the browser. On the other hand, a separate data table may be provided to store information held by cookies and / or local storage.

[0148] The examples shown here are just a few; other customer-related information may also be included. For example, customer authentication information (information related to knowledge authentication such as passwords, possession authentication, or biometric authentication) or proof information (information related to identification documents, etc.) may be stored.

[0149] The determination of whether customer information matches as described above (see the section on purchase history determination process) is made using at least one of the data points contained in customer data table D20. For example, in this embodiment, the determination is made using the customer's address (address 1 and address 2). However, it is not limited to this, and the determination may also be made using "surname and address 1," "surname, date of birth, and gender," "name and contact information," or "name and authentication information." For example, if identification is based solely on the surname and given name, there is a possibility of misidentifying other people with the same name. Therefore, a method that can uniquely identify a customer is preferable.

[0150] Seller data table D30 is a data table that contains data about sellers (seller data).

[0151] [Table 3]

[0152] Table 3 provides an example of the data contained in the seller data table D30. As shown in Table 3, the seller data table D30 includes the following items: a unique seller ID, seller name (name or company name), seller address (head office, branch office, sales office, representative address, etc.), product sales site URL, seller registration date with the success-fee-based intermediary system 1, number of months the seller has used the success-fee-based intermediary system 1 (months elapsed since registration), and the usage fee for the success-fee-based intermediary system 1 (system usage fee).

[0153] For example, registration date and usage period can be used to provide benefits to users who have been registered for a long time (the same applies to partner registration date and usage period, as described later).

[0154] In addition to the above, the seller data table D30 of this embodiment includes contact information (telephone number, email address), bank account information (bank name, bank number, branch name, branch number, account type, account number, or account holder name), billing-related information (closing date, billing date, payment due month, or payment due date), image information related to the product sales site (store thumbnail information), data creation date and time, and data update date and time.

[0155] In this embodiment, the seller data table D30 includes information about specific links. For example, this could be the assigned QR code information.

[0156] The seller data table D30 may also include information about products, industry, or sales figures. Product information here refers to the name of the product or service or the category of the product or service handled by the seller. Examples of industries include retail and food service industries, and the Japan Standard Industrial Classification of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications can be suitably used. In this case, major and minor classifications should be selected and used as appropriate. These can be used for matching and other purposes, as will be explained later.

[0157] Sales Partner Data Table D40 is a data table that contains data about sales partners (sales partner data).

[0158] [Table 4]

[0159] Table 4 illustrates the data contained in the sales partner data table D40. As shown in Table 4, the sales partner data table D40 includes the following items: a unique sales partner ID, sales partner name (personal name or company name), sales partner address, product introduction site URL, sales partner registration date with the success-based commission-based intermediary system 1 (partner registration date), number of months of use (months elapsed since registration), and total commission amount, which is the total amount of commission earned.

[0160] In addition to the above, the Sales Partner Data Table D40 includes information such as the type of business (individual or corporate), contact information, bank account information, seller-specific number, date and time the data was created, date and time the data was updated, commission rate, and specific link information. Please note that we have already explained contact information, bank account information, seller-specific numbers, and specific links, so we will omit further explanation here.

[0161] Furthermore, the sales partner data table D40 may include information about products, etc., and industry.

[0162] The daily visitor data table D50 is a data table related to website access and sales.

[0163] [Table 5]

[0164] Table 5 is an excerpt from the daily visit data table D50, showing the portion related to one sales partner. Please refer to Figure 9 for the UI. The daily visit data table D50 includes the following fields: date, sales amount, commission revenue, compensation payment amount, number of visits, and number of sales. The explanations for each item have been given above, so I will omit them here.

[0165] The daily visit data table D50 may include metrics such as the conversion rate. The conversion rate is the number of sales made relative to the number of visits.

[0166] Furthermore, you can subdivide the dates and create a separate row for each sale. In that case, the daily visit data table D50 may include fields for the name of the product or service related to the sales, or the category of the product or service (information about the product, etc. related to the sales), or a unique ID.

[0167] In addition to the above, the daily visit data table D50 also includes a daily visit data table for sellers (e-commerce sites) (not shown; see Figure 8 for UI).

[0168] With the above structure, the success-fee-based intermediary data table D1 holds a variety of data, including information about products, sales information, and information about customers, sellers (advertisers), and sales partners. This data can be used to build sales strategies that enable more efficient sales, as well as for AI matching functions, which will be discussed later.

[0169] 4. Hardware Configuration As shown in Figure 1, the success-based commission-based intermediary system 1 in this embodiment comprises a server 10, a terminal 20, a product introduction site server 30, and a product sales site server 40. These devices are connected via a network N, which is, for example, the internet. In this embodiment, the server 10 and the product sales site server 40 are equipped with software (application software) for operating the success-based commission-based intermediary system 1, and various processes are executed according to the functions of this software. The following describes each piece of hardware.

[0170] Although only one server is shown in Figure 1, the number is not limited to one, and it may be implemented using multiple servers. For example, from the perspective of load balancing and availability, it is possible to use multiple servers. Alternatively, separate servers could be used for different functions. Server 10 may utilize a computer provided by a cloud service provider, or the user may provide their own computer.

[0171] <Server 10> Server 10 is a computer for running the success-based intermediary program P1. We perform various processes, including success-based commission-based brokerage services.

[0172] Server 10 also functions as a web server. That is, it provides a website accessible to sellers and sales partners who have contracted to use the performance-based intermediary system 1, and this website provides customer access information to the product sales site, sales partner compensation information, and so on.

[0173] Figure 17 is a hardware configuration diagram of server 10. As shown in Figure 17, the server 10 comprises a control unit 12, a storage unit 14, and a communication control unit 16. The control unit 12 also comprises a processor 122, a ROM 124, a RAM 126, and a timing unit 128. The basic functions of each will be explained in detail later.

[0174] The control unit 12, which includes a processor 122, also functions as a success-based mediation unit 12a in the server 10 (not shown). The success-based mediation unit 12a executes a success-based mediation program P1 to perform success-based mediation processing. In this embodiment, the processor 122 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0175] Furthermore, one program may include other programs. For example, in this embodiment, the success-fee type brokerage program P1 includes a specific access information handling program P14 and a purchase history determination program P16, etc.

[0176] As shown in Figure 17, the storage unit 14 includes a program storage unit 14a and a data storage unit 14b, and stores programs and data necessary for various processes. For example, the program storage unit 14a stores not only the success-based compensation type mediation program P1 according to this embodiment, but also control programs for controlling devices connected to the server 10, such as a communication control program for controlling the communication control unit 16.

[0177] As shown in Figure 17, the communication control unit 16 is a device that communicates between the server 10 and an external terminal, such as terminal 20, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 1, the communication control unit 16 connects the server 10 to the network N.

[0178] In addition to the above, the server 10 may also include an input unit (e.g., a keyboard) for inputting commands and data, and an output unit (e.g., an audio output device) for outputting information in some form (not shown). Furthermore, it may include additional devices necessary for the use of this embodiment, or devices to improve convenience for the use of this embodiment.

[0179] <Terminal 20> Terminal 20 is an information processing device for customers to access product introduction sites and product sales sites. In this embodiment, terminal 20 is described as a customer's terminal.

[0180] Although not shown in Figure 1, in addition to the customer's terminal, terminals belonging to other users (administrators, sellers, or sales partners) are also connected to network N. However, since the functionality of the terminal is the same for both the customer's terminal and other users' terminals, we will omit the explanation.

[0181] Terminal 20 may be a stationary device such as a desktop PC, or a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0182] Figure 18 is a hardware configuration diagram of terminal 20. As shown in Figure 18, the terminal 20 comprises a control unit 22, a storage unit 24, a communication control unit 26, and an input / output unit 28. The control unit 22 also comprises a processor 222, ROM, RAM, and a timing unit. Explanations that overlap with previously explained content or relate to basic functions described later will be omitted.

[0183] <Product / Service Introduction Site Server 30> The product introduction site server 30 is a web server that provides the product introduction site. Here, a web server is a server that receives requests from client terminals (where "client" refers to a client in a client-server system) and provides website data. The server's hardware configuration has already been described in section 10, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0184] <Product / Service Sales Site Server 40> The product sales site server 40 is a server with multiple functions. Specifically, these multiple functions include the function of a web server providing a product sales site, the function of a sales system, and the functions provided by the module that performs the aforementioned specific access information handling processing and purchase history determination processing. The functions of a sales system include, for example, sales, payment processing, and storage of customer information related to goods. These functions may include publicly known features as appropriate.

[0185] The control unit and processor of the product sales site server 40 are designated as control unit 42 and processor 422, respectively. The storage unit of the product sales site server 40 is designated as storage unit 44, and the module (program) stored in the storage unit is designated as module 44A. Module 44A is also commonly referred to as a plug-in. In the storage unit 44 of this embodiment, the data used by module 44A and the data used by the sales system are separated.

[0186] Module 44A is a functional unit specialized in executing performance-based intermediary processing, and in this embodiment, it is responsible for a portion of the specific access information handling processing and purchase history determination processing described above. The processing entity is the processor 422 of the product sales site server 40. In other words, server 10, together with the product sales site server 40, performs specific access information handling processing and purchase history determination processing. Regarding everything else, the server hardware configuration has already been explained in section 10, so we will omit further explanation here.

[0187] (Explanation of the basic functions of a computer) The following describes the control unit (processor, ROM, RAM, timing unit), storage unit, communication control unit, input unit, and output unit. In any of the terminals in this embodiment, the connection configuration (network topology) between functional units is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a bus type, a star type, a mesh type, or the like.

[0188] The processor performs information processing and controls various devices according to programs stored in ROM or other memory units. In this embodiment, the processor is a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0189] However, the processor is not limited to a CPU. Various processors such as CPUs, DSPs (Digital Signal Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), GPGPUs (General Purpose computing on GPUs), TPUs (Tensor Processing Units), or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) may be used individually or in combination. For example, a processor that integrates a CPU and a GPU is called an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), and such a processor can also be used.

[0190] ROM is read-only memory that contains various programs and data pre-stored for the processor to perform various control and calculations.

[0191] RAM is random-access memory used by the processor as working memory. Various areas can be reserved within this RAM for performing the various processes described in this embodiment.

[0192] The timing unit performs timing processing, including the acquisition of time information. If the computer is equipped with a communication control unit, it may acquire time information from an external source using NTP (Network Time Protocol).

[0193] A memory unit is a device for storing information such as programs and data. It is also called a storage unit. The memory unit can be either internal or external.

[0194] The storage unit includes a storage medium capable of reading and writing data, and a drive for reading and writing to the storage medium. Storage media include internal and external types, such as HD (hard disk), CD-ROM, and flash memory. Examples of drives include HDDs (hard disk drives) and SSDs (solid state drives).

[0195] The memory unit comprises a program storage unit and a data storage unit as functional units. The program storage unit stores control programs for controlling various devices, such as communication control programs for controlling communications.

[0196] The communication control unit is a device for facilitating communication between terminals and other devices. The communication control unit connects the terminals equipped with the communication control unit to the network N.

[0197] The communication method of the communication control unit is a known method, and either a wired or wireless method is applied depending on the equipment. For example, if the device is a desktop PC, both wired and wireless connections are possible, while if the device is a smartphone, a wireless communication method is possible.

[0198] For wired connections, communication methods defined in standards such as IEEE 802.3 (e.g., bus-type or star-type wired LANs) can be suitably used, but other communication methods such as those defined in IEEE 802.5 (e.g., ring-type wired LANs) may also be used.

[0199] For wireless communication, a communication method defined by, for example, IEEE 802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi) can be suitably used. However, other methods such as IEEE 802.15 (e.g., Bluetooth®, BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy)), IEEE 802.16 (e.g., WiMAX), ZigBee®, 920MHz band wireless (e.g., Wi-SUN), or optical communication methods such as infrared communication may also be used.

[0200] The input and output sections are devices responsible for input and output to and from the terminal, respectively. The input and output sections are sometimes collectively referred to as the input / output section. The input unit is a device that receives input from the user. Examples of such input units include keyboards, pointing devices such as mice, trackpads, tablets, or touch panels.

[0201] If the device is a tablet or smartphone and the input unit is a touch panel, the input unit is located on the surface of the display unit that displays images, such as a touchscreen. In this case, the input unit identifies the user's touch position corresponding to the various operation icons displayed on the display unit and accepts input from the user.

[0202] The output unit is a device for outputting, for example, images, audio, or documents. Output devices include, for example, display devices such as touchscreens and displays (liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays), audio output devices such as speakers, and document output devices such as printers.

[0203] With the configuration described above, the performance-based intermediary system 1 has the advantage of being able to retain the performance data of the product introduction site even if a customer accesses the product sales site via the product introduction site and then leaves the product sales site, by acquiring and storing customer purchase information and specific access information. Furthermore, by distributing the tasks of acquiring, storing, and processing purchase information and specific access information across multiple hardware devices, performance-based commission-based intermediary processing can be executed efficiently.

[0204] (Second Embodiment) In the above example, the sales partner operated a website introducing the products, but it is not necessary to introduce the products online. For example, the sales partner could be a publisher and print QR codes on printed materials such as magazines or posters. For example, a customer reads a QR code published in a magazine using a scanner on a smartphone or the like and accesses a sales site for products or the like. When the customer purchases a product or the like, a reward is paid to the magazine publisher or the like of the magazine.

[0205] That is, in this case, the "information including a specific link including special parameters" described above is the "information including a specific link including special parameters and printed on a printed medium", and the "sales partner" described above is the "publisher of the printed medium".

[0206] (Third Embodiment) In addition to the above-described embodiments, the success-based mediation system 1 may include an AI matching function. The AI matching function is a function that matches registered sellers (advertisers) and sales partners. The success-based mediation system 1 can match, for example, a seller (advertiser) who wants to sell cosmetics and a sales partner who has experience in selling cosmetics by the AI matching function.

[0207] In the present embodiment, the AI matching function is realized by an AI matching machine learning model P30.

[0208] By the AI matching machine learning model P30, the processor (In the learning stage), at least, information on the products or the like of the seller and information on the sales partner including the name of the sales partner, information on the products or the like of the sales partner, the number of visits to the product or the like introduction site, and the number of sales on the product or the like introduction site are used as input data to learn the relationship, (In the inference stage), using information on the products or the like handled by the seller as input, the name of the sales partner appropriate for selling the products or the like of the seller is output (matching process).

[0209] Here, a suitable sales partner for the seller's products is a sales partner whose information about their products (e.g., product or service name) is similar to the information about the seller's products, and who also has (2-1) a high number of sales transactions on their product introduction site or (2-2) a high number of sales transactions (conversion rate) per visit to their product introduction site.

[0210] (Sales Partner) When information about a product is said to be similar to information about a seller's product, it means that the feature quantities of the product information are similar (for example, the vectors calculated using word2vec have a high degree of similarity). In other words, the P30 machine learning model for AI matching allows the processor to calculate the similarity between the features of the products handled by the seller and the features of the products handled by the sales partner.

[0211] The AI ​​matching machine learning model P30 can introduce suitable sales partners to sellers (outputting the names of sales partners) by taking in a large amount of data. For example, in addition to the above, data such as addresses may also contribute to sales. A higher conversion rate can be expected when the seller's address and the sales partner's address are close together. Furthermore, if there are regions where a particular product sells well and regions where it sells poorly, the AI ​​matching machine learning model P30 can introduce (output) sales partners that are strong in the regions where the product sells well.

[0212] The matching process may be performed by the processor 122 of server 10, or by using a separate computer (server) for machine learning, with the matching process performed by the processor of that computer. In this case, the machine learning computer (server) can be considered hardware that constitutes the success-fee type intermediary system 1.

[0213] (modified version) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various modifications to the embodiments described above, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0214] For example, while previously the commission rate from seller to administrator or from seller to sales partner was set individually for each sales partner, it is now possible to set this commission rate (commission percentage, etc.) all at once. In other words, the commission rate can be predetermined. In this case, the commission rate is pre-entered when the seller or sales partner registers, but it can be changed only when desired. This reduces the burden of data entry and allows for changes to compensation rates in a lump sum at predetermined times. These predetermined times could include, for example, uniformly increasing compensation when sales are strong or when increased sales of goods are expected, such as during the Christmas season.

[0215] Furthermore, although omitted in the description of the above embodiment (in the user interface section), the administrator can also send an invitation email to the seller. In this case, the invited seller can enter and submit their own information, and upon approval by the administrator, they can become a seller of the performance-based intermediary system 1.

[0216] Furthermore, individuals (candidates) who wish to become sellers or sales partners can apply to the administrator by entering their information into a pre-prepared form. If approved by the administrator, these candidates can utilize the performance-based intermediary system 1 as sellers or sales partners.

[0217] In the above embodiment, the product sales site server 40 was equipped with module 44A and was responsible for a portion of the processing of specific access information and the processing of purchase history. However, this is not the only option; for example, the server 10 may also execute the processing performed by module 44A, thereby executing the entire success-based mediation process.

[0218] The fact that the product sales site server 40 is equipped with module 44A has the advantage of eliminating the need for modifications to the e-commerce site (such as API integration). Since the product sales site server 40 only requires the installation of module 44A, it also has the advantage of being quick to deploy. Furthermore, by having server 10 not acquire sales information each time, but instead relying on the functionality of module 44A, the burden on server 10 is reduced, which is an advantage.

[0219] Furthermore, in the purchase history determination process in the above-described embodiment, the processor 122 queries the terminal 20 and obtains specific access information from the terminal 20. However, the system is not limited to this, and the server 10 and / or module 44A may obtain and store the specific access information. Having terminal 20 store specific access information has advantages such as reducing the burden on server 10, while centralizing information on server 10 has advantages such as reducing the number of communications.

[0220] Similarly, in the purchase performance determination process in the above embodiment (Figure 15), if there are multiple sales partners, the highest priority sales partner is selected and the information is saved as that sales partner's sales performance, but this is not limited to this. For example, you could allow users to select multiple preferred sales partners. Furthermore, you could choose to distribute the funds equally or on a tiered basis. In other words, if there are multiple sales partners, you may select one or more preferred sales partners and save their information as their sales performance. Choosing the highest priority partner, i.e., partner 1, has the advantage of faster processing, while choosing two or more partners has the advantage of enabling more detailed reward distribution that would be difficult to calculate manually, and this can be automated.

[0221] In addition, while the above embodiment gives an example where the product introduction site is a web service, and further gives an example where the product introduction site is offline (print media), this does not limit the location of the advertisement (e.g., the location where the QR code is provided) or the content of the service. The location of the advertisement and the content of the service are not limited as long as they achieve the objective of the performance-based intermediary system 1, such as social networking services, video sharing sites, or virtual spaces known as the metaverse.

[0222] Aspects of the present invention, including this embodiment, have the following characteristics. The following corresponds to the claims at the time of filing the application. However, due to amendments to the claims after filing, the description of the claims may differ. (1) In the first aspect, a computer is made to function as (1) user registration means, (2) purchase record determination means, and (3) reward calculation and granting means. The (1) user registration means includes seller registration means for registering seller information, sales partner registration means for registering information of a sales partner who introduces the seller's products or services, and specific link information providing means for providing information including a specific link containing special parameters to the seller or the sales partner. The (2) purchase record determination means includes purchase information acquisition means for acquiring customer purchase information, (2-1) a performance determination means for determining whether the storage unit stores the customer's past purchase information of the purchase information, and if not, determining whether the storage unit of itself or the storage unit of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed a product sales site through the specific link, or (2-2) a performance determination means for determining whether the storage unit of itself or the storage unit of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed a product sales site through the specific link, and if not, determining whether the storage unit stores the customer's past purchase information of the purchase information, and performance storage means for storing partner performance when the storage of the past purchase information or information indicating access to a product sales site through the specific link can be confirmed. The (3) reward calculation and granting means provides a successful reward type intermediation program characterized by granting a reward to the sales partner based on the partner performance. (2) In the second aspect, the successful reward type intermediation program according to the first aspect is provided, characterized in that the user registration means further includes secondary partner registration means for receiving an invitation from a sales partner for another sales partner and registering information of the other sales partner. In this case, since a sales partner can select yet another sales partner, there is the advantage of being able to select a sales partner that can contribute more to sales. Also, for example, since a primary sales partner can select multiple secondary sales partners, the primary sales partner can focus on management and subcontract the actual advertising and promotion (referrals) to a secondary sales partner that specializes in advertising and promotion. (3) In a third embodiment, the information comprising a specific link containing the special parameters is information that includes a specific link containing the special parameters and is printed on a print medium, and the sales partner is the publisher of the print medium, wherein the performance-based brokerage program described in the first embodiment is provided. In this case, since print media can be utilized without relying on electronic media, there is the advantage of expanding the scope of advertising and promotion. This makes it possible to build new business models that utilize both electronic and non-electronic media. (4) In a fourth embodiment, the program is further described in the first embodiment, which includes a matching means that learns the relationship between information about the seller's products, information about the sales partner including the name of the sales partner, information about the sales partner's products, the number of visits to the product introduction site, and the number of sales made on the product introduction site, and takes information about the products handled by the seller as input, and outputs the name of a sales partner suitable for selling the seller's products. In this case, it has the advantage of improving conversion rates and other metrics because it can introduce more suitable sales partners to sellers who utilize big data. (5) In the fifth embodiment, the system comprises (1) a user registration unit, (2) a purchase performance determination unit, and (3) a reward calculation and award unit, wherein the (1) user registration unit comprises a seller registration unit for registering seller information, a sales partner registration unit for registering sales partners who introduce the seller's products or services, and a specific link information provision unit for providing the seller or sales partner with information including a specific link with special parameters, wherein the (2) purchase performance determination unit comprises a purchase information acquisition unit for acquiring customer purchase information, and (2-1) a storage unit for determining whether the customer of the purchase information has past purchase information stored, and if not stored, the storage unit for information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link. The system provides a performance-based intermediary system comprising: a performance determination unit that determines whether the unit or the customer's terminal's memory unit has stored information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specified link, and if it does not have such information stored, determines whether the memory unit has stored the customer's past purchase information; and a performance storage unit that stores partner performance when it can be confirmed that the past purchase information or information indicating that the customer has accessed the product sales site through the specified link has been stored, and the (3) reward calculation and grant unit grants a reward to the sales partner based on the partner performance. [Industrial applicability]

[0223] In line with the changing media that users interact with, this technology can also be applied to advertising in unconventional services such as the metaverse. [Explanation of symbols]

[0224] 1. Success-based commission system 10 servers 12 Control Unit 122 processors 124 ROM 126 RAM 128 Timing section 12a Success fee type intermediary department 14 Storage section 14a Program storage section 14b Data storage section 16 Communication Control Unit 20 devices (customer's devices) 22 Control Unit 24 Memory section 26 Communication Control Unit 28 Input / output section 30. Product introduction site server 40. Server on the product sales site side 42 Control Unit 422 processors 44 Storage section Page 44A (UI, program, data table) UI-11 Side Menu UI-12 Main Screen UI-13 Add EC Site Button UI-14 EC site information input field UI-15 Save button UI-16 Edit button UI-17 Add Sales Partner Button UI-18 Sales Partner Information Input Field UI-19 Period Selection Field UI-20 EC site display field UI-21 Details display field UI-22 Sales Partner Selection Field UI-23 Sales Partner Introduction Button UI-24 Invitation Partner Information Input Field UI-25 Reward Percentage Input Field UI-26 Send Invitation Email Button UI-30 Information with specific links UI-301 Information with a specific link (URL) UI-302 Information with a specific link (QR code) P1 Success-based commission program P12 User Registration Program P14 Specific Access Information Handling Program P16 Purchase History Determination Program P18 Reward Calculation and Granting Program P30 AI matching machine learning model D1 Success-based commission-based brokerage data table D10 All Transaction Data Table D20 Customer Data Table D30 Seller Data Table D40 Sales Partner Data Table D50 Daily Visit Data Table

Claims

1. The computer is used to function as (1) a user registration means, (2) a purchase history determination means, and (3) a reward calculation and awarding means. The above (1) User registration means is, A seller registration method for registering seller information. A sales partner registration means for registering information of sales partners who introduce the goods or services of the aforementioned seller, and The system includes a means for providing information to the aforementioned seller or sales partner, which includes a specific link containing special parameters, The purchase history determination means described in (2) above is: Purchase information acquisition method for obtaining customer purchase information, (2-1) Determine whether the storage unit has stored the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information, and if it does not, determine whether its own storage unit or the customer's terminal storage unit has stored information indicating that the customer of the purchase information is accessing the product sales site through the specific link, or, (2-2) A means for determining whether the store itself or the store of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link, and if it does not store such information, it determines whether the store stores the customer's past purchase information, and The system includes a performance storage means that stores partner performance when it can be confirmed that it has stored past purchase information or information indicating that the user has accessed the product sales site through the specified link, The (3) compensation calculation and awarding means is a performance-based commission-based brokerage program characterized by awarding compensation to the sales partner based on the partner's performance.

2. The user registration means further, The success-fee type brokerage program according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a secondary partner registration means for accepting invitations from sales partners to other sales partners and registering information of said other sales partners.

3. Information comprising a specific link including the aforementioned special parameters, This information includes specific links containing special parameters and is printed on a print medium. The success-based commission-based brokerage program according to claim 1, characterized in that the sales partner is the publisher of the print media.

4. Furthermore, the system learns the relationship between the seller's information about their products, the sales partner's name, the sales partner's information about their products, the number of visits to the product introduction site, and the number of sales made on the product introduction site, using these as input data. The success-fee type brokerage program according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a matching means that takes information about the goods handled by a seller as input and outputs the names of sales partners suitable for the sale of the seller's goods.

5. (1) A user registration unit, (2) A purchase history determination unit, and (3) A reward calculation and awarding unit, The above (1) User registration section is, The seller registration section registers seller information, A sales partner registration unit that registers information on sales partners who introduce the aforementioned seller's products or services, A specific link information providing unit provides the aforementioned seller or sales partner with information including a specific link containing special parameters, The (2) Purchase History Determination Unit described above is: A purchase information acquisition unit that acquires customer purchase information, (2-1) Determine whether the storage unit has stored the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information, and if it does not, determine whether its own storage unit or the customer's terminal storage unit has stored information indicating that the customer of the purchase information is accessing the product sales site through the specific link, or, (2-2) A performance determination unit that determines whether its own memory unit or the memory unit of the customer's terminal stores information indicating that the customer of the purchase information has accessed the product sales site through the specific link, and if it does not store such information, determines whether the memory unit stores the past purchase information of the customer of the purchase information, The system includes a performance storage unit that stores partner performance when it can be confirmed that it has stored past purchase information or information indicating that the user has accessed the product sales site through the specified link, The (3) compensation calculation and awarding unit is a performance-based commission system characterized by awarding compensation to the sales partner based on the partner's performance.

Images