I just started releasing some ad-supported free iPad apps and the banner ad fill rate and/or variety really stinks. When I was at Linkshare signing up for my Itunes affiliate I notice they have some name-brand, nicely-designed banners.
Is there some technical reason why I would not be credited by clicks/sales on these banners if I set them up to open a UIWebView in my apps?
Due to the fact that I signed up with an ad network that currently has a 0% fill rate for iPad banner apps my linkshare banner is always visible. It has a 10% click-through rate (276 clicks on 2700 app runs) - which is incredible but I have made no money yet.
It has only been 3 days and I am supposed to get commission on any sales within 10 days of the visit from my link. I am still not clear on whether the proper cookie remains in the iPad after the site was viewed in a UIWebView rather than Safari.
Here is an update after another 4 months. My iPad apps send hundreds of visitors per day to Linkshare advertisers but the only advertiser that pays is Apple.
Linkshare counts the visits to the advertisers from my apps but they say that they rely upon the advertiser to report back whether or not any sales have been made to those visitors.
I placed test orders to one of the advertisers both through my app and by using the same LinkShare-generated link pasted back into Safari. The advertiser did not credit any of the sales to my LinkShare account.
I can't really be sure, but I think I have been cheated out of thousands of dollars in commissions. I filed inquiries through LinkShare but there is a 30 day reply period for the advertiser and if they fail to reply then there is another 30 day reply period for the LinkShare escalation.
The two worst offending advertisers so far are Guthy Renker (ProActiv) and FanSnap (concert ticket search service).
If anyone has any experience dealing with dishonest LinkShare advertisers I would appreciate your advice.
I'll guess I'll keep updating this thread. I can't believe nobody else has tried regular Linkshare links in an iPad app.
When confronted with the fact that they were not tracking or paying for traffic/sales that I was sending, FanSnap did the right thing and sent me a payment. They even estimated the conversion rate to be what their highest-converting affiliates get. They also offered to set my in-app ads up with their in-house affiliate program because the were unable to get the Linkshare tracking to work on iPad. Linkshare closed down their account.
Guthy Renker/Proactive was a different story. Linkshare performed a tracking test on my behalf and it showed that LinkShare was tracking click-throughs to ProActive properly but that Guthy Renker was not reporting back sales. Guthy Renker continues to claim that not a single sale has been generated from the thousands of teenage girls that have clicked from my app to their site. Linkshare told me to perform my own tracking test and if Guthy Renker did not track the sale then LinkShare would go back at them.
This is interesting. I know that Amazon doesn't pay for links from mobile apps which doesn't really make sense to me. At least pioneers like you are pushing companies that don't pay for mobile app affiliate links to get with the times
Linkshare banners as fill-in banners on iPad
Both Apps FREE for a Limited Time! 
Linear Mode
