How do you track affiliate marketing?

When we talk about tracking affiliate marketing, we are referring to all those things that happen after someone has clicked through an affiliate’s website link or video ad. Tracking affiliates means measuring their performance with respect to conversion rates (what percentage of people who click through convert into sales).

It also includes checking which landing page they end up at, what kind of products they choose from the site, whether they continue shopping for more items or not, etc. The key point here is that this information should help you figure out if there are any flaws in your affiliate strategy or if you need to make changes to improve results.

A lot of times, when we refer to tracking affiliate marketing, we mean using Google Analytics. If you have already set up your account in GA, then great – just use that! But if you haven't yet created one, don't worry because we will show you some ways to get started right away. In fact, even though you might think that setting up Google Analytics would take hours, it only takes few minutes. And once installed, it's easy to start collecting data straightaway. So let us tell you now exactly how to do that. We'll also explain why it is so crucial for you to keep detailed records of your campaign activity.

What is tracking link in affiliate marketing?

The most basic form of tracking is known as "tracking link" but this term can also cover other forms like tracking URLs, tracking codes, referral URL, etc. These terms describe different ways of embedding unique identifiers in your web pages so that you can later identify them based on the same identifier. For example, you could put a unique number inside each of your affiliate links and use that code to match the click stream later on. This ensures that no two users visit the same place multiple times.

Each time somebody visits your website via an affiliate link, that person gets assigned a certain ID called "clickstream". It does not matter where that link came from - if it was generated by another partner, then that person will be identified too. That way you can see what others did while visiting your site. You can use this feature to find out which partners bring traffic to your site and which ones generate revenue or leads.

If you want to learn more about tracking links, check our guide to the basics of affiliate marketing.

What is tracking tag in affiliate marketing?

Another type of tracking tool that you may encounter in affiliate marketing is known as "tag", "tracker", or sometimes "cookie". Tags work similarly to tracking links mentioned above, however instead of assigning a unique id to every visitor, tags store information about visitors' behavior so that you can analyze their path through your website. They do not require linking back to your website and therefore cannot reveal anything about its content. Instead of IDs, tags contain various pieces of user-related information such as IP address, browser version, screen resolution, operating system name, search keywords used before browsing, etc.

Here is how it works: Let's say that you run a blog and want to know how many people actually read your posts. To achieve this goal, you create a special post that contains a hidden text field containing a unique string. When readers visit the article, they enter their email addresses in that field. Then when you send emails asking subscribers to confirm their subscription, you can retrieve a list of all your active subscribers thanks to your tracker.

You can easily implement this technique yourself without having to install additional plugins or tools. Just remember to include a unique piece of code in your blog articles. When visitors leave comments on your site, add something similar to "subscribe=yes&email=". Once the reader submits his/her comment, you receive notification in your inbox.

How do I create a trackable affiliate link?

If you're new to affiliate marketing, then this question might sound silly but trust me, it isn't. There is a huge difference between creating a simple affiliate link and making sure that it is trackable. A good rule of thumb is to stick with HTML links in order to avoid problems down the line. However, if you really want to go ahead with JavaScript, then make sure that your links use rel="nofollow" attribute. By doing so, you will ensure that clicking the link won't result in automatic redirecting to your own site.

Now that you know how to build trackable affiliate links, it's time to move onto the next part of the process. How do I record the statistics related to my affiliate links?

How can the clicks on the affiliate links be tracked?

In order to collect accurate stats around your affiliate links, you must first enable tracking functionality within the Google Analytics account. After enabling it, simply log in to your GA dashboard and follow the instructions given there. Alternatively, you can always download the tracking code directly from the official Google Analytics documentation.

Once enabled, you will receive an e-mail letting you know that tracking is working properly. At this stage, you can begin gathering valuable metrics regarding your efforts. The most common metric you will probably look for is the total amount of money earned per day. Here's how to calculate that:

1) Divide the total income received during a particular period (let's say 30 days) by the number of conversions made during that period. 2) Subtract 1 from the final calculation since you've counted yourself twice in case you sold to both parties. 3) Multiply the resulting number by 100% to obtain daily earnings. 4) Repeat step #3 until you have collected enough data points. 5) Calculate averages from the results.

There are several other useful metrics you can gather. Some examples include average value of product purchased, bounce rate (percentage of visitors who left immediately), and exit rate (percentage of visitors who exited without buying anything). All of these metrics provide invaluable insights into your overall business success.

For instance, you may notice that a large portion of your customers never buy anything. On the other hand, you might discover that 80 percent of your buyers spend over $100 each month. Knowing these facts makes it possible to adjust your strategies accordingly.

To summarize, tracking affiliate links helps you measure the effectiveness of your marketing effort and understand what happens to visitors after leaving your website. Without this info, you wouldn't know how much profit you stand to gain from referrals alone. So please don't forget to track everything!

Refinement of Affiliate Marketing Strategy is a series of tips and tricks aimed at helping beginners grow their online businesses faster. Learn how to boost your ROI and become an expert in digital marketing.

Affiliate marketing has become a popular way for companies who want to reach new audiences online. However, what’s often not so clear is exactly how they are able to track their results. Tracking can be done by manually entering information into spreadsheets or using an app that automatically tracks all interactions with users on a website. But there are also several free alternatives available that allow businesses to more easily keep tabs on affiliates without the need for any additional tools.

If you have ever been involved in affiliate marketing then you will know how difficult it can sometimes be keeping up with everything that is going on at one time. Whether this is having to check multiple websites, different accounts and email addresses or even social media posts, it can quickly get overwhelming. That's why we've rounded up some of the best ways to keep track of affiliate tracking data. We'll explain the various types of affiliate tracking you may encounter along the way, from simple spreadsheet-based approaches to full-blown programs that come with custom dashboards.

How do affiliate networks track sales?

This question seems like a no brainer but there are actually quite a few options out there when it comes to how affiliate networks track sales. The most common method is probably through Google Analytics which is provided within almost every site that uses advertising. This means that if someone clicks on an ad, the company hosting them gets a notification about it via Google. They can then see where people came from (i.e., what sites were visited before landing on theirs) and whether they converted into paying customers.

However, other systems use cookies to store user IDs. These would be used to link specific visitors back to individual pages on a website. In order to make sure the same person isn't being tracked across multiple platforms, cookie IDs are unique per device. So if someone visits a page on one site on their laptop, another visit to the same page takes place on a desktop computer and yet again on their mobile phone, each ID will be given its own number. Companies can then go back later to see which ads worked and which didn't based on those numbers.

Another option is to use something called ‘event attribution’. It basically works in much the same way as cookie IDs except instead of storing a single ID per visitor, it stores a list of events such as clicking on a banner ad, filling out a form or downloading content. Once again, these lists could then be cross referenced against previous records to determine which methods led to higher conversion rates.

There are many benefits to using either of these methods over manual entry and as mentioned above, both can be monitored through third party applications. For example, Google Analytics offers a variety of reports that detail things like traffic sources, revenue generated from advertisements, conversion statistics and more. Some providers offer similar features while others only provide basic stats like traffic sources. Ultimately though, whichever system you choose should enable you to identify which activities lead to increased engagement and ultimately better profits.

How do affiliate marketers track sales?

You might think that tracking sales is pretty straightforward once you're already familiar with the process outlined above. And indeed, there are plenty of apps and services that allow you to monitor sales directly from your affiliate dashboard. One of the simplest solutions is known as 'Refersion' - essentially just a spreadsheet filled with affiliate URLs and relevant data points. You simply enter whatever metrics you'd like to include in your analysis and then export the file onto a server somewhere else. Next, you install a web application that pulls the data straight from the spreadsheet and displays it in realtime.

The downside here is that you won't receive notifications of any changes made to the files unless you sync them regularly yourself. Another issue is that it doesn't work well for large affiliate programs because it's hard to maintain them all individually. A solution like Tapfiliate makes it easier to manage all affiliate programs together. Using a drag & drop interface, you can add affiliates to existing categories and create new ones. Then, you can view detailed information about each campaign including clickthrough rate, CTR, average cost per acquisition, average amount spent per sale, total earnings etc. All of this can be viewed live alongside historical performance graphs or exported for further analysis. 

Tapfiliate is compatible with Google Analytics and provides all sorts of useful widgets for displaying key figures right on your Dashboard. Other features include automatic syncing, detailed reporting and integration with Zapier. If you find that your affiliate management needs aren't met by any of the aforementioned solutions, then perhaps you should consider investing in an automated platform. There are plenty of affordable products available out there ranging from $20-$100 depending upon the level of service required.

For instance, KPI Pro currently costs around $30/month and includes unlimited data storage, advanced search capabilities, customizable charts and reports, access to a dedicated support team, 24/7 customer care and more. Its main difference compared to the competition however is that it integrates seamlessly with PayPal for payments.

It's worth noting that although KPI Pro claims to be the industry leader, the majority of reviews claim that it does little more than match Google Analytics. Still, it's relatively easy to set up and certainly cheaper than anything comparable.

How do affiliate networks track conversions?

So far, we've discussed how affiliate networks track sales in general terms. However, it's not always possible to pinpoint exactly which actions resulted in actual conversions. As such, the next step is to look at how companies try to figure out which promotional strategies performed best. Again, this varies greatly between affiliate networks. Some employ sophisticated AI algorithms whereas others rely on statistical models and human insight alone. Here's a quick overview of two of the most commonly employed methods:

1. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): This involves trying to increase the likelihood of converting visitors into buyers. For example, you might run tests to compare the effect of adding banners versus text links versus popups. Or maybe you decide to split test certain products rather than offering them altogether. As long as you're testing a wide range of variables, you should eventually arrive at a winning formula.

2. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Instead of focusing solely on sales, CPA focuses on the return on investment. To calculate this, you take the price paid for an advertisement and divide it by the value of leads acquired. Essentially, it measures how effective a particular strategy was at generating profit. Obviously, the goal is to optimize the ratio as close to 1 as possible.

What is affiliate sales network?

An affiliate sales network (ASN) is essentially a community marketplace designed specifically for affiliate marketers. It gives members access to thousands of advertisers looking for partners to help promote their products. ASNs typically charge a percentage fee upfront for signing up and then commission fees whenever sales are made. Users who join ASNs usually pay monthly subscriptions to access the latest deals and promotions, as well as premium tools and resources. Many ASNs also offer incentives such as cashback bonuses and discounts on future purchases.

One thing to note regarding ASNs is that they tend to focus heavily on selling digital goods. Whereas traditional affiliate programs sell physical items, ASNs cater primarily towards ecommerce websites. While this limits their potential audience somewhat, it also ensures that they have a deeper understanding of what drives consumers to purchase products. By contrast, standard affiliate programs generally lack direct contact with customers and therefore struggle to understand why shoppers buy certain products.

In fact, according to research conducted by Affinio, nearly half of internet users say shopping habits are influenced by personal experiences. Moreover, 74% believe that the reason behind buying decisions is related to trust. Meanwhile, 56% admit they prefer brands that give them great value. Clearly, ASNs are perfectly placed to capitalize on this trend.

As a digital marketer, there are many things that come into play when working with online advertising. One area which has become increasingly popular over recent years is affiliate marketing - using other people's websites to drive traffic back to yours. The reason for this shift is simple - most sites have been built around selling their own products or services so they're already well-equipped to handle sales from advertisers who want to promote them. What's more, since most of the time spent on any website is by its owner rather than users, getting paid per page view makes sense.

It's no surprise then that affiliate marketing has grown in popularity over the past few years, especially after Amazon introduced commission payments through Amazon Associates. It also helps that some of the biggest brands in the world use affiliate programs to monetise their sites (think Nike, Apple, Samsung, etc), meaning if you can get visitors to click on one of those buttons, you could potentially make money just because someone else wants to buy something! That said, we all know that even though affiliate links may seem like easy cash, it isn't without its problems...

The main issue with affiliate marketing is tracking. How does one ensure that what happens in the advert itself actually leads to revenue being generated? There are two ways of doing this: tracking clicks within the site, or tracking conversions outside of the site. Let's take a look at both options.

How do I track affiliates in Google Analytics?

If you've used Google Analytics before, chances are you'll be familiar with the concept of tracking clicks. This means logging every single instance where a user clicks on a link inside an ad. This will give you a good idea of whether or not the landing pages themselves are generating income. If they aren't, you need to try another method of tracking.

You can see how much each individual link generates in terms of dollars by going into 'Affiliates' under 'Site Content'. Here, you should find multiple sections called 'Conversions', alongside several subcategories.

Click here to learn about how to set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics. Once you've done this, you'll be able to monitor whether clicking on your own ads results in actual purchases. You can also export the data to Excel for further analysis, but beware that depending upon your account settings, exporting too often can cause issues with performance.

One word of warning: don't assume that simply having a high number of clicks automatically equates to success. For example, let's say a visitor lands on your homepage, and then immediately clicks on four different links before leaving. Your revenue might only generate $1.00 because none of those links resulted in anything happening beyond the initial visit. However, if instead of immediately leaving, the visitor spends 10 minutes browsing your site, reading articles, taking screenshots, and finally buying whatever product they were looking for, then you would have earned $4.25.

This highlights why it's essential to keep track of everything involved in the process, including how long your audience stays on each page and how far down the funnel they go. In order to achieve this, you'll need to install an analytics package such as Google Tag Manager, or third party tools such as Refersion, which allow you to log specific information relating to each step of the way.

How do I track affiliate conversions in Google Analytics?

While tracking clicks is great, it doesn't really tell you how effective your ads are. As mentioned earlier, once your readers click on a particular button, they usually leave straight away. To help counter this, you can also log what percentage of visitors clicked on a certain type of offer and then left afterwards.

To start off, head to the same section of the interface (where you'd normally access Click Tracking) and create a new property. Under the 'Behavioral Flow' tab, select 'Pageview'. From there, enter a name for the property and choose 'Pages/Session' as your value for Duration. Finally, add a label for Conversion Type, selecting 'Products' as the option.

Once this is complete, you can begin adding events. Each event will require a unique URL, so make sure to include the relevant parameters in the code. These can be found below the Label field.

For example, if you wanted to record clicks on the first three offers, you'd write "eventCategory=click&eventAction=add" followed by "eventLabel=first3". Do note that although you can add multiple lines, you cannot change the values between them. Instead, copy and paste the entire line onto the next one.

Afterwards, repeat steps 1 & 2 for additional labels. When you reach the last possible combination, you'll need to switch to Pageviews again and add the final category (in our case, Product).

That's it. Now whenever anyone visits your site, you'll receive reports detailing exactly how many times they visited various parts of your site, how long they stayed, and how many times they made a purchase.

What is affiliates in Google Analytics?

Google Analytics provides detailed statistics on how successful your campaign was based on the actions taken by your target group. You can break this down into several categories:

Visitors: Total number of unique individuals visiting your site, broken down by country, gender, device, operating system, browser, referrer, referring domain, screen resolution, and language.

Traffic Sources: Traffic sources refers to where people arrive from, including search engines, referrals, social media platforms, direct navigation, email newsletters, and mobile apps.

Clicks: Number of clicks on each element of the campaign, broken down into individual elements and grouped together according to the action performed.

Events: Details of the interaction between the user and the campaign.

Bounce Rate: Percentage of sessions where the user leaves directly after arriving, regardless of whether they completed the desired activity.

Cost Per Acquisition: Cost incurred by the advertiser for acquiring a customer (i.e., cost per acquisition = CPA x Revenue / Visitor Value).

Revenue: Amounts received from customers via payment methods such as credit cards or PayPal.

Referral Traffic: Referrals to your site from external domains.

Unique Visitors: Number of total unique visitors to your site during a specified period of time.

Impressions: Number of impressions of your advertisements.