| Automatically Apply Discounts From
Affiliate Referral Link URL A (manual) referral code is automatically created
for each affiliate upon signup. The 10 character referral code is created using
some characters from the affiliate's name combined with some numbers. It is editable
by the administrator. A referral code may be entered to record affiliate clicks
and set tracking cookies. In addition, the referral code automatically activates
product discounts, which may be selectively assigned to each affiliate. Affiliate
referral codes and product discount codes are related by the assignment of discount
code(s) to each affiliate. Referral Code - Manual
or Automatic
The referral code can be used to track referrals
by manual entry of the code into a text box. This method was originally created
to use in conjunction with print and word of mouth advertising for a school fundraiser.
The referral code may ALSO be included in a link URL to automatically record clicks,
set tracking cookies, AND to selectively set product discounts when visitors click
through. Difference Between Affiliate Link and Referral
Code Affiliate link URL's send customers to the script affiliate.php
with an "id=" parameter. The affiliate.php script reads the id= parameter
in the URL, records the click, sets a tracking cookie, and redirects to catalogue.php
(or another page if a redirect= parameter is included).
Affiliate
Link Code Generator Help Topic A referral code may be manually
entered into a form text box or it may be included in the URL to affiliate.php
as a parameter "referrer=". In addition to counting clicks and planting
tracking cookies, all product discounts that are assigned to the referring affiliate
are automatically set for the customer and appear in the catalog discount boxes.
Referral
Code Help Topic
Referral
Codes and Discounts Help Topic Create Product Discount A
discount may be created for each product. 
A
discount may be created for more than one product at the same time by creating
a discount for a category... 
Set
a discount code. 
The
same discount may be set at once for all products in a category or all products
in the catalog. When a discount is created for a group of products, it actually
sets the same discount for each product in the group. After being set for a group
or products, the discount for each product may then be individually edited or
deleted without changing the rest of the discounts that were previously set for
other products.
Product
Discount Help Topic Assign Discount To Affiliate Select
Manage Affiliates, then click on the discount icon 
to the right of the listed affiliate. 
Select
the discount and assign it to the affiliate. Any number of discounts may be assigned
to each affiliate. 
Set
Referral Code Automatically With Link URL Parameter Using the affiliate's
referral code, create a link URL that goes to affiliate.php and includes the "referrer="
parameter for the affiliate. 
Here
is an example of the referral URL as described above.
http://www.myniceshoppingcart.com/affiliate.php?referrer=rohar001 A
"redirect=" parameter may be added to control where affiliate.php redirects
to. The parameters can be used in this way for local/relative links and for absolute
links to local or remote pages or scripts. In this example the redirect is an
absolute URL, in which a search parameter is specified. (The line most likely
appears with line breaks in your browser. The actual URL is one continuous line
of characters.)
http://www.myniceshoppingcart.com/affiliate.php?referrer=rohar001&
redirect=http://www.myniceshoppingcart.com/search.php?searchstring=Speakers
See
Also: Tech Tips Index | 
