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StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 12:42 PM
During the Elite webinar, it was mentioned about using affiliate redirects. I'm not sure I understand what that is. Could someone elaborate?
angienewton
October 15th, 2009, 01:24 PM
Here are two posts that should help, Steve.

http://www.clicknewz.com/1504/redirect-affiliate-links/

http://www.clicknewz.com/828/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-the-ever-changing-affiliate-landscape/

Let us know if you have more questions.
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 01:42 PM
So the second article has a little blurb on how to set up an html redirct.

I had asked this question during the webinar:

"How do you set up a single page redirect?"

Does that answer the question and what is the difference between redirecting links with an .html page and setting up the .php redirect that Rosalind recommends in SAH? And how exactly would I set up the .php redirect in my wordpress site?
StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 01:45 PM
Oooooh yeah, more questions. I saw the code and copied it, but I still am not too sure about what this does. Am I correct that the cust. clicks the button and instead of going directly to the merchant, it goes to the redirect. Does the cust. then have to click again or what happens?
Adriana
October 15th, 2009, 01:50 PM
And how exactly would I set up the .php redirect in my wordpress site?

Here is the code for php redirect:


<?php header("Location:http://www.youraffilaitelink.com"); ?>
Adriana
October 15th, 2009, 01:53 PM
Oooooh yeah, more questions. I saw the code and copied it, but I still am not too sure about what this does. Am I correct that the cust. clicks the button and instead of going directly to the merchant, it goes to the redirect. Does the cust. then have to click again or what happens?

Stephen,

When they click on that link, they go straight to the merchant's site. Here is an example of a link of mine (nothing to do with IM, but a good example):

http://www.gbexchange.net/4u/MenuPlanningCentral.php

It's set up like this:


<?php header("Location:http://www.menuplanningcentral.com/order/go.php?r=171&i=l0"); ?>
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 01:58 PM
Thank you for starting this thread, as I didn't have time to cover it in the live webinar. :)

For single product promotions, such as promoting netflix or eharmony or something, I register a domain name and redirect the domain to my affiliate link. This is done through your registrar (Godaddy, etc) and you just follow their directions there in your domain register.

If someone clicks on the domain, it redirects them straight to the merchant site via your affiliate link (as entered by you, when you set up the redirect).

I also use single page redirects, by creating a redirect file on my server. This is done in either PHP (as Adriana pointed out above) or HTML as you saw in that post. You simply create a web page file and use one or the other code, save the file as file.htm or file.php and upload it to your server.

So this link for example: http://www.clicknewz.com/hostgator.htm

That is a web page (hostgator.htm) on my domain (clicknewz.com). If you click on it, you will see that it takes you straight to hostgator.htm (via my affiliate link. Here is the code for that file:


<html>
<head>
<title>HostGator</title>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="0;URL=https://secure.hostgator.com/cgi-bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=sswt">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>
<body></body>
</html>
Adriana
October 15th, 2009, 01:59 PM
Am I correct that the cust. clicks the button and instead of going directly to the merchant, it goes to the redirect. Does the cust. then have to click again or what happens?

Yes, it takes the customer straight to the merchant's site.

Here is an example:

http://www.gbexchange.net/4u/MenuPlanningCentral.php

coded like this:


<?php header("Location:http://www.menuplanningcentral.com/order/go.php?r=171&i=l0"); ?>

HTH.
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 02:09 PM
Thanks so much. Got it.

Now another question. Let's say that throughout your site you are promoting various products from one merchant for instance amazon so you have books, movies, etc... do you create a new redirect page for each product? Or, can you have each product go to one redirect page? If so...how?
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 02:17 PM
You need a redirect for each unique affiliate link you are promoting.

Where this gets really helpful is when you use links offsite, such as in reports & ebooks, on Twitter, on discussion forums, or anywhere else you may not be able to track down or update the link later if you need to.
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 02:27 PM
So let me see if I understand.

For each book I promote I would create a seperate redirect page (20 books = 20 redirect pages) and put them in a folder named "books". Then wherever in the site I referenced that book and wanted people to go to the merchant page, the status bar would show:

"sitename.com/books/bookname.php"?

And let's say that I was tweeting the review of that book, I could either have people go to the review using "sitename.com/postnumber/postname" or right to the book on the merchant site by using "sitename.com/books/bookname.php"

Am I getting it?
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 02:40 PM
You got it ;)
StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 02:41 PM
Thank you for starting this thread, as I didn't have time to cover it in the live webinar. :)

So this link for example: http://www.clicknewz.com/hostgator.htm

That is a web page (hostgator.htm) on my domain (clicknewz.com). If you click on it, you will see that it takes you straight to hostgator.htm (via my affiliate link. Here is the code for that file:

Actually Lynn, it took me to a page not found.

Ok, I may need time to let this all sink in and filter down. What does the customer see if I am offering, a book on Amazon, let's say. What do I put on my page?

Sorry to be so dense! :(
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 02:45 PM
Sorry that was due to a typo on my part, I corrected it in both instances in this thread. Blame the cold medicine! lol.

Try it now and you'll see how it works.
StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 02:48 PM
Thanks Lynn. So if I signed up with hostgator off that link, you would be given the commission. Cool!

Hey nyquil can do funny things to your head!
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 02:56 PM
Yes - you are correct (on both counts, lol).
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 03:07 PM
Yes - you are correct (on both counts, lol).
Thank you Grasshopper!
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 03:15 PM
LOL - I don't get it... *pout* Clue me in! :)
StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 03:22 PM
Remember the old Kungfu series? David Carradine's teacher in the show always called him grasshopper. You are the master! We are the lowly students.
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 03:53 PM
Thanks for filling her in Stephen...
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 03:54 PM
LOL - you guys are assuming I watched a Kung-Fu series?? :rolleyes: haha
StephenT
October 15th, 2009, 04:10 PM
LOL - you guys are assuming I watched a Kung-Fu series?? :rolleyes: haha

You're probably too young! ;)
Nelson Swett
October 15th, 2009, 06:50 PM
LOL - you guys are assuming I watched a Kung-Fu series?? :rolleyes: haha
Would it be better if just referred to you as Master Yoda?
Lynn Terry
October 15th, 2009, 06:54 PM
Lynn will do :D

(you guys are cracking me up, lol)
Nelson Swett
October 16th, 2009, 10:51 AM
What can I say most of the time I feel like I'm saying: "Help me Obi-Lynn Kenobi, you're my only hope!"
StephenT
October 16th, 2009, 11:25 AM
I like it! Has a nice ring to it!!! Obi-Lynn! :D
Nelson Swett
October 16th, 2009, 01:42 PM
I have a file that had all of my "book" affiliate links in it. I just created a .php template in notepad then using that template and copy/paste, I created all of the redirect pages. Took me all of 4 minutes. Then with the cpanel file manager I created the folder /books in the main directory and uploaded all of the redirect pages. It really took no more than 7-8 minutes. Then I went through my pages and changed the links to the redirect pages and then verified that they all worked. Probably took me all of 30 minutes total.

But thanks for the advice about the program. I'm just particular about which programs I learn to use as this is all so new to me. I try to stick with the basics for now.
StephenT
October 16th, 2009, 01:44 PM
Thanks Jeffrey.

Nelson, not sure I understand all that, but I think I'll give it a try and see what happens!
Nelson Swett
October 16th, 2009, 02:06 PM
Stephen.

On my site I promote some books and use amazon as the merchant.

I had a file in notepad that listed the book name and my affiliate link for that book.

I opened that file, then opened a new notepad file and typed in the code for the php redirect that was supplied earlier

"<? php
header(Location:"affiliatelink");?>"

Then I saved that file with the .php extension instead of the .txt extension that notepad usually saves to. To do this you have to change the "Save as type" to "all files" from "Text Documents" in the Save as dialog box (it is the box right under the File name box) Also be sure that you type in "filename.php" in the File name box. You have to add the extention.

Next, from my file with the affiliate links, I copied and pasted in the appropriate link in the "affiliatelink" space in the above template. I would then save the file as "book1.php", "book2.php", etc...

After I created all of the appropriate redirect pages in notepad, I accessed the cpanel for my site (www.sitename.com/cpanel) In cpanel, i selected the file manager and went to the root directory (usually an option). With file manager, I created a new folder entitled "books". Then, still using File Manager, I uploaded all the aforementioned redirect pages ("book1.php", book2.php", etc) to that directory.

Next, I accessed all of the posts (I have wordpress on my site, so did this through /wp-admin) which recommended the books and changed the link from the original affiliate link to the new redirect. For instance for "Book1" i changed the link from being "www.amazon.com/book1_affiliate_information" to "www.sitename.com/books/book1.php"

I hope this helps. I know it seems long, but it really all went very quick and I am very grateful for everyone who posted assistance and information that I could follow.
StephenT
October 16th, 2009, 02:08 PM
Ok, I got the code uploaded and it actually works. Now, help me understand what the customer sees. Say I want to sell a book on yoga from amazon I write the sales page give 'em graphics and then???? Do I make a button or just a click here link? What? I understand that I put my amazon link info in the redirect, but I don't know what to put for the visitor to see.
CG12
October 16th, 2009, 02:12 PM
Great thread and very helpful. I think I am catching on. I have one question though. Is this the same as "cloaking" a link? I still get a little confused with some of the terminology so I guess I could use a little clarification.
If this is not the same as cloaking could someone please explain this process for me? Or should this be in another post to ask...let me know if I should start a different post and I will.

Thanks y'all (from a still aspiring "grasshopper")
Yes, unfortunately I do remember the show, even if I was but a mere child. :)

Blessings,
Christine
Nelson Swett
October 16th, 2009, 02:18 PM
Stephen

Whichever you want.

I'd say something like: Anxious to read awesome yoga book? Then Click here to get your copy"

I then create a link for "Click Here to get your copy" (I like to make it obvious it is a link) and for your site you would make the link something like: "www.sitename.com/books/awesomeyogabook.php"

What the customer sees on the page is the "click here to get your copy" as a link. When they mouseover the status bar will show: "www.sitename.com/books/awesomeyogabook.php"
And they will go to awesome yogo book page on Amazon through your link.

And yes, this is a way to "cloak" your affiliate link.
CG12
October 16th, 2009, 02:23 PM
Thanks so much Nelson. I think I've got it. I like your idea about saving in notepad. I do that myself for my links, it sure helps for saving time and looking things up. Great advice.

Thanks again,
Christine