Online Services

These programs operate completely independently from your site - no software installation or use of your system resources (such as disk space) is required. However, such programs run at the supplier site. You pay a rental (monthly or yearly) for the program. Thus, you are dependent on the supplier’s website for your ad tracking. Besides, your tracking URL's carry the supplier domain name.

The main difference between these types of ad tracking tools is the installation. For some businesses, running CGI scripts may be more advantageous, whereas for some online services would be more useful.

There are many Ad Tracking tools available at reasonable rates. Some of the most popular tools are discussed here.

  AdMinder (http://www.adminder.com)

This is an online service tool. AdMinder provides an ad tracking service that can be used with multiple websites. It provides the capability to track clicks, actions and sales. AdMinder provides reporting as well as the ability to export your data in CSV format, which you can use in MS Excel for additional analysis.

Some of its key features are:

• Browser based service, so no installation required
• Works with all major web browsers
• Provides key financial statistics
• Allow for Grouped Reports
• Unlimited Campaigns
   

  ProAnalyzer (http://www.proanalyzer.com)

ProAnalyzer Ad Tracking System is a CGI program that installs on your website's cgi-bin directory and tracks your ad click-throughs and sales without paying a monthly fee. When a visitor enters your website from an ad URL, a cookie is placed on his web browser and a click-through is recorded. If the visitor purchases a product, that cookie is read on the Thank You page with the purchase total, and the sale is recorded for the ad that generated it.

You can track sales or results either by the campaign name, the revenue generated by a sale, or the action accomplished (lead generated, etc.). The Administration Area allows you to monitor each of your campaigns showing hits, sales, and the conversion rate for each. You can configure how the program calculates the conversion rate (by raw hits or unique hits) and how results are sorted.

There are lots of different ways to bring customers to your site. So far we’ve talked about search engines, banners, text links and even reminded you of some of the old-fashioned, offline methods you can use.  As you learn these methods and begin to put them in practice, it’s important to remember that no one method has all the answers. The best marketing campaigns are a combination of them all.