ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Affiliate tracking software

Okay, imagine you have a cookie jar in your kitchen and you're having a party with your friends. You put the jar on the table and tell your friends they can take a cookie whenever they want.

Now, let's say your friend Bob takes a cookie and tells you he got it from your cookie jar. You can believe him or not, but you actually want to know who is taking cookies from your jar, when and how many.

This is where affiliate tracking software comes in handy. It's like having a special camera that takes pictures every time someone takes a cookie from your jar. The camera also keeps track of who took which cookie and when, and whether they gave some to their own friends.

In the world of online marketing, affiliate tracking software works like this camera. It helps businesses who sell products or services online to know who is promoting their products, how many people they bring to the website, and whether they actually buy anything.

When a business sets up an affiliate program, they give each of their affiliates a unique link or code that identifies them. When someone clicks on that link and buys something on the business's website, the software tracks the sale and the affiliate who referred the customer.

The affiliate can then get paid a commission for each sale they make, just like Bob could get a thank you note from you for bringing your favorite cookies to the party. In this way, affiliate tracking software helps businesses to know which of their affiliates are doing a good job promoting their products, and which ones need some help.

So, the next time you go to a party and see a cookie jar, remember that software like this can help businesses keep track of their sales and rewards their affiliates for their hard work.