The AffiliateWP – External Referral Links add-on is a valuable tool for those utilizing AffiliateWP on their main WordPress site (SiteA.com) but want affiliates to promote another WordPress site (SiteB.com). Here’s a breakdown of how this free add-on works and its benefits:
Scenario:
SiteA.com
- AffiliateWP and your chosen eCommerce/membership system are installed on this site.
SiteB.com
- External Referral Links add-on is installed on this separate website with its own WordPress installation.
- This site serves as a marketing platform to promote products/services on SiteA.com.
How it Works:
- Affiliate Promotion:
- Affiliates are instructed to promote SiteB.com.
- Affiliates share their referral link, typically in the form of http://siteb.com/?ref=123 or http://siteb.com/?ref=john.
- Customer Interaction:
- A customer clicks on the affiliate’s referral link and lands on SiteB.com.
- They navigate SiteB.com and decide to make a purchase.
- Cookie-Based Affiliate Identification:
- External Referral Links add-on captures the affiliate’s ID or username from the URL and stores it as a cookie in the customer’s browser.
- Passing Affiliate Information:
- When the customer clicks on any link or button on SiteB.com that directs them to SiteA.com, the affiliate’s ID or username, stored in the cookie, is passed along with the link.
- Cross-Site Commission Attribution:
- The customer arrives on SiteA.com, and if they make a purchase, AffiliateWP recognizes the affiliate ID or username passed through the cookie.
- The affiliate is then properly attributed, and the commission is awarded, bridging the gap between the promotional site (SiteB.com) and the site where the actual transaction occurs (SiteA.com).
Key Features:
- Non-Pretty Affiliate Links: Works seamlessly with non-pretty affiliate links.
- Visit Entry: Note that a visit entry will not be created for the external site link; it registers when the outbound link is clicked to return to the main site where AffiliateWP is installed.
- Cross-Site Data Sharing: Overcomes the challenge of separate databases on SiteA.com and SiteB.com by passing affiliate information via cookies.
- Cookie Expiry: Allows setting a cookie expiry, ensuring the customer retains affiliate attribution even if they leave SiteB.com and return later.
Conclusion:
The External Referral Links add-on simplifies the process of having affiliates promote one site while earning commissions on another. By intelligently using cookies to capture and pass affiliate information, it ensures a seamless experience for both affiliates and customers, ultimately resulting in proper commission attribution for successful transactions on the main site.
