URL Shorteners: How They Work And Why Marketers Should Use Them

URL shorteners are web services that transform long Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) into shorter, more manageable versions. They generate a unique, shortened URL that redirects the user to the original, longer URL when clicked or entered into a web browser.

If you wish to do a great job with attribution and better understand your marketing efforts, utilizing campaign query strings with your URLs is a must. For many of our clients, we incorporate both analytics campaign tracking and the subscriber’s actual unique identifier so that we can both attribute any activity back to that prospect or customer.

URL Shortener Features

URL shortening services online come with various features that make them useful and convenient for users. Some of the common features include:

Popular URL Shorteners

Here is a list of some popular URL-shortening services and their respective URLs. Please note that these services may change or be updated over time, and some may offer additional features for premium users.

  1. Bitly: A widely used URL shortening service that offers features like custom branded domains, detailed analytics, link management, and integrations with various third-party tools. Bitly has a free plan and premium plans for additional features.
  2. Short.io: A user-friendly URL shortening service offering custom domains, link management, detailed analytics, bulk shortening, and API access. It also provides team collaboration features and integrations with popular platforms. Short.io has a free plan and various paid plans.
  3. TinyURL: A simple and popular URL shortening service that has existed since 2002. It allows users to create custom aliases for shortened URLs. The service is free to use but does not offer analytics or advanced features.
  4. Rebrandly: A URL shortening service that focuses on branded links, allowing users to create custom short URLs with their own domain names. It offers features like link management, analytics, API access, and integrations with other platforms. Rebrandly has both free and paid plans.
  5. T.ly: A URL shortening service that offers a simple interface for creating shortened URLs. It provides features like custom aliases, link expiration, password protection, and basic analytics. T.ly has a free plan with limited features and premium plans for advanced features.
  6. T2M: A comprehensive URL shortening service offering features like custom domains, QR code generation, unlimited redirects, detailed analytics, and API access. It provides a free plan with basic features and various paid plans for additional functionalities.
  7. BLINK: A URL-shortening service designed for businesses and enterprises. It provides features like branded short URLs, link management, detailed analytics, and integrations with various platforms. BL.INK offers a free plan with limited features and several paid plans for advanced options.
  8. Yourls: A self-hosted, open-source URL shortening service that allows users to create and manage their own custom URL shorteners. It provides features like link management, custom domain usage, and basic analytics.
  9. is.gd: A straightforward and free URL shortening service that allows users to create short URLs with custom aliases. It offers a simple interface without advanced features like analytics or custom domains.
  10. AdF.ly: A unique URL-shortening service that also allows users to monetize their links through ad revenue. When users click on an AdF.ly link, they are shown a brief advertisement before being redirected to the original URL. It provides features like link management, analytics, and a referral program.

Please note that each service has its own terms of use, privacy policies, and features, so it’s essential to review them before choosing a URL shortening service to ensure it meets your needs and requirements.

URL Shorteners and QR Codes

We send direct mail campaigns with a unique QR code that incorporates the subscriber information so that we can alert the sales or marketing team of anyone who scanned the QR code to get additional information. I’ll use a made-up URL for this example:

https://martech.zone/url-shorteners

That URL is 34 characters. If I build a querystring for my campaign tracking, that URL is now 151 characters:

https://martech.zone/url-shorteners?utm_campaign=Spring+Sale&utm_source=Post+Card&utm_medium=Direct+Mail&utm_term=Acquisition&utm_content=10+Percent+Off

And If add the unique identifier for the recipient, it expands further to 171 characters:

https://martech.zone/url-shorteners?utm_campaign=Spring+Sale&utm_source=Post+Card&utm_medium=Direct+Mail&utm_term=Acquisition&utm_content=10+Percent+Off

How Does A URL Shortener Work?

Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how URL shorteners work:

  1. The user inputs a long URL into the URL shortening service.
  2. The service generates a unique key, usually consisting of letters and numbers (eg. g/3i3RaCpvUox using our example below.
  3. The shortening service combines its domain with the unique key to create a shortened URL (eg. https://qr.page/g/3i3RaCpvUox ).
  4. The shortened URL is distributed.
  5. When someone clicks on the shortened URL, the user lands on the domain of the shortened URL (eg. https://qr.page )
  6. The path of the shortened URL (eg. g/3i3RaCpvUox) is then looked up in the database where the long URL is recorded.
  7. The service then redirects the user to the original, long URL.

Why Use A URL Shortener

Businesses use URL shorteners for various reasons:

https://qr.page/g/3i3RaCpvUox

Drawbacks To URL Shortening

Shortened URLs can disguise malicious websites, potentially increasing the risk of phishing attacks or malware distribution. Some users may bypass clicking on a link they don’t recognize, so you may wish to explain that you’re incorporating a URL shortener.

Additionally, if a URL shortening service goes offline or shuts down, the shortened links might no longer work, leading to broken links and lost access to the original content.

Build or Host Your Own URL Shortener

It’s important to note that companies don’t have to use a third-party URL shortener. If they purchase their short domain, they quickly program a URL shortener into their site. One of the nice things about doing this is having a unique short domain associated with your brand that no one else can use.

How To Build a URL Shortener

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