Let's talk about cookies

[bluebrit]

Those cookie checker tools are very handy. Thanks to both of you for the work you put into making them

I just ran a few ccbill sponsors that do not appear in the lists so far.
These come from the links produced when you go into ccbill, click tools and then click banners for your link code.

Just for interest I also added whether or not the ccbill fees are split as well.

coxcash = 17 hrs 0 min 2 secs - Don't split
naughty niche = 17hrs 3min 56 secs - Split
MetArt = 1 days 17 hrs 0 min 2 secs - Split
nbb cash =2 days 17 hrs 1 sec - Split
thin fetish = 2 days 17 hrs 3 mins 56 secs - Split
fetish by anna = 2 days 17hrs 2 secs - Don't split
shiny dollars = 2 days 17 hrs 2 secs - Split
male perfection = 36 weeks 17 hrs 0 min 2 secs - don't split
sonia cash = 36 weeks 2 days 17 hrs 56 secs - don't split

Feel free to re-check these as my browser is on a go slow at the moment.

From what I understand, cookie lengths are set using the cookie default expiry date, (tell me if I'm wrong).

That being the case why did these results give such odd figures?
Is this something to do with the servers interpreting the time after a figure has been inserted?

Surely a whole number for the day, week, month or year would be much easier to insert for the expiration time.

[Nymph]

Using rooty's I ran the CCBill ones through that I couldn't get on MadCat's

Nubiles Net = 2Day(s) 17Hr(s) 0Min(s) 3Sec(s)
Tushy Cash = 2Day(s) 17Hr(s) 0Min(s) 3Sec(s)

And BB had Sonia Cash on his list.

[LeRoy]

Those ones with 0 make me sad because I push some of them heavily

Our cam sites a DTI are 30 days

[Scott-ATCI]

What a great resource! It's amazing how many of them last 0 or 1 days.

[dunc]

It's funny though, even though I don't make a lot of sales, the majority of my sales come from the sponsors with low length or no cookies.

So based on that, I thinking that it all depends upon how the site converts rather than if the punter revisits and joins at a later date

But like I said my traffic is low and sales are peanuts... so if you have high traffic and lots of sales, I would be interested to hear on how it works for you (runs off to look at Greenguys stats).

Thinking about it though, there could be 10 million other factors involved in the process - still it would be interesting

[MeatPounder]

Ramster, Bdok,, preacher, and I were talking about sponsor cookies in Vegas last winter.

It seems many if not most sponsors affiliate cookies will get overwritten anyways if google sends a surfer to the sites via a sponsors direct link

[MadCat]

Originally Posted by bluebrit

From what I understand, cookie lengths are set using the cookie default expiry date, (tell me if I'm wrong).

That being the case why did these results give such odd figures?
Is this something to do with the servers interpreting the time after a figure has been inserted?

Surely a whole number for the day, week, month or year would be much easier to insert for the expiration time.

Basically it's a matter of timezones. Cookie expiry dates are in a format that's a bitch to parse (sort of), and includes a timezone. So when you start going into timezone math, things can get a bit odd. Also you can get the 2 seconds bits because my server might not be as up-to-date on it's time as the origin server. For the sake of being "complete" and open about what the checker does, you get to see the date as the server sees it, including any odd little numbers

[MadCat]

Let me state one thing - the cookie checker is "as-is", for all you know I fucked it up and it'll start returning 0 for everything at some point, please use it as a tool just to check things quicky, and don't let it be the sole reason for promoting (or not promoting) a sponsor. As Dunc said, if a tour converts, you don't need a 365 day cookie because someone will sign up the minute they land on the tour page.

Also, cookies can (and do) get overwritten - in general if I send a surfer to a sponsor and the surfer already has a cookie from that sponsor for another affiliate, that cookie gets overwritten with mine (the honest thing really). The nasty thing is that most sponsors will delete any cookies that were set if you go straight to a website.

[MeatPounder]

Originally Posted by MadCat

Also, cookies can (and do) get overwritten - in general if I send a surfer to a sponsor and the surfer already has a cookie from that sponsor for another affiliate, that cookie gets overwritten with mine (the honest thing really). The nasty thing is that most sponsors will delete any cookies that were set if you go straight to a website.

Exactly...make sure you make the sale the first visit as it is very likely that is your only chance

Sure if the surfer on your referal looks around and gets interested but doesn't bite, he might (slim chance in hell) go back to that exact same referal page and click it again....but most likely he will do a earch for the site in a search engine and follow the link he finds to the paysite on the search page AND THE COOKIE WILL GET OVERWRITTEN by the new affilates...or he will see another page promoting that site, and think oh yea this is what I was looking at and that new referrer gets the sale...or they will remember the sites name but forget the .com and google will nicely put the sites direct link up and the sponsor will not have to pay ANY affiliate...or as Mad Cat says, even if the surfer remembers the exact url of the paysite, as he types it directly many sponsors immediately will overwrite ALL cookies setting their own anyways pretty much defeating the point of cookies (NOW THAT IS SHITTY and perhaps something a tool would beuseful for, giving you the ability to read cookies as then you could click your own affiliate link and then look at the cookie set once you go to the site...then close your browser windows and reopen your browser and go directly to the sites main url...then look at the cookie again...THAT is where you will find sponsors ripping you off).

So stop worrying about cookie length so much...make sure you make the sale the first time you send the surfer there

[bluebrit]

You make a good point Meatpounder. You want the person to buy immediately, but what about those people who find your link, like what they see and want to buy, but can't for the following reasons;
They are at work
They have to wait for pay day
Their partner is around and they don't want to join while they are there
They are at home but friends are visiting and they don't have time to buy
Their kids are still up and they won't join until they are in bed
They are away from home and want to sign up later
A whole bunch of other reasons.

Basically if the buyer is not in a position to buy pretty much straight away, a short term or 0 day cookie is a waste of time, so why bother using the sponsor?

Yes there are instances where your going to get the sale but how many times do you lose that sale because your cookie expires due to any of the reasons above?

I agree you are going to lose sales when the person remembers only the main .com but at least you have a chance of retaining the sale if the cookie is in place. If a cookie expires straight away or within a couple of days, the chances are your going to loose out even though you may have the perfect site with a perfect ad for the site your selling.

Sorry but good traffic being wasted because of a short cookie is a waste of that traffic in my mind and I for one will not be promoting sites with cookies I consider a waste of time. I just hate the thought of all the work involved with pulling the links.

My first step in any case would be to email the sponsor and see if the cookie can be changed. If you don't ask, you don't know and that is something everybody should do before pulling a link.

I know this topic is going to come up on OTB this week. Unfortunately Emmy and I cannot be there because we will be down in the city until late that night. Can I ask someone to put together the main points of the discussion because I would like to know what other people think about this or keep a copy of the chat and fill in the blanks on what is said by any callers to the show?

[NY Jester]

I agree Blue Brit. There are many deciding factors in why and when a surfer buys a membership - I find that to be especially true when there is a timed trial period. Its that situation when cookie length is most critical. Many people, for the reasons stated above dont or cant buy right then. But if they only have a one day trial option, they will only sign up when they know they have the time and can enjoy that trial.

[gnarpen]

Since I got me a decent connection 5-6 years ago I have almost always been a member of a paysite somewhere, but I have never signed up at the first visit, when I stumble up on something that interests me I bookmark, and in the end of each month I decide if I´m going to try one of the bookmarked sites or stay where I am, this way some of the sites may stay bookmark for a long time, I have a couple that are one year old or more

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by Licker4U

Adult Elite = 0 Days
Adult Pay Master = 0 days
AEBN = 0 Days
ARS = 0
Cash Maniacs = 0 Days
Cash Traffic = 0 days
CECash = 0 days
Click Me Media = 0 days
Gamma Cash = 0 Days
Guerilla Traffic = 0 Days
I'm Live = 0 Days
Mansion Cash = 0 Days
Max Cash = 0 Days
Movie Room = 0 Days
Niche Green = 0 days
Niche Wealth = 0 Days
PE Cash = 0 Days
Pimproll = 0 Days
Porn Megabucks = 0 Days
Reality Cash = 0 days
SexToySex = 0 Days
Sexy Ads = 0 Days
Sic Cash = 0 Days
Spice Cash = 0 Days
Spooky Cash = 0 Days
Sunny Dollars = 0 Days
Thrill Bucks = 0 Days
TrafficCashGold = 0 days

Be very CAREFUL with lists like this - most, if not all of these sponsors with 0 days do NOT use cookies - meaning they should not even be on this list.

[Twiceshy]

I agree Greenie , when i was checking cookies i wondered why so many were 0 but now after OTB i see why. Not all sponsors use cookies as some with 0 are my best sellers.Not sure i will be judging a sponsor based on cookie life now. More on performance and stats the same way i always have. ( unless i find something new that works better ).

[bluebrit]

Greenie has a very valid point. No one should make a decision on whether or not to use a sponsor based solely on cookie length and I appreciate him pointing out that not all sponsors use cookies. I also agree that there are some very good sponsors in the lists that probably should not be there and if I am already promoting them, I will continue to do so.

When I first mentioned I was checking cookies, it was because I was trying to see where I could improve sales and that's the only reason I am looking at cookie lengths.

Each sponsor I check will be dealt with individually before any decision on whether to stop promoting them is made and I will contact those sponsors directly to ask if short cookies can be extended.

I did not start this to tell people not to promote one sponsor over another based solely on these findings although I did say that I would not be using sponsor programs where a zero or very short cookie length existed and I stand by that. However I don't make any decision regarding pulling links until I have talked to the sponsor in question and received their reply.

The checks I am running are to give me more information, which then gives me a better foundation on how to judge a sponsors program and it's worth in promoting. I am trying to improve sales not start a witch hunt.

I would never advise anybody to simply pull links without having all of the information at hand at that means you have to talk to your sponsors. That is what an affiliate manager is there for. Ask the questions if you have doubts over cookie lengths but do not blindly pull links because of what has been said to date.

Common sense has to rule when judging these programs. If you are getting good sales then you would be foolish to pull the links. Think about what you are doing before you do anything and always talk to your sponsors affiliate managers if you have any doubts.

[Licker4U]

Originally Posted by Greenie

Be very CAREFUL with lists like this - most, if not all of these sponsors with 0 days do NOT use cookies - meaning they should not even be on this list.

Not using cookies seems as bad as USING cookies set at 0 days but as I said at OTB, if I don't get the sale on the index page of my free site I figure the surfer/sale is gone anyway so cookie length isn't an issue for me.

[Senator_x]

Ever hear of cookie stuffing?


Just be careful with iframes loading non stop.

[LeRoy]

if I don't get the sale on the index page of my free site I figure the surfer/sale is gone anyway so cookie length isn't an issue for me.

I heard you say this a number of times. Sounds like you just give up or something.

I try to sell all they way to the footer on gallery 2

I'm thinking if the surfer clicks on anything on gallery #2. I did something right.

I just checked my Movie Room stats. This one orgy site gallery two I added some sales text and I'm 1:74 on that gallery. Wow I'm gonna start pouring the sales text now.

ABC = Always Be Closing

[tickler]

Originally Posted by Senator_x

Ever hear of cookie stuffing?

Ever hear of privacy browsers?

Flash cookies seem like a way around them(for now), but, I'm not holding my breath on sponsors jumping on that bandwagon.

[Licker4U]

Originally Posted by LeRoy

I heard you say this a number of times. Sounds like you just give up or something.

I have, if they get past my index page they're usually professional porn surfers and know how to navigate to the "goodies". I have made sales from the main page and gallery pages but the number is so small I discount them as sales opportunities.

[papagmp]

I got stoned and I ate all my cookies - time to hit the store for more munchies.



Mine are - and have always been - set to the ccbill max of 255 days. But I'll bet a bag of Oreos that I could drop it to 30 and see no appreciable change in the number of direct sign-ups vs affiliate sales.