Have you ever had the painful experience of almost sharing a link but then deleting it just because it was too long & ugly, or did it simply exceed your Twitter character count?
I think we’ve all been there, and besides, no one is interested in clicking a link that looks a bit too much and long.
In all honesty, short URLs always make the best fit. Firstly, they’re pleasant to look at, and they simply offer a better customer/user experience.
Speaking of URLs, today we’ll be discussing some questions related to shortening URLs and also look at some of the best link shorteners currently available.
So, stay tuned and keep reading!
What is a URL Shortener?
In simple terms, URL shortener or link shorteners (yes, they’re the same) is a tool that takes long URLs and converts them into shorter or whatever URL you’d want it to be.
The link shortener tool can be accessed through sites that handle URL shortening, which may also include archives and full analytics on everything you shorten.
URL shortening generally replaces your URL with a new domain, and then the permalink gets replaced with a string of letters or numbers.
Are Link Shorteners Helpful?
URL shortening was introduced around the year 2000, and the tool improved a lot over the years. Today, Link shorteners are used by many to carry out several tasks, and yes, they are extremely helpful, especially for businesses.
Some functions link shorteners can do are:
- Link masking
- Link Shortening
- Shrink URL or compress links
- Link retargeting
- Link rotating
- Link changing or swapping
Shortened links generally contribute a lot to a smoother reading experience as well, especially on social media.
Best URL Shortener Tools for 2022
If you’re looking to shorten URLs, there are many tools available online that offer excellent URL shortening services.
Here’s a look at some of the most handful and best link shorteners currently available:
JotURL
Tools like JotURL are something else that goes beyond their intended use. It is a cost-effective marketing tool that assists businesses in optimizing marketing campaign leads to further drive leads & increase revenue.
This tool comes with over 100 features aimed at helping users customize audience interaction by monitoring & tracking links to ensure high performance.
Running a business means providing a consistent experience to your audience, which is something branded links are able to do. Through the JotURLs feature of Social opt-in CTA, you’re able to enhance branded links with branded CTA.
Features of JotURL:
- 24×7 monitoring on every link
- 24×7 click-fraud monitoring to filter bots
- Every analytic can be viewed from a single dashboard
- Sorting & filtering data via sources, channels, keywords, etc
- €9 monthly plan
Rebrandly
Rebrandly is another type of link shortener tool that’s ideal for customizing & branding URLs, which is excellent for establishing a recognizable business among the sizeable digital competition.
The Rebrandly tools help users set the site’s domain name to offer easy usage with every shortened link that’s created. Here’s a look at some of their most exciting features:
- Link management generates QR codes, fast redirects, Custom URL slugs, etc.
- Traffic routing to link with emojis, link retargeting, etc
- Analytics to crate customer reports, add a business logo, expand audience reach, etc.
- Domain Name Management includes multiple domain names, dine main domain redirect, and encrypting HTTPS links.
- Collaboration to track activity logs, etc.
- Limited free plan and premium plan ($29/month)
Tiny.cc
This one is probably the most basic one on our list, but it is a highly efficient shortener that allows users to make custom URL endings for the purpose of branding.
With Tiny.cc, users don’t necessarily require an account to access link tracking stats. Those stats include metrics based on origin, location, or clicks, unique visitors, browsers used, etc.
There’s also an easy delete option for any URL along with entire link history viewing. Premium plans for Tiny.cc cost around $5 per month. They also have a free plan which includes 500 URLs.
Some more features of Tiny.cc includes:
- Tool bookmarking for easy access
- Link creation for advertisements, email campaigns, social media, SMS messages, etc.
- Link usability for QR codes & tracking statistics
- Access to any kind of custom URL slug
Short.io
If branding comes first to you, then this one is a must-have tool. Short.io puts a lot of focus on branding, and this is reflected in the features the tool provides. It also allows users to shorten, personalize and create links through their own domain.
The platform also provides a bunch of tutorials to guide users through the workings of the tool. Short.io is also suitable for both large and small businesses as their team feature allows you to add team members and assign roles as well under the enterprise/team plan.
The platform also offers a free plan, but the features are limited. Paid plans, on another note, start with $20 per month.
Features of Short.io
- Clickstream feature allows real-time tracking data through each click
- Statistics tab to enable easy viewing of data in tables, charts, and graphs
- Role assignment allows each member to complete specific tasks
- 17% discount on annual plans
Bitly
Bitly is a very popular link shortening tool, and much like Tiny.cc, this one also does not require any user account to use. And you can get as many short links as you’d like.
This tool is also very ideal for fine-tuning any campaign efforts along with sharing content in high engagement places. Plus, if you’re looking to make any streamlined marketing efforts, you can also integrate the tool with Zapier. Through this, users can easily automate tools that support Zapier.
The platform is free to use for link shortening without an account, while a free account can be created to manage and develop links much more easily. There’s also a $29/month premium plan for more branded links and custom domains.
Some prominent features of Bitly include:
- Monitor click locations, link clicks, and top referrers
- Bitly-Zapier integration
- HTTPS encrypted links to protect from third-party tampering
- Mobile deep links
- QR code creation
