Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon
I think it may be time to start a new thread about cookie lifetimes used by various sponsors. Maybe we can come up with a big list of sponsor names and how long their cookies live before expiring. That's something that could be valuable to a webmaster deciding on which sponsor programs to start promoting. It could also be valuable to webmasters who are already affiliates of particular sponsors, but have no idea how the sponsors handle their cookies. Might even be worth adding as a column to the current sponsor info available in the sponsors list on this board.
Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a message that differs between sponsors who use 255-day cookies (the max CCBill allows) and those who use things like 1-hour cookies. Seriously, is there any reason to use short cookies besides depriving a webmaster of an earned commission as early as possible?
If a webmaster sends someone to a tour and he gets interrupted by something before he can join but goes back later, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or whenever, I think the original webmaster who sent that surfer deserves a commission if he was the last affiliate who sent that surfer to the sponsor's tour.
All traffic has some cost and therefore some value, even if only the time and work that went into building the pages or writing the posts which originally convinced the surfer to visit the tour page. Short cookies seem to say that the sponsor doesn't believe our traffic has much value to them. Which makes me think it may not be a very good idea to send our traffic to them either.
Anyone else feel it's time we called out the sponsors who use shorties?
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Simon, I actually was thinking the same thing along these lines. I'd like to know what programs use in regards to cookie life. As I myself feel that it reflects greatly with the number of sales, and probably has a lot more to do with low numbers than some much more easy to point the finger at scenarios. And even though the scenarios are surely to blame for some lack of sales, Im sure cookie life is a key part as well.
Do programs usually keep that info in their terms & conditions section? If not, there should be an open invite for program owners/reps to provide that information.