IE8 “InPrivate”

[rm94531]

Dear A4Uers

Re : IE8 “InPrivate”

Internet Explorer 8 contains a feature called “InPrivate” which allows users to automatically erase “cookies”.

What impact will this have on Affiliate Marketing ?

What positive actions do the Networks and Merchants intend to execute in respect of sales tracking ?

Thank you.

[essdeekay]

Not sure - depends when the cookie is deleted.

The majority of my sales are made in session so shouldn't be a big problem for me.

Si

[Frostie]

My understanding is that the cookie will be deleted upon closure of the Internet Explorer session

Therefore if someone browses and goes back at a later date or time in a new session (even 10 minutes later), then no commission will be made. It's something that will affect levels of comissions for us affiliates, but I think will work in merchants favours. They will make more sales without having to pay any comissions.

Boo hisss

[rm94531]

Therefore, all cookies have a 'duration' for that session only ! WoW !

[hero]

most networks don't rely solely on cookie tracking. IP tracking, database tracking, customer ID tracking, plus bespoke advanced methods are offered.

Webgains is the first network to use cookieless tracking, which allows us to track 7-10% more sales than normal. More information on our blog: Webgains Cookie-less Tracking Solution : Webgains Blog

[Frostie]

A bit more info;

The features are designed to make it easier for people to delete and control information about their web browsing history. With InPrivate Browsing, one of the new features, a user launches a new InPrivate Browsing window to go online. When the users closes the window, IE doesn't store any cookies, passwords, words typed into the address bar, search queries, temporary internet files or form data from the browsing session. Another new feature aims to address a shortcoming in the way the current version of IE lets people delete their browsing history. When a user deletes their browsing history today, they also get rid of cookies that are used to save preferences tied to websites that they might visit often. With IE8, users can delete their browsing history but retain the cookies for frequently visited sites. The implementation for this will be a bit clunky for users, however. To make sure cookies are retained for certain sites, users will have to add those sites to their Favorites list. After that, the cookies for those sites will be retained when the browsing history is deleted.

By the looks of things, a user has to make an informed decision to launch an InPrivate Browsing window, its not done as standard.

The deletion of history will predominately function in the same way, but will allow a user to KEEP a cookie for sites even after deleting their history, by manually adding them to a list.

Maybe not as bad as first feared

[vipey1]

i think prett soon privacy laws will mean the banning of cookies and affili networks are going to need to track through ip and other methods

[3wdl]

More info on our cookieless tracking here:

AffiliateFuture blog - updates and comments from the leading UK Affiliate Network Blog Archive Veracitag launch increases tracked sales by up to 7%

This is done at a network level, so unlike some other networks who claim to have cookieless tracking it does not need to be intergrated by the merchant.

Thanks
James

[rm94531]

Originally Posted by vipey1 i think prett soon privacy laws will mean the banning of cookies and affili networks are going to need to track through ip and other methods

What ? Privacy issues could 'destroy' the AM industry ?