niki rony’s Blog

When you list out the top 3 internet Buzz words; URL shortener comes next to social networking and micro-blogging.

A URL shortener is a Website that will create a short Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Web page address from a long one so that the short version, which is easier to remember and enter, can be used instead. The shortened URLs will never expire, and they can be easily shared and distributed in websites, forums, blogs, Instant Messengers, SMS and especially in social media services like Twitter, which allows users to post only 140 characters.

Bookmarking.info, TinyURL, Bit.ly, Snurl, dwarfURL and Tiny.cc are some of the popular sites that offer URL shortening service. The shortened URL offers various advantages including easy management of links, promotion of sharing of site link, compile click data and useful user interface.

Some may think that shortening URLs may affect Google ranking, but in reality, it is not so. The shortened URL can be shared with more audiences easily through SMS, messengers and social media along with a short description of site. Hence a site can be promoted quite easily.

Some URL shortening service providers like Bit.ly offer valuable data like live click data, geographic location, webpage link from where the site link was clicked, and more. The data are used by webmasters to know where customers are coming from and their interest. Apart from this, some providers offer the last 15 URLs created by users in their home page, which automatically mirrors each page and a useful interface for sharing via social media.

URL shortening service also allows users to customize their shortened URL to make it understandable by users. Your shortened URL can be something like “shortenURLservicename//7html” or you can customize it to look like “shortenURLservicename/webworld”.

In short, we can say that shortened URLs are a welcome change in the internet world.

Tiny URL and url shortening
We’ve all been plagued by the affiliate or website

url that’s so long it’s ridiculous, and there are

services available, such as tinyurl.com, to help

you out.

But…

While the huge plus to link shortening is a much

more compact and “neater-looking” link, there are

two downsides worth exploring before you opt to

shorten your url using any third-party method.

The first downside you must consider is, right

or wrong, a third-party service might consider your

use of the link as s’pamming and turn it off. Then

all your current a’dvertising is useless.

The second consideration, and a very important one,

is how fast will your long link load if you shorten

it?

For example, I just clicked a link in a solo I

received. Above, on my IE browser, I can see the url

is a lengthy one and understand the advertiser’s

desire to shorten it. This person chose tinyurl.com,

a good service, fr’ee - a good choice.

However, it is taking “forever” to load, and I use

DSL (granted not the best DSL in the business, but

nevertheless DSL).

I thought, “Hmmm… Let me test this url myself.”

I’m headed over to another favorite website of mine

http://www.submitplus.com.

Cl’ick on their Fr’ee Programs, then choose “Load

Test.” Insert your shortened url and see what they

say.

Currently, I’m still waiting for them to pass their

way through tinyurl.com to the true website link

in this person’s solo.

This is not good.

Attention spans on the net can be like those of

toddlers. Run here, grab there, close this,

impatient that…

Getting your page up front and center as fast as

possible is a must.

Yikes! That tiny url still has not loaded, and

I’ve even had a phone call come in while I wait.

Okay, I’ve given up. I closed all windows, and

am starting fresh - straight from the link inside

the solo itself (the short one).

I’m counting (slowly) and have reached 130 seconds,

and still the page has loaded less than halfway.

So far I’m staring at a totally blank page - not

even a clue as to what may appear to grab my

attention.

Exiting…

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that’s a lost lead or sale for the

advertiser. I’ll most likely not try again

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last

time (just so this article is accurate) and insert

the short url into their Load Test.

I’m waiting…
Tiny URL and url shortening

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results,

but be careful what you are willing to believe.

It took just as long for them to run out via the

short link, and track it on over to the website

as it did by my “counting” method above (if not

longer).

BUT… the results are faulty! Submitplus says the

url loaded in an excellent time for a 28.8K modem -

0.05 seconds… oh yeah?

However, the test did serve it’s purpose. I sat and

watched the entire process with my own eyes and can

clearly tell using a shorter link, in this instance,

is a mistake.

Therefore, as the advertiser, I’d have opted to find

an alternate method or just gone ahead and used

the link given to me.

A great alternative is to own your own website. Then

you can create redirect links to your hearts content

(and gain additional advertising of your own domain

for absolutely no additional cost).

I’ve included a text example of how to create a

redirect, and feel free to copy it. It’s here at:

http://www.mywizardads.com/rdexample.txt

[Again, this type of redirect would only apply to those

who own and can edit their own websites.]

My suggestion for all a’dvertisers would be to test

both your chosen method to shorten a url, and the link

you are given by the program itself.

Carefully watch the screen perform the test. Then

multiple your results by at least 2 or 3 times (for

some reason things always seem to “work just fine

for me” for the person with the link *smile*).

If, after your multiplication, shortening seems

the way to go by all means do. If not, stick with

the sometimes awkward, but more faithful, longer

url.