Affiliate link in email?

[Evoir]

Hi,

Very often I come across someone who is not appropriate for me to host, but is looking for a recommendation for a host. It is either in email or on the phone... (I only host folks who I do design and development work for, not just for anyone who wants a host). Anyway, I'd like to simply send them an email with an affiliate link in it, but am not certain if the Affiliate links that are provided will work this way. All of the affiliate links that are provided have an image embedded in them.... here is an example:

<a href="http://www.FutureQuest.net/at/transaction.php?APID=30&amp;affID=0000166">FutureQuest - Powerful Hosting</a><img src="http://www.questaffiliates.net/at/tadserv.php?APID=30&amp;affID=0000166" title="Click Here To Get Your Site Hosted With FutureQuest" alt="FutureQuest Hosting" border="0" />

See how there is a link AND an image?

[Evoir]

Wait, I see it has to be on a specified domain. Hmm. Is there any way to email an affiliate link?

[Bob]

You should be able to just send this URL in your email...

http://www.FutureQuest.net/at/transa...;affID=0000166

-Bob

[Evoir]

But, what about the registered domain requirement? I noticed after I posted this that the link has to be on a registered domain.

[Bob]

Your link is granted based on a specific domain however you can certainly use the affiliate link in this manner for specific occasional use. I use my one Affiliate link on three separate domains that belong to me.

-Bob

[Evoir]

Bob, I certainly appreciate your quick responses, but I am confused. I see in the QuestAffiliates area, that I must register specific domains where I will place the link. In that interface, it states:

Specify the URLs to be associated with your affiliate account. Tracking may not be performed for clicks originating from URLs not included in the Selected URLs list.

How can I be certain that if I email a link, that tracking will be performed?

[Matt]

Evie,

Why not forward them a link like:
www.dotgarden.com/partner.php?id=123

When they got to your site, you would redirect them to your affiliate URL and could also track how many people are using your e-mail referral. Doing this would prevent them from removing your affiliate code from the URL before visiting FQ and ensure you get proper credit.

-Matt

[Evoir]

Interesting. I don't know how to do that. Is it difficult? (I can hear your chuckle, Matt)

[Bob]

Hi again Evie,

As best as I have been able to determine, testing from different domains, the Link is what is important.

We ask for a domain when you sign up, primarily for those Non FutureQuest hosted sites to take a look and ensure they are not promoting something, or a site that we would not want affiliated with FutureQuest.

Matt however has a pretty good idea. Create a web file with some content such as "mydomain.com recommends FutureQuest for hosting" Click here to take a look.

Placing your Affiliate link on that page would then allow any referrals to be referred directly from your site.

However as I noted we don't have a problem with you placing the Affiliate link in an email, as long as it is not being sent indiscriminately.

-Bob

[Matt]

Evie, you could build a nice administrative system for managing affiliate links, but here's some quick and dirty code you would put at the very top of partner.php (above any HTML code):

PHP Code:

<?php
if (isset($_GET['id']))
{
  if ($_GET['id'] == '123') { header("Location: http://www.FutureQuest.net/at/transa...;affID=0000166"); }
  elseif ($_GET['id'] == '456') { header("Location: http://www.another.com"); }
  // ... as many of these as you want
  else
  {
    // Unrecognized affiliate code
  }
}
?>

Tracking referrals is an advanced topic, but this should get you started.

-Matt