Masking links

[whiskymac]

I know nowt about masking affiliate links or if its is even worth the effort,
is the risk of highjack that high or is it just another thing to muddy the waters of affiliating.
I do know that I had my website tampered with, how I am not sure but someone got into my pc and somehow put 2 codes on seperate pages of my website and when I uploaded them they were in my web site and bang my site went of the grid, after some work I got it of my pc but it cost me with google ranking and yes I run loads of security but I must have allowed something in.
I know that would not have been stopped by masking my affiliate link but wondered if I might not have been such a target, again I know nothing about any of this so I thought I would ask.

whiskymac

 

[Linda Buquet]

how I am not sure but someone got into my pc and somehow put 2 codes on seperate pages of my website and when I uploaded them they were in my web site and bang my site went of the grid, after some work I got it of my pc

I've never heard of that and don't think that's what happened. They didn't get on your PC and into your pages you uploaded, they likely got in through your web server.

There is only a certain percentage of sales that you could (possibly) lose to hijacking and it's probably pretty small.

However the other reason to mask your links is if you think it could help conversions which means more sales. Which link do you think your visitors would be more likely to click?

adtracker.com/?affref_PID=dugyzyrt1458_AID34982
or
yoursite.com/productname

 

[fitnfree]

I'm with Linda - don't think masking a link would allow anyone access - what were you using to mask them?

 

[Linda Buquet]

fitnfree I don't think he meant to imply that. 2 separate issues he just sort of ran them together.

1) his site was hacked 2) he's wondering if he should mask his link.

 

[cherie27]

As i am reading this post, i am very confused with the originator post.

I get the picture only from the last post.
Masking affiliate link can help to prevent the people from changing the link and you will not lose your commission.

 

[jumar112]

Besides masking the links so you won't have lost commissions it also makes it look better like Linda said.
Another reason to use it, is for tracking purposes within your site.