17 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
17 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Affiliate Question

by Rainer
15 replies
What is the best way to use an affiliate link? - use the encrypted version supplied, or is it better to use a subdomain and then redirect it to the affiliate link?

I was thinking that it might look cleaner and less 'offensive' to use a subdomain, e.g. subdomain.main site.com.

However when the cookies expire, wouldn't I have to change the redirect also?

I guess with using a subdomain redirect if I'm using a tracking ID to track if it's an email or website sale, I would have to create a separate subdomain?

Thanks.

Rainer
#affiliate #question
  • Profile picture of the author StevieHawk
    Normally I would just use tinyurl to shorten those horribly long encrypted links. I have never actually used a subdomain to redirect. If you are using your own website to sell to a niche you could just create a page to do the redirect or the tinyurl.

    I don't see any benefits in setting up a subdomain to redirect. If you are promoting on your own website google analyitics can tell you where the traffic is coming from.

    As for the cookies they are something that is on the other persons computer. They pick the cookies up through your affiliate link. You do not need to worry about them.

    Good luck
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022059].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Rainer
      Originally Posted by StevieHawk View Post

      Normally I would just use tinyurl to shorten those horribly long encrypted links. I have never actually used a subdomain to redirect. If you are using your own website to sell to a niche you could just create a page to do the redirect or the tinyurl.

      I don't see any benefits in setting up a subdomain to redirect. If you are promoting on your own website google analyitics can tell you where the traffic is coming from.

      As for the cookies they are something that is on the other persons computer. They pick the cookies up through your affiliate link. You do not need to worry about them.

      Good luck
      Thanks, Steve.

      When the advertiser says the link expires in 30 days or 60 days, what does that mean if someone buys 90 days out?

      Rainer
      Signature
      "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022220].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author StevieHawk
    I think they mean the cookie expires. When a searcher comes to your site and then goes through the affiliate link they pick up a cookie which has your information on it. If they make a purchase with this cookie still in their browser you will get commission. The cookie will expire after 30-60 days and you will receive no credit if they buy after this time.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022244].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author patJ
    Do NOT use tinyurl for your affiliate links. Who knows how much longer tinyurl is going to be around? Or if they ever get hacked / DDOS attacked?

    Instead, just use an HTML redirect and put it in a folder on your own domain.
    Signature

    Elegant, simple and clean Landing Page Templates for just $7.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022248].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Rainer
      Originally Posted by patJ View Post

      Do NOT use tinyurl for your affiliate links. Who knows how much longer tinyurl is going to be around? Or if they ever get hacked / DDOS attacked?

      Instead, just use an HTML redirect and put it in a folder on your own domain.
      Thanks, Pat.

      How does this differ from .php code, or is pretty well the same thing?

      And how do affiliates get around the expiring cookies issue? Do you go and get another hoplink and replace the expired one?

      Rainer
      Signature
      "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022474].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author avani
        Just to elaborate... (well, @patJ responded before I could finish typing this, thought I'll post up anyway!)

        Originally Posted by Rainer View Post

        How does this differ from .php code, or is pretty well the same thing?
        A "HTML refresh", assuming I'm reading it correctly, would mean adding a META tag to your page that looks like this:

        HTML Code:
        <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2;url=YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL">
        So you do this, and anyone who hits your page (with this code in it) gets redirected to YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL. There are disadvantages of this method (search for "meta refresh" and you'll know). You may want to look for instructions on setting up a more natural redirect using .htaccess (which is not really PHP, but might involve a couple of lines of code - again, look it up, or pingback here with your site's url and I can try to help).

        Originally Posted by Rainer View Post

        And how do affiliates get around the expiring cookies issue? Do you go and get another hoplink and replace the expired one?
        I don't think there's any "getting around" it. If I visit A-CERTAIN-WEBSITE using your affiliate link, and I decide to make a purchase from there two years from now, you don't get a commission unless you found some way of making me click on your affiliate link even when I made my second visit two years from now Chances are that I have bookmarked the website for a future visit - you're lucky if this is your affiliate link and not just the original website. If I click your affiliate link the day I make the purchase, you get your commission. It's got nothing to do with the link itself.

        In other words, the expiring cookies simply means that even if I come back to make a purchase at

        SOME-COMPANY.com

        using the plain URL (without your affiliate code) within 60 days of my visit at

        SOME-company.com/YOUR-AFFILIATE-ID

        even then you make your commission. Makes sense?


        Part of the reason why people avoid using the SOME-company.com/YOUR-AFFILIATE-ID kind of affiliate link is that a savvy user may just be in a bad mood and would strip off the affiliate ID and manually go to the website, so the company has no way of knowing that you were responsible for the (potential) sale. Hopefully, if the link itself looks like YOUR-SITE/recommended, although the long URL will be eventually visible, the visitor won't notice, or hopefully won't bother! Perhaps there are ways of ensuring that a visitor never sees the full link, but I'm not aware of any, and I would think it's unlikely that this is possible (unless you have a share on the server where the site is hosted and can do some masking).


        Hope this helps! G'luck!


        Cheers,
        Avani
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022518].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Rainer
          Originally Posted by avani View Post

          Just to elaborate... (well, @patJ responded before I could finish typing this, thought I'll post up anyway!)



          A "HTML refresh", assuming I'm reading it correctly, would mean adding a META tag to your page that looks like this:

          HTML Code:
          <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2;url=YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL">
          So you do this, and anyone who hits your page (with this code in it) gets redirected to YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL. There are disadvantages of this method (search for "meta refresh" and you'll know). You may want to look for instructions on setting up a more natural redirect using .htaccess (which is not really PHP, but might involve a couple of lines of code - again, look it up, or pingback here with your site's url and I can try to help).



          I don't think there's any "getting around" it. If I visit A-CERTAIN-WEBSITE using your affiliate link, and I decide to make a purchase from there two years from now, you don't get a commission unless you found some way of making me click on your affiliate link even when I made my second visit two years from now Chances are that I have bookmarked the website for a future visit - you're lucky if this is your affiliate link and not just the original website. If I click your affiliate link the day I make the purchase, you get your commission. It's got nothing to do with the link itself.

          In other words, the expiring cookies simply means that even if I come back to make a purchase at

          SOME-COMPANY.com

          using the plain URL (without your affiliate code) within 60 days of my visit at

          SOME-company.com/YOUR-AFFILIATE-ID

          even then you make your commission. Makes sense?


          Part of the reason why people avoid using the SOME-company.com/YOUR-AFFILIATE-ID kind of affiliate link is that a savvy user may just be in a bad mood and would strip off the affiliate ID and manually go to the website, so the company has no way of knowing that you were responsible for the (potential) sale. Hopefully, if the link itself looks like YOUR-SITE/recommended, although the long URL will be eventually visible, the visitor won't notice, or hopefully won't bother! Perhaps there are ways of ensuring that a visitor never sees the full link, but I'm not aware of any, and I would think it's unlikely that this is possible (unless you have a share on the server where the site is hosted and can do some masking).


          Hope this helps! G'luck!


          Cheers,
          Avani
          Thanks, Avani.

          I just replied back to Pat before I saw your reply. Thanks to ALL you guys replying.

          I wanted to make a cleaner-looking link with a redirect and I'm just trying to determine which would be the best route (for whatever reason):

          1. product.MY_DOMAIN.com, OR
          2. MY_DOMAIN/recommends/product

          Thanks, guys!

          Rainer
          Signature
          "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022607].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author patJ
    You don't get around it. You just hope that they'll buy within the next 90 days. The cookie is set on their computer when they click on the link so there's no need to get another hoplink.

    Php and html redirects work pretty much the same way.
    Signature

    Elegant, simple and clean Landing Page Templates for just $7.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022480].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Rainer
      Originally Posted by patJ View Post

      You don't get around it. You just hope that they'll buy within the next 90 days. The cookie is set on their computer when they click on the link so there's no need to get another hoplink.

      Php and html redirects work pretty much the same way.
      Sorry for belaboring this point but I just need to understand the cookies issue. Let me know if I am making the correct assumptions:

      - someone who doesn't buy the first time will have my cookie on their system forever unless they clear their cookies cache
      - this cookie will be no good after 30 or 60 days depending on the advertiser's terms
      - if the latter is true, then it doesn't make sense to send another email to the subscriber whose cookie has expired, correct? Or if he buys with the link on my site, it doesn't do any good either, right?
      - is it ever possible to get a new link from the advertiser or do I always keep the original?
      - what's the normal affiliate referral period?

      Thanks.

      Rainer
      Signature
      "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022564].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author avani
        Originally Posted by Rainer View Post

        Sorry for belaboring this point but I just need to understand the cookies issue. Let me know if I am making the correct assumptions:

        - someone who doesn't buy the first time will have my cookie on their system forever unless they clear their cookies cache
        - this cookie will be no good after 30 or 60 days depending on the advertiser's terms
        - if the latter is true, then it doesn't make sense to send another email to the subscriber whose cookie has expired, correct? Or if he buys with the link on my site, it doesn't do any good either, right?
        I think you are confusing two separate issues - if the day I buy, I'm using your link, then you get the commission. If the day I buy is within 60 days of any day that I used your link, you get a commission even if I am not using your link.

        You don't need a new link for anything. There is nothing inherent about the link that expires. Try reading my attempt at an explanation in my previous post and do ask if it isn't clear enough
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022593].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Rainer
          Originally Posted by avani View Post

          I think you are confusing two separate issues - if the day I buy, I'm using your link, then you get the commission. If the day I buy is within 60 days of any day that I used your link, you get a commission even if I am not using your link.

          You don't need a new link for anything. There is nothing inherent about the link that expires. Try reading my attempt at an explanation in my previous post and do ask if it isn't clear enough
          No, I DO understand that part. My question was geared towards someone buying AFTER the 60 days. If I am sending out autoresponders, say 90 days after the initial one at which time the prospect clicked but didn't buy, and buys on this latter autoresponder - I'm out of luck (SOL).

          Rainer
          Signature
          "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022621].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author patJ
            Originally Posted by Rainer View Post

            If I am sending out autoresponders, say 90 days after the initial one at which time the prospect clicked but didn't buy, and buys on this latter autoresponder - I'm out of luck (SOL).

            But you're not. The cookie will just update itself and add another 60 days.
            Signature

            Elegant, simple and clean Landing Page Templates for just $7.

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022634].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author avani
              Originally Posted by patJ View Post

              But you're not. The cookie will just update itself and add another 60 days.
              Exactly. The "latter" counts as a fresh link, and if the old cookie has expired, then because of this new click on the new link, there's a new cookie with a full 60 days leeway all over again.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022657].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Rainer
                Originally Posted by avani View Post

                Exactly. The "latter" counts as a fresh link, and if the old cookie has expired, then because of this new click on the new link, there's a new cookie with a full 60 days leeway all over again.
                OKAY!.. that really explains it. That is the part that was confusing me. I didn't realize that the cookie updates itself. So I don't really need to worry about the links expiring. They could go on forever as long as they click on the link again.

                Rainer
                Signature
                "Discover The Direct Mail Printing Secrets of the Pros"
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022698].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author patJ
    If someone click on the link again, then a new cookie will be set. The old will be deleted.
    Signature

    Elegant, simple and clean Landing Page Templates for just $7.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1022598].message }}

Trending Topics