'Default' Affiliate Program Accounts? Your Thoughts?

Was just wondering about setting up a couple of 'default' accounts with some affiliate programs.

What do you think the best way of doing this would be? Having one account for each unique traffic source or, having one account for each 'site'?

Would love to hear how some of the existing affiliate program owners handle their programs default accounts to, do you track results of tours individually or do you throw them all under a main account?

Right now, unless someone can suggest a reason not to do it how im thinking, im probably going to create one account for each traffic source to start with then, after a few months, see about putting one account for each site online.

Just to clarify, by each site i mean having one account for our tgp, cumsoda, one account for our link list, gaylinxxx and one account for our free sites and one account for our tgp galleries.

Think that is the best way of doing it or not?

Regards,

Lee

I'm buzzing on Ambien right now... I didn't understand a word you wrote. It sounded like chinese to me :sleep:

I promise to read it tomorrow when I'm not so high. :)

Hmm, makes sense to me, course some affiliates have the 'campaign' option which would maybe be easier to track as one single login to them though not sure if that also shows sales by 'campaign' or not. Haven't really checked but i would assume so.

ambien huh? i should get some of that, but then the one's the doc has me on right now do me just fine, least I can still type, sort of.. :eek:

I can't think of a reason NOT to track everything. When I had my own affiliate software (those were the days!), I had accounts tracking everything. I was really anal about it, but it was useful data. The more you know about what works, the more you can change what doesn't work.

We're working on adding trackers into our linkcode. I can get - and will with the new linkcode, though I have yet to get a webmaster to take me up on the testing offer - lots of detail as an FYI - browser, platform, language, country (already in stats) - though there seems to be relatively few webmasters who have demand for that level of tracking. Biggest difficulty running an affiliate program is getting feedback on what webmasters do and don't want/need as far as statistics (except obviously the payout.)

-doug

Lee,

I'd track everything and I think for most affiliate programs, the way you are suggesting is definitly the way to go.

For a shameless plug, our affiliate program at mesmerotic.com allows you to create an unlimited number of "campaigns". You get a unique tracking code and you get as many as you want. Call them what you will so that can easily identify whats converting with a simple glance.

tracking is the best way to figure out if you are wasting your time/money or if you should spend more time/moeny on something that is converting for you.

cheers,
Luke

I would use 1 main account and just use a new campaign for everything that you want to track. With 2 clicks I can see stats from any traffic sources that I’m trying. (I think I have about 7 different campaigns right now.) It is a lot easier then having to wrestle with multiple usernames and passwords.

Okay so we're all agreed that having multiple tracking codes is good for affiliates.

Now what about from a sponsors point of view?

Is it a good idea to track each individual paysite under their own account?

For example, lets say domain.com is our main site, we give that an id code and only use the code on the consoles that pop on domain.com at the same time, we also have domain1.com should we give that site its own tracking code to use on consoles also?

Also, what about the sponsors you use on the consoles? Is it a good idea to give each console link its own tracking code or, just have one link for use on ALL consoles?

Regards,

Lee

you can use banner tracking on a lot of sponsors. it probably can't hurt to have multiple accounts IF you read ALL the terms and conditions. a lot of sponsors only allow one account, and you don't wanna get fired.