Internet Marketing Blog

Although ClickBank's payment processing and affiliate network services have been a favorite of Online Marketers for years ... CB has been the subject of many issues regarding affiliate referrals ... more specifically, not being credited for referrals ... either due to 'hijacking' (sales stolen by other affiliates), losing credit by having their cookies compromised by spyware programs and filters, or not using 'legal' redirects.

A recent announcement by the folks at ClickBank may clear up the aforementioned issues ... well, hopefully. ;)

HOPLINK FAQ (Updated)

1. What is a "hoplink"?

   Hoplinks are what Clickbank uses to track customer referrals from ClickBank affiliates to Clickbank vendors.

2. How do I make a hoplink?

   To refer a customer from affiliate to vendor, the customer needs to pass through the following link:

   http://AFFILIATE.VENDOR.hop.clickbank.net

   To make it work, replace AFFILIATE with the affiliate nickname and VENDOR with the vendor nickname.

3. Where can I find vendors to link to?

   For an updated list of vendors visit the ClickBank Marketplace.

4. Can I get paid for referrals without using hoplinks?

   No. The referral needs to pass through our link in order for us to track the referral.

5. With hoplinks does the first or last affiliate get the commission?

   When a purchase is made the commission is awarded to the last affiliate who referred the customer to that particular vendor.

6. For how long do you track each referral?

   After you make a referral, you will earn a commission if the customer purchases any product from that site up to 60 days later.

7. What percentage of ClickBank sales are made by referral?

   Among our top selling products, over 75% of sales are generated by affiliates. Overall affiliates generate over 50% of all ClickBank sales.

8. Can vendors cheat affiliates by "undoing" the commission on a sale, or by pretending that a sale was refunded?

   No. Unlike other popular affiliate solutions, we handle both the sale and the awarding of commissions. The only way to undo a commission is to actually undo (refund) the entire order.

9. If I refer a customer to one vendor site, and they purchase several of their products, will I get a commission on each sale?

   Yes.

10. If I refer a customer to one vendor site, but the customer ends up buying products offered by a different site, will I get a commission on the sale?

    No.

11. I don't want the customers I refer to see my full hoplink url. What is the easiest way to "cloak" my hoplinks?

    The secret is to send the customer to a url of your own that quietly redirects them through the correct hoplink. We recommend using the html below. Don't forget to replace each occurrence of AFFILIATE and VENDOR with the correct value!

Read the rest, here:

http://clickbank.com/hoplinkFAQ.html

Much success,

Mike

PS

For every Pro ... there is a potential Con.

Here's what my dear friend Adrian Ling (EasyBizTools.com) has to say about the update ...