Making my link-hiding script work properly..

[CTBaker]

Hi all,

I'm currently running a site where I use affiliate links, and one of the problems is that no matter how helpful you make a page, people generally won't click a link if they're aware that its an affiliate link that you can make some money out of. This is demonstrated by the fact I saw a serious increase in clickthroughs when I employed a script to disguise my affiliate links, and make them look like normal links. Sadly, I'm not overly proficient with Javascript, and the script has a couple of issues that I can't seem to sort out.

Here is the script (I'm assuming it's Javascript) -

<a onclick="parent.location.href='http://www.Affiliate-link';

return event.returnValue=false"

href=http://www.Display-Link>Anchor Text</a>


It's nothing too complex, but there are two main issues here. The first and largest is that if you right click on the link and open it in a new window, the site that is loaded in the new window is whatever text you're using to disguise the affiliate link - which obviously means I get no commission, which rather defeats the point of the entire exercise. The second point is less important, but I'd like the links to automatically open in a new window anyway. I can do this with HTML but I've had no luck trying to adapt this script to do it.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[CTBaker]

I'll give this post one bump before giving up - is it really that difficult to sort this problem out (or even just one of the two)?

[Philip M]

I think that people here are not too keen to help you "disguise the affiliate link". Essentially you are trying to deceive users by making them click on a link which is not what it purports to be, and cheat your affiliate by getting people to click on the link who have no actual intention of doing so just so you can grab a couple of cents.

<a href = "http://www.affiliateLink.com">Click here for joke of the day</a>

[CTBaker]

There's a difference between pay-per-click ads and affiliate signups - I only get paid when somebody buys a service from my affiliate sites, while pay-per-click ads are indiscriminate. I can see that trickery would be morally grey if I actually gained anything from tricking people into clicking a link, but if someone clicks a link accidentally on my site then they'll just close the window without buying anything and I get nothing for it. My money is made from people reading my site, being convinced that a particular product is worth buying, and then buying it.

My problem is that many people that will happily read my site, take on board all I have to say and be convinced by it, and then type in a URL like Betfair.com into the address bar manually and signup through that because they know I'll make a few pounds if they signup through my affiliate link. I know for a fact this is true, because I get more signups if I use that script - and remember, I only get paid when someone actually signs up and starts using the service. So this is nothing related to 'trickery', I just believe that if I should be paid my due commission. I'm sorry if you consider that 'cheating', but to my view it's the other people who are cheating me out of my rightful earnings.