How to Create Tracking Links?

by Nightengale

Posted: 15 years ago 11 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi Warriors!

I'm in the process of launching a new marketing campaign. And I need to be able to track EVERYTHING: ads, links at the end of my articles, etc.

I know 1ShoppingCart.com allows you to take a domain name and use it as a re-direct for an affiliate link. For example, if you're promoting a dog training product, you could buy a domain name called MyDoggieTreats.com which redirects to DogTreats.com/affiliateid6857 or whatever. (I just made that up.) But your visitors/subscribers only see MyDoggieTreats.com

I don't use 1ShoppingCart though. Does anyone know how I can do this, preferably for free? I already have Mike Filsaime's Power Link Generator, but it only allows you to make a domain.com/recommends link which isn't always appropriate if the people viewing it aren't already your subscribers and don't have a relationship with you.

I'd really appreciate knowing how to do this.

Thanks,
Michelle

#create #links #tracking

onlinemlmrockstar 15 years ago

Hi Michelle,

If you set up a domain with any provider, I use a few, but try yourpowerhost.com ($9 a name) because this one allows you up to 90 subdomains.

So you could have michellebiz(dot)com/dogs etc up to 90 subs.

Just point that baby at your affiliate link by using the forwarding and masking options.

Pretty self explanatory when you're there.

Hope that helps.

Christopher Reid
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- skydivedad 15 years ago
  
  Hi Michelle
  I've used Stat Counters free tracking service many times. A free yet reliable invisible web tracker, highly configurable hit counter and real-time detailed web stats. Insert a simple piece of our code on your web page or blog and you will be able to analyze and monitor all the visitors to your website in real-time. Hope this helps.
  All The Best
  Paul
  
  Thanks
  
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  Making Lemonaide... Skydivedad's Blog
  
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jrsencio

15 years ago

I am wondering, doesn't Google Analytics do all this?

Thanks
1 reply

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Stangracer

15 years ago

I am assuming you are doing affiliate marketing. Also that all your marketing links are sending traffic to a landing page and then to the affiliate offer.

If you are looking to track conversions you can use some PHP code.

You add a variable to your links:
yoursite.com/landingpage.php?w=sq1 (squidoo page 1 for instance)

In your Landing (review) page html code at the top you put this code:

<?php
$page = $_GET['w'];
?>

Now in your clickbank hop link for the TID you do this:

yourhoplink.com/?tid=<?php echo "$page"; ?>

You can set it up quickly on a different page and run a test to make sure it works...

Go all the way to the clickbank order page and make sure your 'nickname.tid' appears at the bottom and you are all set.

Then configure your actual pages once you are confident everything is working and test them all.

There are a few ways to do this with php script, this is just one variation.

There is tracking software that is available on the market.

Some of the best free software is Tracking202 (service) and Prosper202 (self hosted software)...

Good Luck.

Thanks
1 reply

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Nightengale

15 years ago

Thanks for the help guys!

Actually no, I don't do affiliate marketing. But for tracking pruposes, I'd like to create different URL's.

For example, when I start writing and submitting articles, I'd like to know how many visitors and sales came from each article and which site (where the article was placed). I just want the ability to make unique, trackable links so I can track so that I'm not working blind. As Steven Wagenheim pointed out, tracking is critical.

So for example, would I just create a link like yoursite.com/landingpage.php?w=sq1 to track an article on a Squidoo page? But that's not what I want the visitor to see. I want them to see yoursite.com only. Is this what masking is?

If I use PHP code like that, how do I aggregate and read/compare all of the data? (Sorry, I don't really know how to use PHP code very well.) Once you start marketijg with articles, podcasts, videos, etc. the different traffic sources add up fast and it will be critical to track what came from where so that I know where to spend my time and effort.

Thanks,
Michelle

Thanks
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Stangracer

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Nightengale

Michelle,

Since you are not affiliate marketing the best way to track your links is to use tracking software. Software like Tracking202 and Prosper202 have a tracking pixel you can use to track conversions.

You will create tracking links for each marketing link and send that traffic to a landing page, it can be yoursite.com if you like.

To keep the tracking links clean for your readers you would use a redirect like yoursite.com/landingpage.htm or keyword.yoursite.com, something like that. These redirects use your tracking code.

You have code from the tracking software on your landng page for the analytics and you put a pixel on your thank you page.

Now as you send traffic from different sites you will be able to track where your traffic comes from and which traffic is converting for you.

The free software will require a little more effort to work with for this senario, but it is free.

You can also look at paid software like Affiliate Prophet, it will track everything for you and has some really killer features like tracking the time each visitor is on your landing page by article or keyword.

It uses Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action and you can set the time period of each to give you a better idea of what is working and predict the outcome without a lot of conversions.

You can also track up to 3 conversions with one tracking link. That way if you wanted to send your traffic to a squeeze page then landing page then an offer, you could track the squeeze page conversion and the offer conversion back to the same visitor.

I hope this helps.

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Nightengale

15 years ago

It does help. Thanks so much!

I've heard of Prosper 202 but have never used it and don't know how to set it up.

I've never heard of Affiliate Prophet. Is it easy? How much does it cost?

Thanks,
Michelle

Thanks
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Stangracer

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Nightengale

Michelle,

Prosper202 is pretty easy to setup and runs on a dedicated domain or a subdomain of one of your existing domains. I have created some video training on how to setup and use Prosper202, it walks through using it step-by-step with a method to track on a campaign basis and track everything.

The only downside for you would be that it adds a number after the link, so your links would look like yoursite.com/landingpage.htm?21...

It does this because it is designed for affiliates and uses subid's for tracking. Sorry no way around it that I know of currently. Although it is open source so you could probably get a programmer to fix that quite easily.

I don't have a video on how to setup the tracking pixel for your particular situation, but would be happy to create one and add it as an update for you.

Check out my signature if your interested.

Affiliate Prophet is pretty new, it is the update to Conversion Prophet.

Affiliate Prophet runs $97 for the base version, which is all you should need unless you want a graphical representation of where visitors are clicking off your landing or sales page.

You have to install it much like Prosper202, but you can run it in a subfolder on your domain, although I run mine on a dedicated domain.

It is pretty easy to use, but like any tool it takes a little getting used to.

Thanks
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davesmlmtips 15 years ago

Tracking links are easy.

just write your website and after your main page put a / and then the following;

?=supertrack is your tracking link (of course you'd want to change it depending on where they were clicking in from)

For example, look at my link at the bottom of this message. When you follow it to my page, it loads the same as my front page
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Troy_Phillips 15 years ago

The Autoresponder I use allows me to track anything . just put the url in it and it will show you raw and unique hits .

You can use this tracked url to replace any url.

Now if you want o do it for free I have a free version of the ar .

Just use it for tracking . If you use the ar for it's intended purpose it will require upgrading at 250 members .

It also comes with another Im opportunity but to bypass this just simply get the ar the first time you are offered it . do not go through the additional steps .

This is an affiliate link because it is the only way you can get the ar . Like I said just don't choose to participate in anything other than the free ar and it will never cost you a dime . You will never even have to give any payment criteria .

FREE AutoResponder + List Building System!

I beleive you will like the tracking features . I use them a lot .
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JohnMcCabe 15 years ago

Michelle, you might want to check this one out. I paid for it when it first came out, now it's free.

ProLinkz.com ProLinkz is Now Free! (not affiliate)
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How to Create Tracking Links?

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