Hi ... I am relatively new to affiliates... I've read some docs and I know that affiliating is based on and affiliate ID in a link.... From what I read the affiliate link usually takes the viewer to the actual people who give you the affiliate links... So if I would try to sell a product on my site, and the viewer chooses to buy then they would be redirected to the original site... Is this always the case ? Or are there ways to go for instance directly to a service such as paypal ?? Gdev
Yes I understand this, but aren't there any affiliate programs wich work differently than this ? Gdev
No, basically, that's the whole point of affiliating. You send a customer to the merchant and he buys/signs up/downloads something which qualifies as a completed "action" and you make commission based on it. That's the basic foundation of affiliate partnership.
The merchants therein should essentially be quality merchants with quality products (that's a widely held belief, and not unfounded at that.). You then position yourself in the pathway leading prospective customers to the merchant to be paid commissions on the sales made.
I think I understand your question. Most of the time when the surfer clicks on your link, they're clicking on a tracking link from either the affiliate program or network which you're doing business with. This link contains a bunch of info including the ID of the program you're advertising, your affiliate ID, and other info. When the surfer clicks the link, he's taken to the network/affiliate program's server where usually a tracking pixel is placed on the PC of the surfer, and is then seemlessly redirected to the merchant's page. This cookie stores your affiliate ID so you get credited when a sale is generated.