Where can I get a script to track where signups are coming from?
 

Is this type of script available or is it something that must be custom made?

I need a script that can track which sites are bringing me surfers that actually sign up to my pay site. I should have done this a long time ago but better late than never.

Obviously, the sole purpose is so that I can better spend my advertising dollars.

Thanks in advance if you have any suggestions :thumbsup

you need a custom one.
I don't think any exists...

Damn, that's what I thought.

Couldn't you modify an existing affiliate script or banner rotation script to do something like that? It'd need to grab IPs and referrer infos from surfers on the way in, easy enough to do from the server logs. Then you could have an include in your 'welcome' or 'signup success page' that would log those IPs and allow you to compare.

Not particularly smooth, I admit, but it'd probably work.

M

Thanks for the idea baremuffin. It's something I'll look into. :glugglug

If you are using ccbill or similar 3rd party processing on your paysite, sign each of your free sites etc... up as an affiliate under your paysite, then you will be able to send traffic via your linking code, thus tracking your clicks and sales.:)

If you are using ccbill and also are using the custom forms option, you can get by with just one referal account and then CCBILL's new system will track all the url's that sent signups.

Cheers,
BV

I know a programming genius and he could write one up in no time for very good price for you. Hit me up on ICQ and I will put you in touch with him.

ICQ 146104506

Thanks BV, ingenius although I hate referral linking codes. I don't know why...it's something subliminal. I hate seeing funky numbers and letters after the domain name.

Reddawg, I don't have ICQ but I'll send you a private message in due course.

Thanks again.

Trying to matchup your joins by ip address isn't the best idea. That makes it difficult/impossible to track visitors from ISPs that use proxies/caches (like AOL).

You're much better off using a query string or a cookie to track the source of traffic.

I think it could work... there's a stats program called AXS you can download that does most of that anyway, but creates its own logfile, rather than using the server log - with a little more thought, since this particular script grabs a shitload of info anyway (if available), you could probably just have a standard setup of the script, put the include (or use an img src) on each page you send traffic to, as well as the success page. It'll log each page the surfer hits, as well as the referring url (or domain, or ip, your choice), so you can run a query (the function's already built into it) on the logfile for all the IPs that hit the success page, then go back and run those for their referrers.

No mods necessary, it seems... I don't know if it's okay to link you to the script here. LMK and I'll post the link if you want.

I'm sure it would work with any stats program of similar construction; I mention AXS cuz I've used it repeatedly (it even has a decent setup for tracking exits) and been able to shape it to my needs.

Good luck!
M

You can make the link display whatever you want in the bottom of the browser with the correct code if your worried about the surfers reaction to the link code being displayed as normal.

I use this script and it will not tell you who made the signups. The only way you can with AXS or any server log is to look at the IP address that was registered for the transaction thru your billing co. and then go back into your axs logfiles or regular server log files and query that same ip address, it only works sometimes because your server is not able to get every reffering url from every visitor.

What about when people leave their cookies off? Wouldn't they be rendered basically invisible? I'm not up enough technically to understand fully the effects of the cache-ing and proxies mentioned about AOL... I'm interested, if you've the time/patience to explain it to me... but I do know that with axs, all kinds of weird aol proxies show up, and it gathers information just as it does for others... mainly what you'd need to do is follow the path of the surfer through your site... with the SSI manner of triggering the script, you get a footprint everywhere you go, with all the information the script was able to get (that you set it up to ask for) attached to each step.

I'm making this more difficult than necessary *sigh* I guess I don't see why he couldn't do it with some creative setting up of a standard stats script, LOL.

That was hard, eh :)

Michelle

Ok, that makes sense (re: inability to grab all ref urls)... but what if you used the exit function of the script with named links on all the links that refer IN to the site? Then even if the ref url doesn't log, the hit to the exit link DOES?

M

I should explain something: I PORE over open source and freeware/shareware scripts for the ability to modify them to serve my needs, almost obsessively, before I try to go for custom programming. I guess I'm cheap :(

Anyway, just a note as to why I keep gnawing at this... it's an interesting idea, one that I might like to use sometime, lol...

Take care, and thanks for the input on my ideas :)

Michelle

nah

nah?

nah, i'm not cheap?

nah, i'm not gnawing?

nah, i'm not thinking about using this in the future?


or just a big ole' resounding 'NAH!' lol

M