Affiliate's click through count apparently off.

[visualapp]

The site has a small woocommerce store setup (just in case that is related to the issue) so I am using wp affiliate plugin along with woocommerce.

The affiliate has used the following links on their blog:

zchillers.com/shop/?ap_id=homebrewfinds

zchillers.com/product/square-zchiller/?ap_id=homebrewfinds

zchillers.com/product/large-zchiller/?ap_id=homebrewfinds

zchillers.com/product/standard-zchiller/?ap_id=homebrewfinds

zchillers.com/news/?ap_id=homebrewfinds

The affiliate claims to have recorded well over 1100 clicks to our site, where as in the admin (and in the affiliate’s login) it is currently showing 722.

I’m obviously not asking for a precise answer for this potentially broad problem. However, I just want to know what would be some common issues that could cause this.

Here is a brief snippet of how the affiliate described their click throughs:

“After each click (in the same browser on the same computer) I checked the affiliate interface. Each time the click count incremented by one. However the day I put up a post (the day that generated the majority of this traffic) the click count went up slowly. And, over time, you can see that my outclick count isn’t even close to what the affiliate interface is showing.”

Thanks

[admin]

The plugin will count all valid clicks (no question there). Do you have the option to count unique clicks enabled by any chance? How is this affiliate determining how many clicks he sent?

[visualapp]

I’m not sure about what the affiliate is using to track their clicks. I’ve just sent them an email asking it.

Where in the settings do I find the option to count unique clicks?

Thanks

[wzp]

Where in the settings do I find the option to count unique clicks?

It’s sort of a “hidden on/off setting.”

To change the setting:

1. Backup and edit the wp_affiliate_platform1.php file.
2. Look for, and change the following line, from (turn off):

   $track_unique_clicks = false;

   to (turn on):

   $track_unique_clicks = true;

3. Save the file.

[visualapp]

The affiliate has let me know that he is using Jetpack Stats plugin on his wordpress blog to track clicks to the site.

I’ve edited the wp_affiliate_platform1.php file to track one click per IP address.

However, wouldn’t I want this to be set to false? Am I understanding this wrong or wouldn’t setting track unique clicks to true actually result in fewer click throughs showing if more than one click through came from a single IP address?

Sorry for the confusion on that.

Thanks

[wzp]

…wouldn’t setting track unique clicks to true actually result in fewer click throughs showing if more than one click through came from a single IP address?

That is correct:

False (default) = OFF.

True = ON.

When @admin asked; “Do you have the option to count unique clicks enabled by any chance?” he wanted to know if you had changed it (turned it on). The intent was that it should be “off” (false).

[visualapp]

Any known issues with Jetpack Stats running on the affiliate’s site causing issues on our end? Just wondering what would cause the inconsistencies.

[wzp]

There shouldn’t be any technical issues. However, there may be differences in how things are counted; as you earlier pointed out. In the end, it’s how **you** do the counting that really matters.

[visualapp]

I’m sorry but I need something a little more concrete to go back to the affiliate with.

The affiliate has all of the links to our site in one blog post and all of the links contain the ?ap_id=affiliateid string appended. Yet they are showing nearly double the clicks we are on our end.

Does WP affiliate only count SO many clicks from one IP? So many clicks from one device? etc. That’s what I’m looking to find out, so I can at least compare how wp affiliate counts clicks to how their plugin counts clicks so I can have something definite to tell the affiliate.

[admin]

The affiliate plugin will try to record genuine clicks only. It will try to ignore crawls from bots and stuff. Also, the plugin will ignore double clicks too (when it can detect it). You don’t pay for clicks. You only pay for conversions from an affiliate referral.

The bottom line is the following:

If a human clicks on an affiliate link then comes to your site and purchase something, it will give the affiliate commission (there is no doubt about it). You can even setup a test product and let that affiliate test it himself (if that will give him peach of mind).

[visualapp]

Thank you for the response. I will pass it on.

[visualapp]

“If a human clicks on an affiliate link then comes to your site and purchase something, it will give the affiliate commission (there is no doubt about it). You can even setup a test product and let that affiliate test it himself (if that will give him peach of mind).”

I’ve got an update to this issue. It’s no longer an issue of just simply not tracking click throughs appropriately. It is also not tracking sales through the affiliate properly.

Here’s the situation:

There was a black friday sale on products.

There was a promo code on the store site and a promo code the affiliate used on their site. 14 orders were placed using the affiliate’s promo code. However the affiliate is only being credited for 3 of those sales. ALSO, of those 14 sales, only one of those IP addresses are shown on the affiliate’s click throughs.

Now I understand that there may be some issues that could cause some discrepancies. Users having cookies disabled, on or two users typing in the url of the site manually as opposed to clicking through the affiliate’s links to the site.

However, 3 affiliate credited sales out of 14 uses of his promo code seems unlikely.

I’m obviously unsatisfied with this plugin and will be looking at installing a different affiliate plugin.

[Author]

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