>For unsophisticated advertisers (i.e. with no referrer log analysis)
In that case most advertisers are unsophisticated. Even the biggest ad-networks/retargeting/tracking solutions all depend on redirect via their servers to their end customer.
I am constantly disappointed with the technical knowledge and understanding display by our advertising partners. A large number of them have almost zero understand of how the internet work. Of cause part of the problem is that as a developer you're inclined to point out that something won't work because it won't work 100% of the time. That a useless answer for the advertising department and you end up with duct taped solution that works well enough, but of cause create their own set of problems.
I've worked with multiple retargeting company and advertisement departments in the past, and I got the exact same conclusion. Most of the time the people in charge of "digital innovation" or "e-marketing" have absolutely no idea of what's going on behind the curtains. Even worse, their whole pricing model (ctr, conversions, ...) is hanging on broken solutions that "work most of the time". So, needless to say you often have to alter numbers/rates manually in AB testing reports to let them have clean numbers they can sale. Even if every tech knows how much bullshit is flowing in this industry, it's way easier to let the big ones have what they want than argue about how everything is broken (especially when you don't necessarily have a way to fix it).
I secretly suspect they -at least- know, but prefer to sweep these issue under the rug and that's why they prefer to involve as little technical people as possible. And that's why I don't work in this industry anymore and I won't come back to it until they've all burnt to the ground.
We currently have an issue where the company that handle our ad-tracking/referral payout track and want payment for the same orders multiple time. They honestly doesn't seem to understand the issue, customer will, sometimes, return to the conversion page (checkout-success page) multiple times, because people are just weird like that.
The fix is super simple: Their tracking pixel receive our order number, all they need to do is accept that it's unique and just tracking the first occurrence. Part of their problem is of cause that they switch to a new platform and didn't migrate any data.
Because many of the amount are so small, they just accept a ton of errors and as you say: "sweep these issues under the rug" because it's just a few cents so who cares. But it adds up.
In that case most advertisers are unsophisticated. Even the biggest ad-networks/retargeting/tracking solutions all depend on redirect via their servers to their end customer.
I am constantly disappointed with the technical knowledge and understanding display by our advertising partners. A large number of them have almost zero understand of how the internet work. Of cause part of the problem is that as a developer you're inclined to point out that something won't work because it won't work 100% of the time. That a useless answer for the advertising department and you end up with duct taped solution that works well enough, but of cause create their own set of problems.