Tracking Referral Source By Cookie

[mikemueller]

Here's what I want to do.

 

I'm working on a site that will attract homeowners from various other sites (real estate agents, loan officers, lawyers) and from various means (websites, blogs, emails).

 

I would like to be able to track the source of those visitors so that when they decide to fill out a form (negotiation request) - we know how they came to us and can reward the referral source. Not too unlike an adwords or affiliate situation.

 

I figured the easiest way to "source" them would be to send them to a page just for their referrals where I would set a cookie.

The cookie would have to last as we see visitors enter, bookmark, and comeback a month later.

 

I can write html, and know enough .js to get into trouble with. The site is primarily html.

 

I'd like to set the cookie using this: <META HTTP-EQUIV="Set-Cookie" CONTENT="refcode=mm99;expires=Wednesday, 08-Aug-10 23:59:59 GMT; path=/">

It's an easy thing to create a page and insert this tag and change the value.

This cookie has the name of "refcode" and a value set by me that might match the referral I set the page up for.

(Wayne Gretzky might be wg99)

 

My problem is finding a javascript that reads that cookie and inserts it into a html page.

I don't want to delete the cookie, I don't want to edit the cookie.

I also don't want the visitor to have to enter the referral source - I want it automatic.

I'd also like it to automatically insert the value into a form (hidden or visible is fine).

 

I've spent the last couple of days searching script collections on google - but can't seem to find what I need or make one of them work.

I found one called ID tracker - but it has the user enter their referral source.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

For references - here's what I have right now.

Here's a sample referral start page: http://suburban-renewal.com/r/mm

That sets the cookie and refreshes to the index.

This is the test form I'm working on: http://www.suburban-renewal.com/negotiationrequest1.html

 

I have the script loaded here: http://www.suburban-renewal.com/scripts/refcodetracker.js

 

 

 

Am I barking up the wrong tree or can this be done and I'm just missing something.

 

Thanks!

 

Mike Mueller

[TCH-Bruce]

Welcome to the forums Mike

 

Don't mess with cookies myself but have you tried hotscripts.com? Instead of javascript maybe php would be a better method.

[mikemueller]

Welcome to the forums Mike

 

Thanks for the welcome Bruce!

Hotscripts, eh?

I'll see what I can find out.

 

About all I know about php is that it's what makes my blogs run.

learning something new is always good.

 

MM

[TCH-Thomas]

Welcome to the forum, Mike.

[mikemueller]

Last night I checked out Hotscripts.com.

I didn't find what I was looking for but did find a "solution in a box" called Post Affiliate Pro.

I'm not sure if it will work - it may be much more than what I was looking for.

The cost is $99.

 

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

 

- and thanks Thomas!