Tracking affiliate signups - referrer tracking possible?
 

Hello,

I run a review site and I'd like to start tracking leads (referring source URLs) for signups.

My idea is simple:

1. my campaigns (links from other sites to my review site) will have unique URL - URL query parameter
2. visitor visits my review site, the parameter is passed along (as POST parameter or via session)
3. visitor visits any of paysites linked and additional parameter is passed. This is the question - is this possible and how?
4. I check in NATS / CCBILL what sources converted best

Is this supported in any form (session, URL variable, etc.) by NATS, CCBILL ?

PS: I know I can define campaigns in NATS, but I want to integrate this somehow with Google Analitycs, using utm_campaign and some additional session handling on my side.

I think this post needs bump.

Any NATS / CCBILL reps to step in?

This sounds interesting, let me know the status of it in case you succeed, its a good idea.

This could be a really helpful thread, so bump ;]

Not 100% sure how to integrate with analytics, but off the top of my head, maybe you could create a separate domain for tracking, and setup a php sesssion script that after clicking on one of your links, adds the original referrer to the session + id of the site.

You could run this script on all of your sites, and if the session exists when a user clicks to another paysite, store that paysite's "ID" to the session too.

So if you had three paysites:
example1.com
example2.com
example3.com

+

trackingscript.com (you'd run the script from this domain on all paysites). I think this would let you maintain the session data across all domains, but I'm not the greatest developer so correct me if I'm wrong :P

you could add this data to NATs dynamically by appending the session data to your nats links like so:

nats.link.com/xjoaJWODJmncxncklaAWOPDJA/?autocamp=REFERRER_LINK&autotags=pid1,pid2,pid3


Wish I could help implementing this with GA though

I have been think about this since you posted it the other day - It gave me a headache...

nm_ : Interesting approach, but this would require creating tracking script and integration on all websites.

I had something even simpler in mind. I don't know how you, but I often use Google UTM paramaters when linking a URL. This allows me to pinpoint not just URL, but even a link position within a page. Example

This translated means:

1. source was: parrner01
2. type of medium: web
3. name of campaign: campaign01
4. place of link in page: header

Of course this can be time demanding, because you have to tag your inbound links, but the amount and quality of report data beats the usual simple referral URL, which doesn't work properly always anyways (proxies, tor browser, etc).

So my point is... at simplest level it can be done by CCBILL and NATS accepting 4 additional parameters and passing them along to their reports. I know you can create campaigns from NATS, but I think there should be also possibility to create this tracking from opposite "direction".

I think it's 2014 and it's time to step up with the quality of reporting.

What do you think?

Any news on this type of tracking?


I'm aware of NATS autocamp variable, but that's it.
Not aware if CCBILL supports this now. :(

Not speaking of accepting the Google Analytics utm_ parameters. :disgust

Yes,
"you may add tracking information in the parameter trac="
to your affiliate referral (''webmaster sign-up'') code at XloveCash.com
but I would keep the real values brief then just spilt them on the /,/ like a csv format
What you add will be reported to your stats with us.
G-A integration is not possible from domains that you do not control.

1. I was looking for NATS / CCBILL solution. My guess you use something else system
2. I'm not looking for a GA "integration". Merely having the _utm variables processed and shown in the reports. It not an integration. It's just a variable I would pass and looking at conversion reports I would know which source contributed most.

You cant track sign ups on paysites with Google Analytics. You need to be able to add your Google Analytics code to these sites, in order to do something like this. You cant add GA code there, you cant do that, at least not with the GA.

People you don't read what I'm writing ? I KNOW how GA works, worked for a big company in ecommerce dept.

I'm passing variables out from my site with the affilliate links, don't want to include any JS or anything.

It's the third time I'm explaining it. Is it so confusing.... ?

We just started using NATS
Affiliate Campaigns - Tmmwiki
RTFM

Maybe someone from toomuchmedia could assist you better

Before you start RTFM people, you should probably read the post. Again I know about the autocamp variable.

Anyway, I'm already writing a small PHP script that will make GA umt_ paramaters work with NATS. Provided autocamp is enabled.

If it isn't enabled in our install let me know ...

So here is the Gist code https://gist.github.com/transbetty/e23f4277c48416173f6c
I'm not a developer, so it's not objects, but I think it will do.

Basically what it does it gets the Google Analytics utm_source and utm_campaign and writes it to cookie. You need to add getTrackSource(); to links pointing to your
affiliate.

Before using ask your program if they have "autocamp" enabled. No reason adding this if they don't.

And how to benefit from this?

• you can attribute a signup to a campaign initiated outside your site
• you can create some reports that relate Google Analytics data and NATS
• this comes especially handy if you run multiple sites and send visitors to-and-fro

What's next

• creating a PHP class, but sorry objects are not my thing. Any takers?
• A really wonderful feature would be adding a special hash from your site tracking system (if you use any). This will allow you to identify visitor behavior on your site and have that info in NATS. Personally I think this would be a tremendously handy feature.

Ooops, a mistake in my code. Fixed: https://gist.github.com/transbetty/e23f4277c48416173f6c

Yes another mistake / possible flaw.

Please note: don't use sever-side page cache with above script - obviously it will cause the first page visit to generate some referral the code, unless you create an exception in your cache (little bit complicated). Use a JS/cookie solution instead: https://gist.github.com/transbetty/ffa7374d8f71667a1e44

Simplified algo:

is URL parameter present?
- yes
-- add params to all urls
-- set cookie
- no
-- check cookie new
-- check cookie old
-- add params to all urls from
--- new cookie
--- old cookie, delete old cookie

Sorry if I caused any issues. Learned it causes reporting issues only after deploying :uhoh

Bump for this valuable thread! :pimp
transbetty, you Rock!

Thanks. Some GFY users post valuable info so I thought I will pay back for a change. :2 cents::2 cents:

barry , do u know if its possible to track something as unique text inside the page displayed to specific users via GA tools?

i have good idea how to setup goals-alerts but not sure what i can do to catch this minor events when occur.

I would look into the Google Tag Manager tags. :2 cents:

Maybe you can auto-trigger a virtual click on page container and then use Click-Text variable from GTM

first time to read about GTM , can i integrate it with GA ?

How about using NATS?

Google Tag Manager is a "container" that can contain nearly anything. Html, JS, CSS, GA.... it triggeers on certain criterias and it can deliver data to GA.

That was my intention, but I don't want to use 2 different codes (GA gtm + NATS autocamp). Above scripts use only GA, on your sites it converted to NATS autocamp on outgoing links.

ok thanks hun

this tranny is smart