Affiliate Link Codes - What To Do?

Okay so we're gearing up for the launch of our new affiliate program but are looking for some feedback from you guys who have existing programs in place presently as to what the pros + cons of using processor generated linking codes vs. affiliate software linking codes are?

Right now we are considering MPA2 and 3xScripts solutions, if we go the script generated route, are these decent programs to use? Anyone got any other suggested affiliate management programs we should be looking at or, should we just use our processors link codes?

Im of the view it doesnt really matter which we use so long as the affiliates make money from the program.

So what are your thoughts on this? Give affiliates CCBill linking codes for each site or, give them a webmaster lounge where they can go in and grab their link codes?

Also, if you dont own a sponsor program, do you prefer getting all of your stats from one location or do you not mind if you have to grab link codes from one place and sales / traffic stats from another?

Regards,

Lee

Lee,

Be sure to contact me (I will be back in LA between Xmas and New Years) for some references for MPA3 (and MPA2) and be sure to look at MPA3 and not 2 as well ;-)

http://www.mansionproductions.com/mpa3

I have heard good things about X3 as well, so I am sure you will be happy with either.

Have a good Xmas!

Oystein

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Affiliate Link Codes - What To Do?
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Hi Lee;

In hindsight, i wish we had gone with a third party affiliate tracking platform as, over the years, for one reason or another,
we have had to switch payment processors. we started out on our
own merchant account, then on to Ibill, then to CCBill, then back
to Ibill, now back to CCBill, etc. you get the point. Each move
requires notifying affiliates, etc..which having a third party platform not directly affiliated with the proecessors would certainly have alleviated. However, there are some drawbacks.

1. I am not certain how the situation is now, but some payment
processors won't let you pass cookies through their servers which is
usually a requirement for successful affiliate tracking. This may have changed now in the present processing climate, but when we started our program it was not an option.

2. Some affiliates don't trust a program run by the website as there is no "honesty" cop to insure that nothing is being shaved,
(intentionally at least) I would assume this is strictly dependant on the reputation of the webmaster and / or company behind it, but we have seen many companies go by the wayside for doing this very thing, and one school of thought is that having a 3rd party processor do it for you, at least you always have the webmaster "honesty" quotient intact. (of course in light of recent events, having a 3rd party processor pay your affiliates can also be hazardous...! :))

3. You have to deal with tracking...and keeping track of sometimes hundreds of webmasters. Our monthly affiliate report for wehovideo.com is pages long, and requires some sophisticated record keeping, as some get payouts at different levels, requiring balances carried forward, etc...... A third party processor can track and keep up with this better than a small company can sometimes.

On the plus side, the linking codes are usually shorter using your own platform, you can redirect to special upsell galleries easier, it's easier to set up multiple codes for tracking different ad programs, etc..

I hope, after typing all this, that this "opinion" is not too windy..... :)

Tom