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{{NATS for Networks Manual
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=== Introduction ===
[[Ct#NATS For Networks|NATS For Networks]] is an [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] tracking solution that allows you to easily track and integrate [[Ct#Offer|offers]] from existing affiliate networks, or build a new [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] network. Your offers can be anything from a lead, form, survey, product or service-- anything that ends with a [[Ct#Confirmation Page|confirmation page]]. The process of an offer starts with a [[Ct#Visitor|visitor]] viewing one of your [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate's]] web pages. A visitor clicks on an advertisement on the [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate's]] page and is directed to a preview page of your offer, known as a [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]]. If the visitor decides to proceed past the [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] and complete the offer, a [[Ct#Confirmation Page|confirmation page]] signifying the offer has been completed will be displayed to the [[Ct#Visitor|visitor]]. Through the use of a tracking link (used by the [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]]) the source of the traffic is preserved along the way and the completed [[Ct#Offer|offer]] is tracked and credited to the [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] in NATS For Networks. This works through the confirmation page: when the page is displayed to the visitor, a [[Ct#Pixel Tracking|tracking pixel]] is displayed, which triggers [[Ct#NATS For Networks|NATS For Networks]] to create a customer record for that visitor and track the completed [[Ct#Offer|offer]] as a "conversion".
== Visiting the Admins ==
When you log in to NATS For Networks, you will be brought to the affiliate dashboard. This is how all affiliates will view your [[Ct#Network|Network]]. In order to access the Admins, you will notice an "Administration and Managment" tab at the bottom of the screen. Regular affiliates will only be able to view the affiliate side of NATS For Networks - this tab will not show up for them at all.
[[File:NFN_AdminTab.png|700px]]
Upon mousing over it, the tab will expand to show all of the available admins.
[[File:NFN_AdminTab2.png|900px]]
The admins include (from left to right):
*[[NATS For Networks Admin Overview|Dashboard]]
*[[NATS For Networks Offers Admin|Offers Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Advertisers Admin|Advertisers Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Payments Admin|Payments Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Communications Admin|Communications Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Reporting Admin|Reporting Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Affiliates Admin|Affiliates Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Customers Admin|Customers Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Creatives Admin|Creatives Admin]]
*[[NATS For Networks Configuration Admin|Configuration Admin]]
These Admins offer all the control you will need to manage your [[Ct#Network|Network]]. If you would like, any affiliate can be given special permissions to manage all of the admins, only specific admins, or pieces of admins. Regular affiliates will only be able to view the affiliate side of NATS For Networks - this tab will not show up for them at all.
== Getting Started ==
Setting up your new NATS For Networks Network is easy! There are just a few simple steps:
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Branding|Branding]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Set up Offers|Set up Offers]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Payments|Set up Affiliate Payments]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Set Configurations|Set Important Configurations]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Affiliate Tracking (Linkcodes)|Affiliates set up their linkcodes]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Conversion Tracking|Set up conversion tracking on confirmation Page]]
#[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Creatives|Add Creatives]]
== Branding ==
NATS For Networks has many customization options available, truly giving the feel of your own personal branded network. You can customize all of the affiliate side colors, change the background, and add your business' logo. To do so, simply select [[NATS For Networks Edit CSS Colors|CSS color picker]].
'''From the affiliate side management tab:'''<br>
[[File:NFN_AdminTabCSS.png|800px]]
<br><br>
'''Or from the admin side:'''<br>
[[File:NFN_Admin Configuration Admin.png]]
<br><br>
Then select Available skins under Skins and Templates:<br>
[[File:NFN_AvailableSkins.png|150px]]
From there, click the Edit CSS Colors icon under the Actions column, which looks like a color palette.
[[File:NFN_EditCSScolors.png|600px]]
Here you will be able to change the main colors of your network and upload your logo from either a url or from your computer.
'''For more information about the options here, please visit out [[NATS For Networks Edit CSS Colors]] wiki.'''
== Set up Offers ==
You can create new [[Ct#Offer|offers]] by going to the Offers Admin and clicking "Add Offer" on the left navigation. To navigate to the [[NATS For Networks Offers Admin|Offers Admin]], you must be logged in with an admin account and click "Offers" in the list of admins that appear in the Administration and Mangement control panel at the bottom of the page. Once created, it will prompt you to enter details about the offer, the default [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] for the offer, and the commission. Required fields are:
*'''Offer Name''' - the name of your offer, which affiliates will see.
*'''Shortname'''- an internal name used for [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcodes]]; must be unique to each offer.
*'''Offer Launch''' - the date you would like your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] to be available for affiliates to promote.
Once created, you can also edit your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] by clicking on the "Edit Offer Details" icon in the Offers Admin. For more information, please see our [[NATS For Networks Offer & Landing Page Setup|Offer & Landing Page Setup]] wiki.
=== Landing Page Details ===
You will be asked to specify the details of your default [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] when creating an offer. The required fields for creating a [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] are:
*'''Landing Page Name''' - The name of the landing page, displayed to Affiliates.
*'''[[NATS For Networks Quick-Start Guide#Conversion Tracking|Conversion Type]]''' - The conversion tracking type you would like to use for this landing page: Image Pixel, Iframe, or Postback.
*'''URL''' - This is the url for which your [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] is located.
*'''[[NATS For Networks Tracking Domain|Tracking Domain]]''' - The domain that is used for your [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcodes]] and tracking cookies.
*'''Landing Page Description''' - Description of this landing page, visible to affiliates.
*'''Short Landing Page Description''' - A shorter description, truncated to 200 characters.
*'''Internal Landing Page Description''' - An internal description that will ''not'' be seen by affiliates.
You can also create additional [[Ct#Landing Page|landing pages]] for your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] by clicking on "Add New Landing Page" action icon in the Offers admin. Additional [[Ct#Landing Page|landing pages]] can be used for the purposes of variety, special promotions, or any other reason, providing your [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] with multiple ways to promote your [[Ct#Offer|offers]].
For more information, see our [[NATS For Networks Offer & Landing Page Setup|Offer & Landing Page Setup]] article.
=== Tracking Domains ===
You can configure additional tracking domains by having your host set up a new domain that points to your NATS For Networks installation. Once set up on your server, click on "Manage Tracking Domains", enter your new domain in the "Domain" field and click "Add". For more information, see our [[NATS For Networks Tracking Domain|Tracking Domains]] wiki.
=== Commission Details ===
After creating your default landing page, the next heading is ''Commission Details''. Here you will need to enter information for how your affiliates will be paid for this offer.
*'''View''' - Payout Amount (in $) for each Page View.
*'''Unique''' - Payout Amount (in $) for each Unique Visitor.
*'''Qual''' - Payout Amount for Qualified Hits.
*'''$ Sale''' - Payout Amount for Customer Sale.
*'''$ Continuity '''- Payout Amount for Customer [[Ct#Continuity|Continuity]].
*'''% Sale''' - Payout Percentage for Customer Sale.
*'''% Continuity '''- Payout Percentage for Customer [[Ct#Continuity|Continuity]].
*'''CPM''' - Payout Amount per 1,000 Impressions.
Leaving a field blank will set it as 0.
Click "Save Changes" and your offer and its default landing page will be saved. Now you will be able to use the Default Linkcodes on your offer's [[Ct#Confirmation_Page|confirmation page]] to signal to NATS For Networks that your offer has been completed.
There are more advanced options you can configure when setting up your Offers and Landing pages which you can read about in this article: [[NATS For Networks Offer & Landing Page Setup|Offer & Landing Page Setup]].
----
=== View your Offer as an Affiliate ===
Now that you've made an offer, you're going to want to see this offer and grab the linkcode as though you were an affiliate. To see your offer as an affiliate would, visit the Affiliate side of your network with the ''Affiliate Page'' link at the top of the page.
Once there, click the Offers heading.
[[File:NFN_ViewOffer.png|400px]]
You should now be able to view your offer, and upon clicking on it, view the affiliate linkcode. There is a separate linkcode for each landing page. You will also see the various descriptions for about your offer, along with the language, commission, etc.
[[File:NFN_ViewOfferLinkcode.png|650px]]
This is the link affiliates will use to send traffic, and will be tracked in NATS For Networks.
== Payments ==
NATS For Networks allows you to manage how you pay your [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] for the traffic they are sending to your [[Ct#Offer|offers]]. Once a day, payments will be calculated for your [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] based on the offers they complete and their [[NATS For Networks Pay Via Types|Payvia type]] (the method with which they have chosen to be paid). This will pause any additional payments from being added automatically by NATS For Networks. Once stored, you can get a dump of these payments which can be used to export to other payment software to pay your [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]].
That being said, you are going to want to set up your Payvia types in NATS For Networks. Begin by visiting the [[NATS For Networks Payments Admin|Payments Admin]], and selecting the "Payvia Types" tab on the sidebar.
Here you will see the many Payvia types NATS For Networks has by default. However, you may not want to use all of them. To disable / enable a Payvia type, click the red "No" icon / green arrow icon, respectively. In addition, you will need to set up your ''Minimum Payout'' options. To do so, click the pencil icon in the actions column. Then, you can set up a comma separated list of the amounts that affiliates can choose to be their minimum payout, meaning that if an affiliate has not reached their minimum amount, they will not be stored in the payments to be paid out.
[[File:NFN_Admin Edit Pay Via Type.png|600px]]
If you would like to add an entirely new Payvia type, enter the name of this type at the bottom of the table and click "Add". For more information about adding
/ editing Payvias, please see our [[NATS For Networks Payvia Types|Payvia Types]] article.
== Set Configurations ==
There are a countless number of configurations you can set in NATS For Networks. For simplicity, we will simply show you the most important configurations right now, and you can explore other configurations as you need. Visit the [[NATS For Networks Configuration Admin|Configuration Admin]] with the link in the top right of the page.
[[File:NFN_Admin Configuration Admin.png]]
=== Affiliates ===
First let’s visit the ''Affiliates'' section by selecting ''Affiliates'' from the tabs on the left.
[[File:NFN_AffiliateConfig.png|150px]]
There are a couple of configuration options here to consider:
*'''RESELLER_VERIFY''' – Check this if you’d like to require all new affiliates to verify their e-mail through an activation link before they can log in.
*'''RESELLER_MANUAL_ACTIVATION'''- Check this if you would like to require all new affiliate accounts to be manually approved by you before they can log in.
*'''ADVERTISER_NO_VERIFY''' – Check if you would like to allow Advertisers that sign up to be automatically approved.
=== Emails ===
There are a few configurations to change in the ''Emails'' section. Select ''Emails'' from the tabs on the left.
[[File:NFN_EmailConfig.png|165px]]
You will want to change:
*'''EMAIL_FROM_DEFAULT''' - Default from address for E-mails.
*'''EMAIL_FROM_NICE_DEFAULT''' - Default Nice Name for the ''from'' address for E-mails.
*'''EMAIL_REPLY_DEFAULT''' - Default reply to address for E-mails.
*'''EMAIL_REPLY_NICE_DEFAULT''' - Default Nice Name for the reply to address for E-mails.
==Affiliate Tracking (Linkcodes)==
[[Linkcode|Linkcodes]] are tracking links that contain the Tracking code for a specific [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] that can be used to direct visitors to your [[Ct#Landing Page|landing pages]]. They are the start of the tracking process for visitors that will lead them to completing one of your [[Ct#Offer|offers]]. Affiliates can view their own [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcodes]] from the main page of your [[Ct#NATS For Networks|NATS For Networks]] and filter them based on the Offers and Languages the Landing Pages are available. After clicking "Apply Changes", a list of offers based on those filters will appear along with [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcodes]] for those [[Ct#Landing Page|landing pages]].
==Conversion Tracking==
NATS For Networks allows [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] a variety of ways to promote your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] through the use of pixel tracking. Whenever a visitor clicks on a [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcode]], placed on a page by an [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]], the visitor's information such as which affiliate, commission, [[Ct#Offer|offers]] and [[Ct#Landing Page|landing page]] to use are stored in a cookie. This information is saved and will be available if the visitor completes the offer.
Please visit our '''[[Tracking in NATS For Networks]]''' article to learn more about how to get your offer tracking set up!
== Creatives ==
[[NATS For Networks Affiliate Creatives|Creatives]] are advertising tools that [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] can use to promote your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] on their web pages, and can be managed in the [[NATS For Networks Creatives Admin|Creatives Admin]]. Affiliates can download [[Ct#Creative|creatives]] by clicking on the Creatives section of the NATS For Networks [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] main page. Corresponding to every creative is a [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcode]] that [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] can use with the [[Ct#Creative|creative]] and within the [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcodes]] is tracking information about which [[Ct#Creative|creative]] the visitor clicked on. Every time a visitor to your [[Ct#Offer|offers]] clicks on a [[Ct#Linkcode|linkcode]], it counts as a page view for that [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]] and every time one is displayed, it counts as an impression for the [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliate]]. There are multiple different types of [[Ct#Creative|creatives]] that [[Ct#Affiliate|affiliates]] can use to promote your [[Ct#Offer|offers]], including:
*Banners
*Downloadable and Embedded Videos
*Half/Full Page Ads
*Mailing Ads
[[Category:NATS For Networks Affiliate Information]]