Tracking

There are two primary ways to track transaction flow from the moment of first click to the point where conversion takes place. Either you are tracking users via cookies on their browser or doing a server call to store a unique identifier.

The two ways, formerly called as the 1) Client Based Tracking and 2) Server Based Tracking.

Client Based Tracking:

The first type of tracking is Client Based Tracking. Choosing the right conversion tracking method and implementing it correctly can be a little confusing. The client here is no one but the user’s browser. Client-Based tracking relies on storing information on the actual user’s computer by placing a cookie in the user’s browser when an advertisement is clicked. If the user reaches the conversion page (final sale or lead), a tracking pixel that was placed on the conversion page sends the cookie information back to the tracking platform, recording a conversion for the proper affiliate.  The two most common tracking pixel formats are iFrame and Image pixels.  These are automatically generated once an offer is created in an affiliate tracking software. Placing this tracking pixel on the conversion page is the only thing required of an advertiser when using client-based tracking.  For this reason, it is often the simplest way to set up conversion tracking.  The ease of setup for advertisers and low requirement of technical savvy make client-based tracking an excellent solution for many networks.

Server Based Tracking:

Another type of tracking is Server Based Tracking. This kind of tracking is totally independent of cookies that’s why it’s also known as cookie-less tracking. Server-based tracking requires nothing to be placed on the user’s computer.  Many consider server-based methods to be more accurate because conversions are not lost when a user has cookies disabled on their Internet browser.  Instead of using cookies to store information, server based tracking stores information associated with the user, the affiliate, and the offer on a server and attaches it to some unique identifier.  The most common unique identifiers generated by network software are Transaction IDs and Affiliate IDs.  With server-based tracking, the advertiser is responsible for storing that unique identifier and passing it back to the tracking server when a user completes a conversion.