Hello, community! Have you ever visited a landing page but didn’t immediately take up the offer, only to return later and purchase the advertised product? Have you wondered whether such an action brings profit to the person who initially guided you to that landing page, or if they simply wasted money because you clicked on a paid ad? 

To ensure that affiliates can still earn profit in such situations, there is a technology called Postclick. Today, we’ll discuss how it works and whether it’s worth using. But before diving in, we recommend checking out our recent overview of what tracking is and why it’s important. 

What is Postclick? 

Almost every website collects and assigns information about the user when they visit a page. Essentially, postclick refers to the duration for which a user’s cookies will be stored. These cookies contain all the information about the user: 

  1. The number of times the user visited the website; 
  2. Logins, passwords, phone numbers, and email addresses; 
  3. Targeting parameters: language, location; 
  4. Even personal information provided by the user while visiting the site: gender, age, presence of children, or even pets. 

This data is stored not on the server but in the browser. If someone first visits your site via desktop Opera and later returns using mobile Safari, the server won’t be able to identify them. Keep this in mind. 

Postclick in Affiliate Marketing – Why Use It? 

Let’s now talk about the practical application of this technology. In affiliate marketing, postclick is becoming increasingly popular, especially among experienced affiliates who are determined to capture every lead. And this is absolutely the right approach. 

In affiliate marketing, postclick helps capture conversions for as long as the user’s cookies are stored. If a user visits a landing page through your link but only completes their purchase a week or even a month later, the conversion will still be credited to you—provided that certain conditions are met: 

  • The user returns to make the purchase using the same browser they initially used; 
  • The cookies haven’t been automatically or manually deleted over time. 

There is also the “last cookies win” principle. If the user, after landing on the page via your link, also clicks on another affiliate’s link, the future conversion will be credited to the affiliate whose cookies were collected last.  

This is one reason why postclick sometimes doesn’t work. It did work, but not in your favor. However, there are also situations where postclick may not function as intended: 

  • When the user switches devices or browsers, and the server can’t properly identify them, even if they perform identical actions; 
  • When the cookies’ storage period is too short. This is particularly problematic for expensive services or products where the user needs more time to consider the purchase; 
  • If the cookies were manually deleted. This might not always be an intentional user action—it could result from using an “Incognito” tab or due to browser settings for automatic cookie deletion. 

Can these aspects be influenced to increase the likelihood of capturing conversions through postclick? Obviously not. However, this is no reason to ignore this technology. 

What is Postclick Analysis? 

Finally, let’s discuss a related topic. In the field of marketing research, there is a process called postclick analysis.  

Postclick analysis involves studying the actions of a user who clicked a link to a landing page. The goal is to determine whether the user was a target audience member, where they lingered most, what might have scared them off, why they didn’t use the service, and so on. 

While it’s unlikely to get definitive answers during postclick analysis, it’s possible to gather useful insights from cookies. This information can be used to improve the landing page. For instance, you can generate a scroll map showing where users paused on the page and what captured their attention most. Then, through split testing, you can try to increase sales. 

Postclick analysis helps determine whether the lack of sales indicates non-targeted traffic or if the landing page itself converts poorly. To conduct such an analysis, all you need is for your site to be connected to Google Analytics. 

Conclusion 

Postclick is a technology that essentially ensures you don’t lose money. Yes, there are enough nuances to prevent postclick from being a panacea. However, if there’s a chance to capture a conversion weeks after a click, it’s definitely worth utilizing. After all, our main goal is achieving a high ROI, which is only possible when we value every penny. 

Do you use postclick, or have you just learned about this technology? Join our Telegram community, where we discuss this and other topics from the world of affiliate marketing! 

As always, with respect, Your Geek! 

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