Looking for a better affiliate module

[Kirk Hiner]

Hello, all. I just set up Miva's basic affiliate module for my client, and I'm not thrilled with it. I need the ability to have the affiliate code pass the information to the order. In other words, when my client checks his order, he wants the affiliate information to appear in the batch report. Also, he would like to run reports that show which affiliate links brought in sales and how much those sales were for. Commission to the affiliate isn't important, just the total.

Does anyone have suggestions for a module that can take care of this?

Kirk

[Red Flare]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

Take a look at Vikings Affiliate manager

[chucklasker-BANNNED]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

If you've got one store the Viking Coders Affiliate Manager module is probably acceptable. However, in their MM5.5 version it does not have the ability for affiliates to log in and see their stats, which most affiliates really like. They're supposed to release that soon - maybe they'll post here a release date.

Other popular and affordable options include Post Affiliate Pro, which can integrate with multiple MM stores (if you get this, contact me for integration method), and iDevAffiliate, although I don't have MM integration method for that one.

[Kirk Hiner]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

That looks good, but not exactly what we want (unless I'm just missing something).

It's not important in this case of affiliates to be able to log in and track stats. What we really want are:

1. The affiliate code needs to be passed to the order information when my client checks orders.
2. We need the ability to run reports by affiliate, so he can exactly which affiliates sold what products, and how much those sales were for (total amount, not affiliate percentage).

In other words, we need better affiliate functionality for my client himself, not for the specific affiliates.

[wcw]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

If you are using the built-in affiliate module, you could combine the Emporium Plus Tool Kit and Addendum module to get the affiliate code into the batch report.

The Tool Kit has the ability to display/track the affiliate id, code and name on every page in the store. This allows you to have a different look and feel in your store based on the affiliate referral. Use conditionals in the global headers, footers, etc to change the look based on the affiliate.

For your specs above:

1) By inserting the affiliate code into one of the addendum questions, the affiliate code is saved with the order. The addendum module comes with a modified version of the batch report which displays the addendum responses (which would include the affiliate code).

2) On the INVC page template you could export that affiliate code with other data using the Tool Kit's export function. For example you could export the order ID, date, product code, product price and affiliate code. This flat file could be downloaded and imported into programs like MS Excel for analysis and graphing.

[Kirk Hiner]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

Thanks for the update. A couple questions.

1. By affiliate code, do you mean the specific code for each affiliate, is there generic miva code that knows to pull in the affiliate information, or do you just mean this from the toolkit instructions:

<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="affiliate|myaffil" />
<mvt:if expr="g.myaffil">
Referred by: &mvte:myaffiliate:company;
</mvt:if>

If so, is it just okay to put that anywhere in the primary or secondary questions set?

Pending that answer, I'll move on to point two.

[wcw]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

This line
<mvt:item name="toolkit" param="affiliate|myaffil" />
checks to see if the customer got there as a result of an affiliate link. If they did it saves a value to the variable myaffil If they did not, that variable is blank.

Do you have addendum, order custom fields or some other module that asks checkout questions on the OCST or OSEL or OPAY page?

[Kirk Hiner]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

I have addendum assigned to the OPAY page. It's there for the sole purpose of allowing the customer to write in special requests when ordering. This info is written to the batch order report.

[wcw]

Re: Looking for a better affiliate module

Contact me off list and I'll tell you how to insert that myaffil variable into the responses.