A URL shortener is a tool that allows you to generate a short, one-of-a-kind URL that will redirect to the particular website of your choice.
Essentially, they make a URL shorter and looks better.
Your new, shorter URL will usually contain the address of the shortener site, as well as a random string of letters and numbers.
Many of the top URL shorteners also offer features like improved security and personalized branding, making links safe to use and appealing to both marketers and consumers.
As a result, a link shortener is an essential tool for customer support representatives, sales reps, small companies, and others that want to attract new customers or provide better service to existing ones. Many internet businesses also offer a free URL shortener, allowing you to make URLs shorter without spending any money.
Why should you be using URL shorteners?
There are a lot of good reasons for doing so. Let us go through each of those reasons and understand how the URL shorteners will help you.
Long URLs look suspicious
This is perhaps the most important reason why you should be using URL shorteners, especially if you are into affiliate marketing.
Did you ever look at those affiliate links? They are long and ugly, and they contain UTM parameters.
The problem is that the visitors do not really understand what those parameters mean. However, what they will notice is the sheer length of the URLs. And guess what? Many people will simply not like the URLs because they look long and ugly.
Have you ever tried sharing oversized URLs through text messages or through emails and social posts? If you haven’t, then try once and you will know why people dislike them.
But the story doesn’t end there! People are quite suspicious about long and ugly looking URLs. Some people think that those URLs will direct them to scam sites or malware-infested sites and avoid clicking.
Well, no one can blame them. Those back slashes, query strings, random numbers, etc., all make those URLs unreadable. When you can’t read a URL properly, you will become suspicious.
Tracking, tracking, tracking!
In online business, it is important to track the performance of your campaigns. You need to find out how many times people clicked on the URL, who clicked on the URL, when they clicked on the URL and so on!
These tracking metrics can help you fine tune your campaigns to increase your returns on investment. With URL shorteners you can create shortlinks that include different UTM parameters. You can then combine the tracking data with other analytics software like Google Analytics to
Branding
Certain URL shorteners will allow you to customize the Shortlink and drop in your brand name in the Shortlink. This will help you to spread brand awareness even when you are sharing the shortened URLs through various mediums.
Ease to remember
A Shortlink with a custom branding is way easier to remember. This means that you can drop in that shortened link even in your business cards, print ads, physical signages, etc. Surely people can remember them and type them in the browser, earning you some extra traffic!
Easy sharing
Shortened links are easy to share, especially if you are trying to share them through SMS or a social platform like Twitter where you will meet stringent criteria where you cannot add any more than 280 characters. The more easily people can share a URL, the more traffic you can expect!
Okay, now that you have learned why you should be using URL shorteners, it is about time to find out the best URL shortener services available.
Ready?
Best URL Shorteners
#1. Ow.ly
Every Hootsuite subscription includes Owly. Even if you are using the free version of Hootsuite, you can use Owly.
There are many advantages to this approach, including the ability to examine your shortlink data with your other social statistics, allowing you to evaluate the success of your brand as a whole.
#2. Bitly
Bitly is a URL shortener application that enables you to develop and defend your brand by utilizing short URLs that are both effective and efficient. It aids you in creating a smooth user experience for your customers. In addition, the program assists you in the administration of campaigns and the analysis of your website’s traffic.
#3. T.co
Twitter has a built-in free URL shortener that instantly cuts any lengthy URL down to 23 characters, allowing you to express yourself more freely on the social media platform.
Any link you post on Twitter, even if it is previously shortened, will be converted into a t.co URL, allowing the social media platform to track use statistics and filter out misleading or hazardous sites from the feed.
#4. TinyURL
Initially introduced as a free service, TinyURL has now introduced paid plans, too! The provider will allow you to customize your shortlinks even if you are on the free plan. Of course, the paid plans come with extra features like API calls.
#5. TinyCC
TinyCC makes it easy to create short URLs that are easily shared. In addition to allowing you to create short link statistics, it also assists you in installing and managing an SSL certificate for the shortening domain you use. In addition, you may analyze several URLs at the same time.
#6. Rebrandly
In the link management business, Rebrandly is the industry-leading platform for branding, tracking, and sharing short URLs. It includes features such as traffic routing and deep linking, account management, customized analytics, link retargeting, etc.
When you sign up with Rebrandly, you may build your own branded short URL with a custom domain, even if you just have a free account.
#7. Linkly
The Linkly URL shortener enables you to build tracking links that are easy, attractive, and branded, all while including smart redirects. It has capabilities such as tracking the number of clicks and displaying statistics. Make use of your domain to build a custom URL shortener and import data from Linkly into Google Sheets to make it easier to manage your data. It gives you the ability to redirect and analyze up to 1000 clicks each month.
#8. Pixelme
Pixelme allows you to share and monitor your own branded shortlinks from inside the browser of your choice. It also has the capability of creating a bespoke audience from each URL, as well as increasing your CTR via the use of branded links. It allows retargeting visitors on third-party sites like Spotify, Kickstarter, Amazon, YouTube, etc.
#9. Hyperlink
With the assistance of Hyperlink, you may get real-time alerts when links are clicked, or you can modify the settings to receive hourly, daily, or weekly reports.
In addition, Hyperlink offers per-click data, such as the location, device, and referral information for each visitor, as well as a live monitoring dashboard.
For individuals who need to share links on the move, the app – available for iOS and Android devices – is a useful supplement to the Chrome extension.
You can use custom domains, but for that, you have to buy a subscription.
#10. Bit.Do
Similarly, Bit.Do is a straightforward alternative that provides everything you need: traffic statistics, the flexibility to personalize, and even an automated QR code generator.
In addition, you can get short branded domains, but the price is a little more than the other services. So, you may be better off selecting an alternative service if branded shortened URLs are your choice.
#11. Cutt.ly
Cutt.ly is a URL shortener and link management tool that allows users to create custom branded URLs. It enables you to create a QR code for every short link you create. You will also have access to a preview mode and user protection, which will help you avoid clicking on questionable links. This free custom link shortener provides a list of short URLs that can be sorted easily.
#12. URL Shortener (Chrome Extension)
URL Shortener is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to condense long and complex URLs into a manageable length. It is one of the finest URL shorteners available since it immediately copies the URL to the clipboard when you use it. You may also create a QR code for your website’s URL or just about any URL.
#13. ShortURL
It is possible to shorten lengthy URLs from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other prominent websites on the Internet by using ShortURL. All that is required is that you put the lengthy URL into the text box and click the shorten URL button. You can also see how many clicks your shortened URL got by viewing the statistics.
This program is also compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as desktop PCs. This URL shortener makes use of the HTTPS protocol and data encryption to protect your data.
#14. Shorte.ST
Isn’t data useful for providing you with insights? Because third-party firms are often interested in that information, a small industry of businesses that actively pay you to shorten your links with them has sprung up as a result.
With payment rates changing based on your audience’s geographic location, Shorte.ST is one of the better-paying URL shorteners available on the web, among the many available. For example, once you sign up with them, Shorte.ST pays $14.04 CPM for traffic from the United States.
In addition to providing cash, Shorte.ST also provides a dashboard with comprehensive statistics for examination.
#15. Clkim
Clkim’s method employs intelligent redirects that are actually intelligent. The shortened URL may redirect visitors depending on their mobile operating system or geographic location based on contextual triggers, ensuring that they are viewing your site in the most convenient manner for them.
It is also possible to do location A/B testing in order to determine which landing page performs the best. In addition, Clkim provides retargeting based on specific lists of individuals who have already clicked on your short URLs.
#16. YOURLS
YOURLS is an acronym that stands for Your Own URL Shortener. It is a free, open-source collection of PHP scripts that allows you to build and operate your personal free link shortener. It can be downloaded here. Using YOURLS’ open-source free URL shortener, you can easily integrate your own link management services to your business without having to pay a third-party provider. You are also the owner of your own data.
The setup is straightforward, but you will need some coding expertise in order to create and execute your free link shortener. Whatever the case, YOURLS continues to be the finest free URL shortener for anybody with programming expertise and a desire customize and control their short URL links and the related data.
Conclusion
Whether you are looking for a URL shortener for serious business use or just for your personal use like social media shares, there is a URL shortener that will take care of your needs. In fact, the list you read just now is nowhere even close to being complete. There are many more that you can find by running a quick Google search.
Try a few on this list or try them all – you will definitely like what you eventually get. Afterall, who doesn’t like short and sweet memorable links? Do not forget to drop a message to us and let us know which URL shortener you like and use the most and why. We have all ears!
