TextShark Affiliate Glossary

Individual that markets products for a merchant, earning a commission.

A unique url (code) residing in a graphic image or piece of text that is placed on an affiliate's web page. This unique code notifies the merchant that an affiliate should be credited for the customer or visitor sent to their website.

Merchant representative that assists affiliates and negotiates on behalf of the affiliate program.

This globally unique code is inserted into the body of the text message destined to a specific Short Code. The affiliate string enables TextShark to route the message to a particular affiliate’s promotion.

The way in which a program tracks referred sales, leads or clicks. The most common tracking methods involve using a unique web address (URL) for each affiliate, or by embedding an affiliate ID number into the link that is processed by the merchant's software. Most affiliate programs will use cookies for tracking as well.

A term often used in when discussing search engine optimization and refers to a link from another web site to your site.

A banner ad is a dynamic or static image that comes in many sizes and resides on a website's web page. Typically the graphics on a banner ad are meant to entice visitors to click the banner. Once clicked, the visitor will be directed to the desired URL.

A client program (software), such as Internet Explorer or Firefox that is used to navigate the internet or visit various websites.

A CSS is common on most websites and is used to set common styles throughout the web site.

The result when a sales transaction is denied by the end user and generally results in the deduction of an affiliates commission.

Also known as the rate for clicks per impression. This is how often a visitor will click your ad compared to how many times your ad is displayed.

The income an affiliate receives for generating a sale, lead or click-through to a merchant's website. Commissions can come in forms of revenue sharing or cost per acquisition (CPA).

A small piece of information a web site leaves on a visitor's hard drive when the visitor visits a site. Cookies ensure affiliates who first referred the traffic to the merchant get proper credit.

For Text Shark this will be how often a user sends a text after clicking through your banner and visiting your promotional page.

The amount a merchant will pay the affiliate per visitor-initiated action (such as a text message sent).

Serving customized content to potential customers based on their location. For example: Serving a German language banner to a German user and a English banner to a user in the UK.

A common code used to build web pages. Affiliates often use HTML code to put links on their webpage’s or from their banner ads. Many affiliate programs including the Text Shark program provide the html links for affiliates to simply copy and paste it into their own HTML pages.

When an ad is displayed to a visitor of the website.

Online vendor of goods and services that offers an affiliate program to webmasters and other internet marketers.

Permits an affiliate to monetize a custom or standard promotion via text messaging.

A form of online marketing that involves a bidding system where affiliates or advertisers pay a search engine per each click based on where they rank on the search engine compared to other bidders.

The minimum amount of commission earned before a payment will be processed and sent to the affiliate.

These are advertisements on websites that displays in a new browser window. PopUp/Under advertisements normally will popup the same time as your site, but can be timed. This is not a great advertising solution as most browsers block these type of ads.

Enables a service provider like TextShark to charge mobile users a set regulated fee for access to content. Premium SMS comes in three major flavors: MT where the user is billed on receipt of the message, MO where the customer is billed when sending the message, and IO where the customer can only be billed for a single transaction on receipt of a message.

Service where customers pay for service in advance of usage. Generally customers purchase credits usable on a particular carrier’s network and corresponding to an allotment of minutes.

Service where customers establish credit with the wireless carrier and pay for usage in arrears.

A complex formula that involves optimizing your website for to be ranked in top positions for targeted keywords.

The listing of websites returned to a user making a search query for a specific term or string in a search engine.

A mobile number shorter than the standard mobile numbers for the country. This short code enables a customer to reach a text messaging service with an easily memorable number.

Also known as Text Messaging, this is a feature available in most modern digital cell phones that allows users receive and send short text messages to other cell phones.

Unsolicited emails or forum postings, generally advertising a product or service to individuals whom are not expecting to be solicited.

The regulated rate at which customers are charged for their mobile promotions. Generally there are fixed charge tiers for each short code so that only those specific charges can be levied.

Each affiliate programs will have different T&C’s. These are generally the rules affiliates will need to abide by when participating in the affiliate program.

A link that is not accompanied by a graphical image or banner ad.

Also known as SMS, this is a feature available in most modern digital cell phones that allows users receive and send short text messages to other cell phones.

Mobile phone service provider: Examples would be O2, Sonofon, TeleDK, Verizon.