Abstract: A system and method for generating a marketplace on a computing system that allows advertisers to bid for different modes of engagement with consumers that show an interest in the goods or services offered by the advertisers. The system allows advertisers to bid for opportunities to engage with consumers via one or more publishers, the opportunities offering different modes of engagement with consumers. The modes of consumer engagement include, but are not limited to, a click or other expression of interest that leads to a referral of the consumer to an advertiser website, a call or other communication that leads to a voice connection between the consumer and the advertiser, a submission of one or more pieces of information about the consumer including a request for the advertiser to contact the consumer and/or provide content about the advertiser, and an opportunity to enter into a chat session with an advertiser.

Abstract: A system and method for creating a marketplace on a computing system that allows advertisers to bid for different modes of engagement with consumers that show an interest in the goods or services offered by the advertisers. If the consumer engages with the advertiser via one of the engagement modes, the advertiser is charged the bid amount pertaining to that mode subject to certain modifications of the bid amount. One of the modifications to the bid amount is based on a performance index that is calculated by the system. The performance index attempts to estimate the present value of engagement opportunities provided to the advertiser based on historical conversion information associated with prior engagement opportunities that were provided by a publisher. Once calculated, the performance index is used to adjust the bid amount to arrive at the actual price to be paid by the advertiser for the corresponding engagement.