Tracking and Tracking Systems

» What are tracking systems? » What are Impressions, Clicks, Leads and Sales? » Tracking Impressions » Tracking Clicks » Tracking Leads and Sales » Cookies and why do we need them? » Piggy-back Pixels

Tracking System..A system designed to record and report on discrete activities within a process... The discrete activities are: 1.View an Ad (View or Impression) 2.Respond to the Ad (Click) 3.Perform an Action (Lead or Sale)

A Visitor Standard Flow Impression, Click, Lead (and / or) Sale Publisher Website Tracking System Advertiser Website ImpressionsClicksLeadsCommission 1,000,00040,00050$ ViewClick Lead / Sale Name: Address: Submit 1. Collect and record discrete actions 2. Report actions

Impressions

What is an Impressions? » An impression is a single view of an advertisement by a visitor. » The advertisements are viewed on the Publisher website… How can an external tracking-system count them??

Ad-Serves » Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. » This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Server: » For discussion purposes we assume that the Tracking-System is also the Ad-Server. Publisher Website Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Content, website design Ads

Which information regarding impressions do we require from our Tracking System? 1.Which banner was served? 2.How many impressions were there? 3.By which Publisher was the banner served? 4.When was the banner served?

Tracking System How is it done? Step 1 Upload an image-file to the tracking system (.jpg,.gif,.bmp etc.) Step 2 The image-file is wrapped with a container. The container is normally an HTML code that can be placed by Publishers on their websites.

Publisher Website Tracking System Step 3 Publisher searches for a creative and downloads the code. 1.The code includes a link to the image-file. 2.The HTML code specifies the width and height of the image-file 3.The code also includes: 1.Publisher ID 2.Banner ID Lets look at the code closely…. Place creative code here

Creative code on Publishers website Publisher Website 1.a href – tells you where to go upon a click (will be discussed on tracking clicks) 2.img src – tells you 1.Where to take the image from (URL of the Ad-Server) 2.ID of the Publisher (encrypted) and ID of the Banner 3.Normally includes creative size (width and heights)

Recording an Impression » When the Publisher website is loaded by the visitor, the code placed on the website is loaded as well. » The img src call is made to the Ad-Server 1. The Ad-Server identifies the call 2. Based on the Banner ID, Publisher ID, and the time the call is made, the Ad server records 1 impression 3. The reply is the image file. The result is the display of the banner on the Publisher website.

Flow of Events Publisher Website 1. Visitor: Give mehttp:// Tracking System 2. Visitor: Tracking System, give me: Content 1.Recording 1 impression Imp. IDPublisherBannerTime Stamp PublisherWebsite.comFree :00:03 2. Return image-file

Clicks

What is a Click? » A click is a request made by the visitor to go from one location to another. » In this specific case, the visitor requests to follow the advertisement, i.e. to go from the Publisher website to the Advertiser website. » Since the advertisement is displayed on the Publisher website, and the click is made on the Publisher website, how can a Tracking System record clicks?

Ad-Servers » Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. » The Ad-Servers are not only providing with the code to display the Ad, but also provide the code for redirection, i.e. for taking the user from the Publisher website to the Advertiser website. Publisher Website Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Normally, Publishers use Ad-Servers to display Ads on their website. This means that while the content of the website is loaded from the Publishers servers, the Ads are loaded from another server, the Ad-Serv Content, website design Ads

Which information re click do we require from our Tracking System? 1.Which banner was clicked? 2.On which website (Publisher) did the click take place? 3.How many clicks were there? 4.When did the clicks take place (time-stamp)?

Tracking System How is it done? Step 1 Advertiser upload an image-file to the tracking system (.jpg,.gif,.bmp etc.) Step 2 The Advertiser Provides a landing URL for the banner. The Landing URL is the URL visitors are redirected to, upon a click. Step 3 The Tracking-System wraps the banner with HTML code.

Publisher Website Tracking System Step 4 Publisher searches for a creative and downloads the code. 1.The code includes a link to the image-file. 2.The code includes a redirection link Lets look at the code closely…. Place creative code here

Creative code on Publishers website Publisher Website 1.img src – tells you which image to display 2.The a href tells you where to redirect the visitor upon click. The link includes the following information: 1.Publisher Website 2.Banner 3.Advertiser ID 4.Campaign ID

Advertiser Website Name: Submit Flow of events Publisher Website Visitor: I want to go to the Advertiser website Tracking System 2.Visitor:I want to go to 1.Recording 1 Click Click. IDPublisherBannerAdvertiserCampaignTime Stamp PublisherWebsite.com FreeAdvertiserWebsite.com Campaign :00:03 2. Check what is the Landing URL and redirect the visitor there.

What are Leads and Sales? » Leads and Sales are both actions that take place on the Advertiser website. Leads -It is customary to refer to Leads as an action that does not require the visitor to purchase items or make a deposit. -Leads normally pay fixed commission to the Publisher. Sales -It is customary to refer to Sales as actions that require the visitor to purchase items or make a deposit. -Sales may pay fixed commission or % of the sold item to the Publisher.

Tracking Leads and Sales ?But since Leads and Sales take place on the Advertiser website, how can my tracking system know a Sale or a Lead took place? !The Advertiser must notify the Tracking System a lead or a sale took place. Advertiser Website Page 1 Name: Mobile: Address: Submit Page 2 Thank you for submitting your details. Our representatives will contact you shortly! (Lead OK) Tracking System Notify tracking system

How does the Advertiser notifies the tracking system of Sales and Leads? » There are 2 main technologies available today to notify of sales and leads. Client side – Pixels Server side – HTTP requests

Pixels (Client Side) » Pixels are small HTML (or Java Script) codes placed on the Advertiser Thank-you-page. » Pixels are extremely easy to implement. » Since pixels are placed on the client end, the Tracking System thinks the client (i.e. the visitor loaded the pixel). 1. The visitor is redirected by the Advertiser to the thank-you-page. 2. The visitor requests to load the thank-you-page and hence the tracking system pixel.

Server Pixels » Sometimes, the visitor is no longer online when a final confirmation of the conversion is available. For example, the user is required to confirm downloading content to his mobile by SMS. » In these cases the visitor is not redirected to the Advertiser Thank-you-Page and hence cannot load the pixel. » In this case, the Advertiser generates a server call to the Tracking system and notifies of the conversion.

Advertiser Backend System Advertiser Website Page 2 Thank you for submitting your details. Our representatives will contact you shortly! (PIXEL) Tracking System Record Conversion Confirmation of Sale

Which information re Leads and Sales do we require our tracking system to record? 1.Advertiser and Campaign 2.Publisher referring the visitor. 3.Banner the visitor clicked on 4.The exact date and time of the Sale or Lead 5.For Sale we may also want to know 1. Sale value 2. Purchases items 3. Order ID

Information the Advertiser is able to Provide Information the Advertiser is not able to provide Who is the AdvertiserWho is the Publisher What is the CampaignWhich banner was clicked Exact date and time of the sale or lead Sale value, Purchased items, Order ID » How does the tracking system knows the information an Advertiser is not able to provide?

Providing information to the Tracking System Advertiser Website Page 2 Thank you for submitting your details. Our representatives will contact you shortly! (PIXEL) Tracking System Record Conversion Advertiser Backend System Information Provided 1.Who is the Advertiser 2.What was the campaign 3.Sale Value (if applies) 4.Purchased items (if applies) 5.Order ID (if applies)

How does the Tracking System know who was the Publisher and which banner was clicked? 1.This information needs to be stored somewhere. 2.The information needs to be available at the time the sale or lead take place. 3.Someone needs to know that the visitor that currently performed the conversion, visited a specific Publisher website and clicked a certain banner… » Maybe the visitor can provide us with this information?

Tagging Visitors - Cookies? » Cookies are small text files generated by sites you browse to. » Cookies are harmless and include information related to the user. For example, your username to an web-mail application may be stored in cookies. » Cookies are generated only when visitors are redirected through your webiste or URL.

When Can a Tracking System tag a user? » Normally visitor cookie is generated upon click. » The Tracking-System saves crucial information in cookies, for example: Website (Publisher ID), Banner ID etc. » The cookie also identifies that the visitor was redirected through this Tracking System

Advertiser Website Name: Submit Publisher Website Visitor: I want to go to the Advertiser website Tracking System 2.Visitor:I want to go to 1.Recording 1 Click Click. IDPublisherBannerAdvertiserCampaignTime Stamp PublisherWebsite.com FreeAdvertiserWebsite.com Campaign :00:03 3. Check what is the Landing URL and redirect the visitor there. 2. Generate a Cookie

Providing information to the Tracking System Advertiser Website Page 2 Thank you for submitting your details. Our representatives will contact you shortly! (PIXEL) Tracking System 1.Collect Information 2.Record Conversion Information Provided by the Advertiser 1.Who is the Advertiser 2.What was the campaign 3.Sale Value (if applies) 4.Purchased items (if applies) 5.Order ID (if applies) Information Provided by the Visitor Cookie 1.Was this visitor redirected through this tracking system 2.Publisher 3.Banner Conversio n ID PublisherBannerAdvertiserCampaignAmountTime Stamp PublisherWebsi te.com FreeAdvertiserWebsit e.com Campaign 1 $ :22:03

And what happens when visitors convert offline? » The tracking system is not able to access the visitor cookie upon conversion, as the visitor is not online. » Who provides us with the missing infomration? » The Advertiser…

Advertiser Website Server to Sever conversion-tracking Tracking System Advertiser Backend System Publisher Website redirect Click Redirection 1.Record click 2.Collect information 3.Check the Advertiser landing page, redirect user there, and send all related information as well. Please confirm by SMS Visitor confirms by SMS Record Conversion 1.The Advertiser performs a server call to confirm a lead. 2.The Advertiser sends the data they normally have (Advertiser ID, Campaign ID etc.) 3.The Advertiser also sends the rest of the details Conversion

Piggy Back Pixels

Publishers Tracking Systems » Often times Publishers are using their own tracking systems. » The Publisher Tracking System tracks clicks but would also like to track conversions. » However, the Advertiser is not aware of the Publisher tracking system and hence will not implement the Publishers tracking system pixel on his website.

Problems… 1.How do we make both Tracking Systems track clicks? 2.How do we make both tracking systems generate cookies? This is required in order to track conversions… 3.How do we make both Tracking Systems track conversions?

Publisher Website Each system gets codes from its adjacent system Advertiser Website Tracking System (2) Tracking System (1) Upload Banner Take banner code as Publisher of System (1) Upload it to an Advertiser account on system (2) Take banner code as Publisher of System (2) Serve banner on website

Visitor redirection (click) and cookie Publisher Website Advertiser Website Tracking System (2) Tracking System (1) click 1.Record a Click 2.Flag user with Tracking system (2) cookie 3.Redirect to Landing Page 1.Record a Click 2.Flag user with Tracking system (1) cookie 3.Redirect to Landing Page

Pixels Advertiser Website Tracking System (2) Tracking System (1) Thank-you Page PIXEL (TS 1) Place my Pixel on Advertisers website PIXEL (TS 2)

Conversions Advertiser Website Tracking System (2) Tracking System (1) Thank-you Page PIXEL (TS 1) PIXEL (TS 2) Publisher – Tracking system 2? PIXEL (TS 2)