Optimized online marketing and scheduling systems and methods that are based on driving demand for services

Abstract

In some aspects, the disclosure is directed to methods and systems for driving demand for services. An appointment platform operating on a server may identify, based on an appointment inventory of a service provider, an open appointment to be filled. The appointment platform may rank a plurality of users to which the open appointment may be offered. The appointment platform may rank a user of the plurality of users based on a current membership score of the user. The appointment platform may determine, based on the ranking, to offer the user the open appointment. The appointment platform may identify, based on the current membership score of the user, a type of incentive from a plurality of types of incentives, to offer to the user for filling the open appointment.

1 . A system comprising:
 an appointment engine comprising at least one processor, the appointment engine configured to:
 access, via a first interface, an appointment inventory of a service provider; 
 determine, via the first interface and the appointment inventory, that a first appointment with the service provider is filled by a first user prior to a time of the first appointment; 
 identify at least a second user from a plurality of users maintained in a database of the appointment engine, as a candidate for filling the first appointment in place of the first user; 
 determine an offer to include in a prompt to the first user, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user; and 
 communicate, via a second interface, the prompt to a client device of the first user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the appointment engine is configured to identify the second user from a waitlist, a standby list, or a list of at least one user that has signed up for a notification alert, for the first appointment or at least another appointment proximate in time to the time of the first appointment. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the appointment engine is configured to:
 indicate, via the prompt to the first user, information about a waitlist, a standby list, or a list of at least one user that has signed up for a notification alert, for the first appointment or at least another appointment proximate in time to the time of the first appointment; and   receive an indication from the first user to release the first appointment.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the appointment engine is configured to:
 communicate, via the second interface responsive to the indication from the first user to release the first appointment, another prompt to a client device of the second user to offer the first appointment to the second user.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the appointment engine is configured to:
 receive an indication from the second user to fill the first appointment; and   release an incentive to the first user, responsive to the second user filling the first appointment.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the offer, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user, includes the incentive, the incentive comprising at least one of: a reward point, a credit towards future services, a gift card or certificate, or a discount. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the offer, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user, comprises an offer for the first user to swap the first appointment with a second appointment of the second user. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the appointment engine is configured to:
 determine, via the first interface and the appointment inventory, that a second appointment with the service provider is an appointment yet to be filled;   determine, according a plurality of factors, a level of resources to promote the second appointment.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of factors includes at least one of: historical utilization of the second appointment, historical demand for an associated service, booking conditions, cancellation conditions, proximity in time to the time of the second appointment, a location of a candidate user or the service provider, local condition of the location, weather condition, an appointment record of the candidate user, a payment record of the candidate user, a record of services consumed or scheduled by the candidate user, the candidate user's adherence to the provider's service recommendations, revenue potential from the candidate user, or the candidate user's insurance plan or other payment method for service rendered by the service provider, or demand or interest from users for the associated service. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the level of resources include at least one of: level of incentive to offer to a candidate user to fill the second appointment, level of marketing or promotional costs, or level of marketing or promotional effort. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 accessing, by an appointment engine via a first interface, an appointment inventory of a service provider;   determining, by the appointment engine via the first interface and the appointment inventory, that a first appointment with the service provider is filled by a first user prior to a time of the first appointment;   identifying, by the appointment engine, at least a second user from a plurality of users maintained in a database of the appointment engine, as a candidate for filling the first appointment in place of the first user;   determining, by the appointment engine, an offer to include in a prompt to the first user, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user; and   communicating, by the appointment engine via a second interface, the prompt to a client device of the first user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 identifying, by the appointment engine, the second user from a waitlist, a standby list, or a list of at least one user that has signed up for a notification alert, for the first appointment or at least another appointment proximate in time to the time of the first appointment.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 indicating, by the appointment engine via the prompt to the first user, information about a waitlist, a standby list, or a list of at least one user that has signed up for a notification alert, for the first appointment or at least another appointment proximate in time to the time of the first appointment; and   receiving, by the appointment engine, an indication from the first user to release the first appointment.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 communicating, by the appointment engine via the second interface responsive to the indication from the first user to release the first appointment, another prompt to a client device of the second user to offer the first appointment to the second user.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 receiving, by the appointment engine, an indication from the second user to fill the first appointment; and   releasing, by the appointment engine, an incentive to the first user, responsive to the second user filling the first appointment.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the offer, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user, includes the incentive, the incentive comprising at least one of: a reward point, a credit towards future services, a gift card or certificate, or a discount. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the offer, for the first appointment to be filled by the second user in place of the first user, comprises an offer for the first user to swap the first appointment with a second appointment of the second user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 determining, by the appointment engine via the first interface and the appointment inventory, that a second appointment with the service provider is an appointment yet to be filled;   determining, by the appointment engine according a plurality of factors, a level of resources to promote the second appointment.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of factors includes at least one of: historical utilization of the second appointment, historical demand for an associated service, booking conditions, cancellation conditions, proximity in time to the time of the second appointment, a location of a candidate user or the service provider, local condition of the location, weather condition, an appointment record of the candidate user, a payment record of the candidate user, a record of services consumed or scheduled by the candidate user, the candidate user's adherence to the provider's service recommendations, revenue potential from the candidate user, or the candidate user's insurance plan or other payment method for service rendered by the service provider, or demand or interest from users for the associated service. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the level of resources include at least one of: level of incentive to offer to a candidate user to fill the second appointment, level of marketing or promotional costs, or level of marketing or promotional effort.