5 replies to this topic

[MIDA]

We are finding ourselves in a bit of a bind. We had such great success with Commission Junction referring sales to our site, we thought we should branch out into additional programs to get a wider reach. So, we signed up for Google Affiliates which is also working great, more sales form affiliates.

Now at the end of the first month using both programs we realized that affiliates from both programs are able to claim credit for one order! I thought that the order could only hold one piece of referral data at once - like the last touch principle. The customer's last location or last affiliate partner visit would trump all other visits and give the affiliate credit. Not so! Now instead of 10%, we are having to hand out 20% for an order that may have already used a discount code - goodbye profits!

Is there any way to get around this? Has anyone else had this problem?

[chrishirst]

Fix your referral system.

[davidbrett]

There is software out there to help with this sort of problem. Tagman is one example. We have looked at this before but we have not used it to date.

[MIDA]

Thanks, I see that a universal tag would fix the problem. I see the services all over the web and none of them list pricing. I have a few calls scheduled - I'm worried that I"m going down the path of big software for big bucks. Can anyone recommend a JavaScript writer who could write "IF a cookie is set, don't set another" type of thing?

Thanks!

[chrishirst]

"IF a cookie is set, don't set another" type of thing

So something like:

CODE

if (!getCookie(value_to_check)) {
//      do this to set cookie
} else {
//      do this 'cos it's already set;
}

function getCookie(c_name)
{
if (document.cookie.length>0)
  {
  c_start=document.cookie.indexOf(c_name + "=");
  if (c_start!=-1)
    {
    c_start=c_start + c_name.length+1;
    c_end=document.cookie.indexOf(";",c_start);
    if (c_end==-1) c_end=document.cookie.length;
    return unescape(document.cookie.substring(c_start,c_end));
    }
  }
return "";
}

http://www.w3schools.../js_cookies.asp

[AffiliateClue]

Having an "if a cookie is set, don't set another" policy is unfair to the "last click" affiliate who managed to butter up and send a paying customer to you. It is certainly also against TOS of whatever networks you are using... preventing affiliate-referred transactions from being tracked?

You need to find a way to only fire one affiliate tracking pixel on your order confirmation page: the one that gives credit to the "last click" affiliate.