Everything You Should Know About Deep Link in Affiliate Marketing

New websites are created every minute in the eCommerce world. Businesses and companies are in a hurry to get their market online and be able to target a wide audience. There is nothing wrong with going online and creating a killer website that’s attractive and has all the necessary details your brand offers, however, rushing to create a website without studying and getting a good understanding of SEO will sabotage your effort. Many businesses understand this and can achieve a few of their goals, but still make mistakes when it comes to deep linking and wonder why their bounce rate percentage keeps rising. Deep-link is set on building a pleasant route for businesses and administrations to get their products into the marketplace with ease.

What is Deep Link?

Deep linking is the use of hyperlinks that direct you to a searchable index or content on a website or in the deep links pointing to a particular product or websites that have all the necessary information. Non-HTTP is being used directly to link to other sites. Deep links produce an easy user journey that reduces churn and increases installation. They help apps function as a web; people can click on these links on a web, email, and in other apps, SMS included.

Deep linking is often used for engagement conversions. Deep links help brands or businesses create an experience that’s effortlessly built and continue customer journeys, app onboarding experiences, and more. Deep linking is often used for engagement campaigns.

Types of Deep Links

There are two major types of Deep Links. The Regular deep link and the Deferred deep link.

The Regular deep links are used after the installation of apps and when opened, the system will recognize its app and the launch and transfer of deep link data will occur so the user will easily access the specified location and content in the designated application. These links help existing users that have already installed the in the loop - making them good for retargeting and prolonged retention. The downside of this technology is what makes it regular - it can only be useful if the app had been previously installed. New users will be required to install the app, and when they launch the app, the home screen will be displayed as this technology is completely lost in the face of new users. Regular deep links tend to utilize more redirects required to guide a user to the destination page when tracking links are used - this destination page might be a deep link or an application store - due to some implementation restrictions around deep link and specifications of mobile platforms. The preferred technology that should be utilized for marketing campaigns targeting new users is the deferred deep link. The deferred deep link does not use as many redirects and focuses on optimizing conversions, especially for affiliates.

The Deferred deep links were honed to amend areas where the regular deep links fall short. The problem of addressing new users is covered as this type of deep link covers the engagement of new users. The deep link technology goes far beyond new user protocols, and minimal redirect links, the server was built to retain information about a device or app installation; it also saves the link to the content being displayed to its users

The basic steps that make up deferred deep links are:

• The first link generated specifically redirects a new user to an app store.
• The user would download, install and launch this app, at this point, the technology has already saved the required data for attribution and associated deep links.
• The app is capable of relaying to the server any request to a deep link associated with the specialized user's device and the server utilizes received data to complete attribution within the app before the associated deferred deep link is returned to the app.

We should note that these links - deferred deep links - only work if there is a tracking library, else it is as good as a regular link. These links are best used when advertisers seek new users.

Affiliate Marketing and Deep Linking

Many businesses and companies spend time thinking of the importance of deep linking and how deep linking can benefit them. As a matter of fact, a number of these businesses have found the secret out. Deep Linking is an essential key for affiliate marketing. This tool helps Affiliate marketers generate more revenue in a short period. Well, before we dig deep, let’s bridge some gaps.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate Marketing is the process by which an affiliate marketer earns a commission for marketing a company’s product or an individual’s product. The affiliate decides on a product around his niche or a product he enjoys, then promotes the products and gets clients/customers to buy the products.

Once the client pays for the product, the affiliate is paid a commission or a percentage as his profit. Now, each of the sales is tracked by an affiliate link from one website to another. Deep linking is an affiliate best practice tool. It helps in tracking and improving retention rates and engagements. Deep links optimize customers’ journeys by allowing them to easily move from the web to an app and back to the web.

What are the benefits/importance of using deep links?

There are so many reasons deep links are considered an essential affiliate marketing tool. These reasons are carefully highlighted using their benefits in affiliate marketing and how they can be a quick and easy way to generate more profits.

• They convert better: Deep links conversion rates are greater than every other link. Deep linking keeps growing in affiliate marketing because it benefits both the affiliate marketer and the customers or clients. For the client, deep linking reduces search fatigue and optimizes their user journey, making it an excellent conversion tool for the affiliate marketer. With less action required, the customer's experience is made better. Deep linking provides an increase all the time and can improve a brand or companies conversion rate by 50%.
• Seamless user experience: When an affiliate marketer deep links a product to an app, a click will connect the customer to the product and once the customer pays, the affiliate marketer earns. Customers are directed effortlessly to a platform where they can pay for the product they desire. This helps reduce stress and customers are barely frustrated while trying to purchase a product.
• Deep linking helps you multiply your sales: Less time is used to get the customer to the specific products they want to purchase using deep links. This means that each customer an affiliate gets, is taken directly to that product and doesn’t get distracted by other products on the way or doesn’t get completely lost on the site trying to make it there on their own, or while using just the website URL. The more customers can find the specific items they need to buy, the more sales an affiliate marketer makes and the more the profits.
• Deep links create a strong user funnel: When ads are created to boost the visibility of products or services, deep links help keep the users guided. A user or customer is directed to a particular in-app location. Deep links also improve the performance of campaigns— they can be done within a single page or catalog without worrying about bounce rates.
• Deferred deep links strengthen your campaigns and keep your customers on the right track: If an affiliate marketer sells without an app, deferred deep links will do the magic using the campaigns. The deferred deep links take users to where you want them without worrying about an app. Deep linking also helps in remarketing. This means that if a user hasn’t installed or hasn’t uninstalled the app, placing an ad or a campaign on the deep link can re-engage them. Deep links can make users install the app or use the dormant app, converting your inactive users to active ones. This will help an affiliate marketer convert more.
• Deep links improve affiliate attribution: Deep links can be used to view the source of conversion. It also allows an affiliate to reduce user acquisition costs and authorize users to the in-app location.
• Deep links as a means for easy persuasion: This is done by making use of retargeting campaigns to let customers view products with refreshed eyes as an incentive that can be attached to sway their initial bias. An artist allowing access to an album cover acts as an incentive to lure users to purchase the complete album list. Deep links will also allow the easy direction of users to your specified app and allow convenient online customer service.
• Deep links for tracking campaign progress: The easy tracking of campaigns has been honed by deep linking and this has helped boost the sales of affiliates as they have a clear sense of what ought to be improved. Deep linking is a medium of superior service and a good tool for affiliate marketers. Let's give you more reasons to understand how much ease deep linking has set in place.

Conclusion

Deep links work differently on Android devices and IOS. The operating system for each of this software provides its own method of implementing deeplinks. IOS uses universal links while Androids uses the Android App links. The difference in the operating system for IOS and Android is important because it creates greater security by preventing other apps and companies from using your links. It also directs users to your site landing page when there is an error with the link in your web. This helps keep users on your website. The regular deep linking module functions excellently and it’s used in analyzing and implementing deep links across mobile platforms. As an affiliate, it is important to note that deep linking should be combined with other essential elements of affiliate marketing to create success and watch your conversion rates take a new turn, also to make more revenue as profits for your business.