sales tracking - geek/talk: Signature-free discourse for serious web publishers

Beverly-Guy · 04-11-2001, 03:31 AM

Anybody knows how linkshare.com and other affiliates tracks merchant sales. I mean how can they check if order is really completed.

WildComputer · 04-11-2001, 07:42 AM

There are at least 3 different ways that various affiliate networks (I can't specifically speak for linkshare as I don't know) use:

1. A cookie is set when a person clicks on the affiliate link. After the person pays the "thank you" page at the merchant contains a image which points back to the network. This runs a script on the network's web server which detects the cookie, and gives credit to the affiliate. There are several variations of this in use at different networks, for example a merchant's web server do some kind of call in the network's server

or

2. Some networks allow merchants to batch upload their stats.

or

3. A payment processor does both the payment prcoessing and tracking. This doesn't really apply to pure affiliate networks, but lots of payment processing services that integrate some kind of affiliate tracking do this - clickbank and their competitors.

In the case of #1 and #2, most networks will normally allow some kind of method of reconciling charge-backs, refunds, cancelled or dummy orders etc., into the stats. In the case of #3 it's automatic.

HTH

------------------
Sunil Tanna

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04-11-2001, 03:31 AM	#1
Beverly-Guy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Beverly Hills , CA Posts: 22	sales tracking Anybody knows how linkshare.com and other affiliates tracks merchant sales. I mean how can they check if order is really completed.

04-11-2001, 07:42 AM	#2
WildComputer Registered User Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: See Answers 2000 Limited Posts: 2,618	There are at least 3 different ways that various affiliate networks (I can't specifically speak for linkshare as I don't know) use: 1. A cookie is set when a person clicks on the affiliate link. After the person pays the "thank you" page at the merchant contains a image which points back to the network. This runs a script on the network's web server which detects the cookie, and gives credit to the affiliate. There are several variations of this in use at different networks, for example a merchant's web server do some kind of call in the network's server or 2. Some networks allow merchants to batch upload their stats. or 3. A payment processor does both the payment prcoessing and tracking. This doesn't really apply to pure affiliate networks, but lots of payment processing services that integrate some kind of affiliate tracking do this - clickbank and their competitors. In the case of #1 and #2, most networks will normally allow some kind of method of reconciling charge-backs, refunds, cancelled or dummy orders etc., into the stats. In the case of #3 it's automatic. HTH ------------------ Sunil Tanna Build a site - Get a domain name Get Traffic - Search Engine Promotion, Ezines, Press Releases, Internet Marketing Advice + Reviews Make Money with Affiliate Programs or with your own E-Books