If you manage social media accounts or are someone who’s on these various platforms quite often then you’ve probably experienced working with URLs; site links, simply put.
Have you ever tried copying a link and posting it as is with your Facebook caption?
Lengthy URLs can be quite aesthetically displeasing.
It’s a good thing that you can use URL shorteners; and there are plenty of them these days, almost all of which are free to use. There are different tools like these and they’re readily available online; but of course, they will have some variations when it comes to some of features you’ll be able to access.
Here are some of the best URL shorteners that you can try out. Keep in mind that even when it comes to something like this, you should work not with what you see first but with the one that works best for you.
But before we get to that, it’s best to understand what exactly an URL shortener does.
Well, for starters, long URLs can be quite difficult to track. Especially if you need to monitor the performance of certain pages online, it’s far easier to work with a series of shorthand links.
When you use shortened URLs, the provider that you work with may also have the ability to offer you access to a number of tools that will inform you of who’s clicking on your links and why they are accessing these pages. These can be quite useful especially if you’re making an effort to boost traffic to your website.
URL shorteners also provide you with more benefit than just shortening a link. They make the URL more appealing, especially when used in social media captions.
You can easily maximize character allowances and make the URL fit in better with the rest of your content. Also, users find shortened links more appealing making it more clickable.
The great thing about URL shorteners is that you can design the URL to fit in with your branding as well. There are some shortened links that can appear as spammy content but by investing more time in your links, you can ensure that online surfers won’t see your content as such.
Over time, you can have shortened links that are branded. Over time, your followers will easily recognize these links as yours. In doing so, you’re creating the kind of behavior where your links will be familiar and thereby even more clickable.
Did you know that URL shortening started with Twitter.
When you tweet a link, the platform will automatically shorten it; saving you valuable characters. With this came about dedicated URL shorteners. These days, other platforms are even creating their very own automatic shortening tools.
But if you’re looking for universal URL shorteners.
Here are some tools that you should definitely consider:
Contents In Page
Shorte.st
Shorte.st is not your regular URL shortener. Not only does it offer the service of shortening links but it also offers its users with opportunities to earn money by using the service. Basically, you can sign up for the program wherein if people click on a link you share, a link shortened with Shorte.st, you’ll earn revenues.
You can earn even more if someone uses the tool after clicking on your shared link. This is possible because the service is supported by advertisers. It’s currently one of the most popular tools of its kind on the Web. It also provides users with the option to shorten as many as 20 URLs at once; this is a real time-saver.
Bit.ly
With Bit.ly, you have one of the most popular and considerably one of the best URL shorteners available today. It’s free to use and provides people with a way to monitor the performance of their links. All you need to gain access to these monitoring tools is an account; which is also free to make.
It’s quite easy to use, really. All you have to do is enter your URL on the conversion field then click on the “Shorten” button. Afterwards, you’ll receive the shortened URL, which upon clicking, will be copied and ready for you to paste on whatever platform you’re working on. The entire process takes a few seconds.
If you have an account, you can access the performance details of your links by clicking on the “Info Page+” button. Here, you’ll see click frequency, shares, and other important details that can help you identify which types of content work best for your brand. You’ll easily see the traffic, locations, and even referrers, if any.
TinyURL.com
TinyURL.com is a tool that’s quite similar to Bit.ly. What sets it apart is that it’s partly customizable. Although your shortened link will still come with the TinyURL brand, you can customize the last part of the link if need be. This is where you can apply your branding without any additional fees.
If you’re looking for the kind of tool that you can use relatively often then this is it. You can choose to add it to the toolbar on your browser. You can use it to shorten links for social media posts or you can also use it as you fix up the URLs on your website. The latter makes for easy and convenient link development.
This service is free to use and it’s rather convenient. All it takes is one click of a particular page link and it will automatically start the shortening process. Click on the generated URL and it will be copied ready to be posted online. And another excellent feature is that none of your TinyURL.com links will ever expire so broken links will never be an issue.
AdF.ly
Much like Shorte.st, AdF.ly helps shorten links but also offers an opportunity for income generation. All that’s needed is an account and you’ll be on your way to revenues. But unlike other similar tools, this one offers no popups and all advertising is safe. Plus, you’ll have access to monitoring tools as well so you’ll know which links are performing and which ones aren’t.
