Affiliate Commissions - Is Your Anti-Virus Eating Them?

November 29, 2008

If you use affiliate marketing on your website, or blog, your Anti-Virus software could be preventing you from getting affiliate commissions.

Over the last few days, three people have mentioned in emails that they bought products advertised on my blog. Trouble is, I didn’t receive affiliate commissions for any of them. The first couple of times it happened, I figured those people had previously clicked an ad on another site. But when I got the last email, I was a bit concerned, as it wasn’t an ad I’ve seen in many places.

I know three sales doesn’t sound like too much to worry about. But you’ve got to remember that only a tiny fraction of visitors to this website would ever email me and mention that they’d bought a product.

So, I did a bit of research and discovered your anti-virus software can actually block the tracking copies, used by some affiliate programs. And sure enough, when I checked mine, I discovered that McAfee was doing this.

I had no idea it was happening. I’m not particularly technically minded and I tend to install these things and leave them to get on with their job; without really knowing what they’re doing.

Now, I don’t know how to change the settings on other Anti-Virus software but on McAfee, here’s what I did:

Go into advanced menu, then go into Computers And Files.

Click configure. Then click real time scanning.

On Virus Protection Enabled, go into Advanced. Uncheck scan and remove tracking cookies, then click apply and ok.

Next click custom scan, then click scan and remove tracking cookies - click apply, then ok.

You also need to ensure that your browser enables cookies. For Firefox, go to Tools, Options, Privacy, then tick accept cookies and accept third party cookies.

For Internet explorer go into tools, internet options, privacy and change the settings to accept all cookies.

Problems like this can be prevented if you do your research properly. But it’s easy to read a whole heap of information and forget a lot of it. I’m now re-reading the Super Affiliate Handbook, to make sure I’m not making any more glaring errors.

If you use affiliate programs on your website or blog and haven’t read the Super Affiliate Handbook, I’d encourage you to do so. You could save yourself a lot of trouble, not to mention loss of affiliate commissions because of silly mistakes.

Have you lost affiliate commissions, due to anti-virus software, or other reasons? Do you have any other tips, or advice to share on protecting affiliate commissions?

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Comments

16 Responses to “Affiliate Commissions - Is Your Anti-Virus Eating Them?”

Mike Goad on November 29th, 2008 9:44 pm

I don’t think it’s your anti-virus software that is blocking commissions for you.

It would be the anti-virus software on your customers’ computers. That’s where the cookie block hurts you.

By changing the setting as you did, you set it up so that if you click on an ad on someone else’s site, then, because the tracking cookie was enabled, they will get the income if you buy something.

Mike Goad’s last blog post..Eyes of the Great Depression 009
Kelvin Kao on November 29th, 2008 9:47 pm

Unfortunately, the people would have to make sure that they make these changes on their own computers before clicking on your ad. So unless someone is really aware of affiliate links and care a lot about giving the website owner commission to actually make sure they get these settings right, this still doesn’t help. As long as cookies is used as the mechanism to track affliate link activities, this is really out of your control.

Kelvin Kao’s last blog post..Happy Thanksgiving!
Davina on November 30th, 2008 12:14 am

Hi Cath. Thanks for sharing this info. I don’t yet use affiliates, but plan to soon. I will definitely keep this in mind.

Davina’s last blog post..When Fear Closes In, Take Action
Terence Chang on November 30th, 2008 6:15 am

Cath:

Asking your readers to change their setting don’t seem practical. Most readers don’t really care if the author makes $ or not.

Many of the affiliate programs now offering pixel tracking, which use 1 pixel image with your affiliate ID built-in to track who is clicking and viewing your affiliate link. That will avoid the problem of cookies being removed.

You may want to check your affiliate program to see if the offer other options. I too have the problems on some of my sites. I decided to remove those affiliate program that don’t offer better tracking system.

Hope that help.

Terence Chang’s last blog post..AOL’s best free service AIM Phoneline is closing
Shane on November 30th, 2008 7:18 am

Does this apply to Clickbank users? :/
wilhb81 on November 30th, 2008 8:09 am

As I knew, there are many spyware or adware removers that will remove all the affiliate referral cookies, such as the CB’s cookies in seconds!

It’s becoming harder and harder to earn affiliate comissions in present days…

wilhb81’s last blog post..Farewell, My Friend!
Cath Lawson on November 30th, 2008 11:03 am

Hi Kelvin - I did wonder about that. If that’s the case, then we don’t have a lot of control over this at all.

Hi Davina - Thank you too for letting me know. I don’t think it was tracking any clicks even - I kept wondering why nobody was clicking on that ad. Yet I tried using a url shortener and that was showing loads of clicks.

Hi Terence - that is true - most just wouldn’t do it. I’ll look out for programs with pixel tracking then and ditch the rest. Thank you.

Hi Shane - I’m not sure. I sell some Clickbank stuff since I got McAfee but not heaps. I’m going to find out which programs use the pixel tracking as Terence mentioned and put a list on here.

Hi Wilhb - So it isn’t just the cookies settings that folk need to be worried about then - it’s also the spyware and adware removers. That is not good.

Cath Lawson’s last blog post..Affiliate Commissions - Is Your Anti-Virus Eating Them?
cathlawson on November 30th, 2008 1:13 pm

Hi Mike - I worried that could be happening. I’m doing a bit more research now to discover which affiliate programs would be a better option. And I’ll share my findings with everyone when I’m done.
Stephanie on November 30th, 2008 8:42 pm

I’ve seen that before too. So many people are convinced that tracking cookies are dangerous, when they generally aren’t. My inlaws are always so impressed with how many tracking cookies their scanners find, which I suspect is a big part of why the scanners do that. Makes them look extra effective.

Stephanie’s last blog post..Motrin, Meet Social Media
Jannie on November 30th, 2008 9:15 pm

Hmmn, I’m pretty sure I checked a “non-affiliate box” on my Google ads but this post certainly bears me taking another peek at them to confirm. Thanks!

Jannie’s last blog post..Passing conversation on one of his old (and still beautiful,) girlfriends
cathlawson on November 30th, 2008 10:14 pm

Hi Stephanie - That’s a really good point. As you and I know, they’re not dangerous. But those virus scanners are making themselves look great by finding them. I wish someone would invent something to help us get round this.

I Jannie - I’m wondering if you’re misunderstanding what we’re talking about? When you have Google Adsense, you’re still allowed to be an affiliate for other products. It’s just that it looks like a lot of anti-virus software is tampering with the affiliate links, so we don’t get paid.
Jim Gaudet on December 1st, 2008 5:08 am

This is great info Cath, I am going research this and see what other options are available. And into the 1 pixel option.

I am surprised this is the first time I have heard of this.

Your findings will be interesting, thanks.

Jim Gaudet’s last blog post..What is uSocial.net? Spammers?
cathlawson on December 1st, 2008 10:24 pm

Thanks Jim - It will be interesting to discover what is the best way to go. The most recent problem I had was with a Shareasale ad.

Not only did the sale not show up but no clicks on the ads showed up in Shareasale stats. I monitored the ad on a url shortener and that showed that folk were clicking on it.

It is pointless folk promoting these companies if they’re not going to get paid for doing so.
Jim Gaudet on December 2nd, 2008 2:04 am

Yeah, I am sure that the affiliates do not want to fix the problem if no one knows about it.

I have been crazy busy, but I promise to look into this.

Jim Gaudet’s last blog post..What is uSocial.net? Spammers?
Will Google Kick These Tossers Where It Hurts? | Catherine Lawson on December 5th, 2008 2:53 pm

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Stacey / Create a Balance on December 6th, 2008 8:37 pm

I never considered losing commissions from my anti-virus software. I will follow your suggestion and check my specs. I hope I have note lost millions!
Stacey / Create a Balance’s last blog post..Celebrate Your Life Friday!