Affiliate links

[Michel Z.]

I want to give my 'affiliate' url to a webmaster. This webmaster will place my 'affiliate' url on his website in order to promote my offer, but I don't want webmaster to see which advertising network I am using which can be found out easily by looking at my 'affiliate url'!

1. What are my possibilities here?

2. If I forward to this webmaster NOT my 'affiliate' url but a link which re-directs to my 'affiliate' url that should be a solution?

For example -

My site is let see www.valadvertising.com & I will make a .php file which will re-direct straight to my 'affiliate' url (this .php file has re-direct code inside), then I can give this webmaster something like this: www.valadvertising.com/offer.php

That should solve the issue?

3. If Yes, then I am wondering if there will be not a problem with my advertising network as well, because all the traffic is going FROM: www.valadvertising.com/offer.php TO: my 'affiliate' url.

And www.valadvertising.com/offer.php is basicly non-existing, because main purpose here is re-directing! If my 'affiliate' url directly was shown on this webmaster's website, then it shouldn't be any problem because then all traffic is coming from webmaster's site to my 'affiliate' url which is ofcourse fine!!

Any suggestions here?

4. Maybe to make from my 'affiliate' url a 'tiny url' (like: http://www.tinyurl.com ) could be solution as well, but I don't think it looks very professional to be honest. Maybe you have a different idea?

Thanks a lot!

[Chris]

There is no problem with using redirects. On most of my affiliate sites I use redirects anyways, merchants are used to it.

The only issue is that for a brief second the affiliate URL will be visible to someone clicking on the link and so you might not hide the URL as well as you think. Also in general when they get to the merchant site they can look around for an "affiliate program" link and find out which network you use that way.