Abstract: A method and system is disclosed which allows a smaller competitor online marketplace to efficiently compete against an established online marketplace. A software application, which allows to directly interact and conclude transaction with online marketplaces, is distributed as widely as possible to end-users. It is expected that initially, users will use the software application mostly for interacting with the established online marketplace. However, by seamlessly displaying items available for sale in the competitor online marketplace within the software application, the users of this software application become buyers in the competitor online marketplace, allowing it to reach the critical mass of buyers necessary to attract a large number of sellers.

Abstract: An incremental search engine method, performed on a server computer system connected to a network, is disclosed. The method allows to provide incremental search results to a large number of users in a timely and efficient fashion, facilitating the discovery of new information on the Internet or in corporate intranets. Users submit queries, which are stored on the server computer system. Once a query has been submitted, it is automatically checked against any new or modified documents retrieved from the network by a difference crawler, and new matches are presented to the submitter of the query. In the case of modified documents, only the novel portion of the document is considered for determining the new matches.

Abstract: A notification method and system is disclosed which can be implemented in the context of an online marketplace, to the advantage of both the users of the online marketplace and the operator of the online marketplace. This invention enables users to submit requests for receiving priority notifications when an item matching a query becomes available, in exchange for a notification fee payable only if the item is purchased within a predetermined time period after the notification is sent. In a preferred embodiment, the notification fee is variable and determined by the user, in effect creating a novel auction marketplace where users bid for the timely dispatching of notifications.