Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) have always been a way of accessing webpages. But over time, URLs become long and complex as sub-domains, sub-directories and tracking codes are eventually added. These lengthy URLs pose a problem to social media users and blog writers in the sense that they take up writing space and look unattractive. So finding a way to shorten URLs becomes needful, hence the advent of URL shortener services.
Key Takeaways:
- URL shortener services streamline lengthy URLs, improving their usability and appearance.
- These services shrink links and track their performance, helping netizens, bloggers and social media users.
- Different URL shortener platforms offer varied features, so consider factors like customization, tracking, pricing, and integration.
- Exploring various link shortener sites helps users find the most suitable one for their needs.
What is a URL Shortener?
A URL or link shortener is an app or online tool that converts a long URL to a short URL that ultimately redirects the user to exactly the same web page or site.
A good URL shortener helps you to do two things:
- Shrink links i.e. reduce the length of the URL.
- Track links i.e. measure performance.
In some of our previous articles, we’ve discussed High-Paying URL Shorteners for Earning Money and the Best Push Ads Network Services to Use. However, in this Naijaknowhow write-up, I’ll provide you with a list of some of the best URL shortener services. These are valuable tools for blog writers and savvy social media users seeking to efficiently direct people to desired content on any website.
Best Link Shortener Websites:
1. TinyURL
TinyURL (www.tinyurl.com/app) has been around since the early 2000s. It is an easy-to-use link shortener service. One good thing about TinyURL is its anonymity in usage, that is, you don’t need to register an account to use it. But you can sign up for an account which means that you will be able to see a history of all your shortened links.
Its other features include fast redirection and the option to customize the shortened URL. And yes, lest I forget, TinyURL is 100% free. But you can also subscribe to a paid plan that will make it possible to have features like tracking and analytics, branded domains and the ability to edit each TinyURL link after creating it.
2. Bitly
Bitly (www.bitly.com) is one of the best link shortener services because of its popularity and great usefulness. Bitly offers its basic service for free which lets you shorten links using the Bitly domain name, while the premium or paid version lets you use your own custom domain name.
Its features include link retargeting in the paid version, tracking individual links and getting related analytics on your dashboard, giving audience intelligence by measuring your marketing campaign performance for a specific location, and also integration with Zapier, another link shortener platform.
3. Rebrandly
As the name implies, Rebrandly (www.rebrandly.com) is a tool that helps you create custom or branded links. Yes, it creates memorable and shorter links. It offers advanced URL-shortening technology with a lot of features that enable you to create separate workspaces and work with teammates.
This link shortener is useful for both building and sharing short URLs or links across various social networks.
Its highly important features are listed below:
- Link retargeting support
- Bulk link creation
- Click tracking
- Emojis on short links
- 100+ app integrations
- API access
- UTM parameters
Its other features include GDPR compatibility, rapid auto-scaling servers, integration with Zapier, custom reports and private reporting. Rebrandly offers a free plan that supports only 10 branded links per month. Its paid version comes with three different plans with different prices each; Essential, Premium, and Premium.
Important Information: ClickMeter – www.clickmeter.com has been acquired by Rebrandly.
4. Sniply
Sniply (www.sniply.io) is another suitable digital tool for link shortening and is highly regarded as one of the top link shortener services. If you are interested in sharing links to other people’s content, such as good videos or interesting articles, on your blog or your social media accounts, and at the same time recommend yourself or your website, Sniply is the tool for you.
In addition to its link-shortening feature, Sniply offers click-tracking details, you can recommend yourself by also adding a call-to-action (CTA) over any link you share. You can in this way suggest that people subscribe to your blog for more interesting links.
Other features of Sniply include:
- Create your custom URL
- You can reuse your CTA as many times as you want
- It integrates with Zapier
Sniply is a marketing service, therefore it is not free. Four plans are available to it with respective prices each; Basic, Pro, Business, and Agency.
5. Ow.ly URL Shortener
You will be more familiar with Ow.ly (www.hootsuite.com/pages/owly) if you are a Hootsuite user. Hootsuite is a popular social media management app and you can access Ow.ly from the Hootsuite dashboard. Ow.ly is one feature in Hootsuite that enables you to shorten links that you can use on social media and other sites.
Its features among others include trackable short links, link retargeting, URL Performance metrics, and social ROI demonstration. Ow.ly has both free and premium Hootsuite plans. So that means that there is a need to create a Hootsuite account to use Ow.ly but you don’t need to pay.
6. Zapier
Zapier (www.zapier.com) has been referred to several times in this article, therefore there’s a need to do justice to it.
Zapier is the tool to use when you want to automatically create and save a short link every time you perform a particular action, let’s say, adding a photo to Instagram. This means that through Zapier, an automated workflow (called Zap) is triggered every time you upload a post or do something in the apps that you use most. Zapier then sends the shortened URL to a Google Sheet or directly to another app.
As one of the best URL shortener services out there, its free plan is limited to 5 active single-step Zaps and 100 tasks per month, while its Starter plan comes with a price is given to 20 multi-step Zaps and 750 tasks per month.
7. Tiny
Tiny.cc (www.tiny.cc) is one of the most reliable URL shortener services that shorten long web links into shorter and easier-to-share links. It is free to use and allows you to customize the links with your brand or domain. You can also organize the links by tags, cloak affiliate links, and set up custom redirects. The best part is that you can track how many people click on your links.
You don’t even need an account to see the data. If you need more than 500 shortened links, you can upgrade to one of Tiny.cc’s paid plans: Basic, Business, or Pro. These plans offer more features, such as tracking QR code campaigns, monitoring referrer or affiliate URLs, and measuring link conversions.
The prices for these plans range from $5 to $44 per month, depending on the level of service you need. If you require large-scale URL shortening, you can contact them directly for a quote.
8. Sniply
There are many cool things you can do with Sniply (www.sniply.io); you can use the same CTA many times or make new ones for different campaigns. You can also see how many clicks, conversions, and campaigns you have on the analytics dashboard.
Sniply has a lot of features like a custom URL shortener, and customized CTAs on each shortened URL, and it can be embedded in articles and pages you share. There’s also a dashboard that monitors user interaction and it can integrate with other marketing and analytic tools. You can connect it to your own custom domain too. There are three main plans for Sniply.
The plans are Basic, Pro and Business, with different prices for each. You can also contact Sniply directly for an Enterprise plan quote. All plans come with a 14-day free trial and a discount for annual payments. The number of team members, brands, and monthly clicks varies depending on the plan you choose, as well as the customization options available.
9. Blink
Blink (www.bl.ink) is another URL shortener platform that helps you manage and track links. It’s more than just a URL shortener. It has many features to help you manage your engagement journey. You can see how your links are performing by using reports or by connecting to web analytics tools like Google and Adobe.
Blink also has an open API, so you can connect it to other tools. Blink has security features to protect your information. It’s designed for small businesses as well as large ones, and it’s flexible to grow with your organization.
There are four main plans you can choose from. You can also try Blink for free for 21 days. If you don’t want to continue after the trial, you can still use the free plan. However, details about what features are included in the free plan are not provided.
10. Cuttly
Cuttly (www.cutt.ly) is a website that helps you make your long links shorter. It also has other tools to help you manage and understand how people are clicking on your links. Cuttly gives you a lot of options, like making QR codes, tracking clicks on links, and creating a mini-website with links. It is easy to use and helpful for both new and experienced people.
If you need help, you can contact their support team and they will get back to you within a day. Cuttly has a free plan that gives you one branded domain, up to 30 links a month, a mini-website with five links, and the option to make QR codes.
If you want more options, they have four paid plans you can choose from. The plans range in price from $12 to $149 per month. If you pay for the whole year, the cost per month is even lower. Cuttly is a great option because it is affordable and has a lot of tools to help you manage your links.
11. T2M
T2M (www.t2mio.com) is a link-shortening solution that can make your long URLs shorter. It has two dashboards that can help you track your links easily. One dashboard is for location analytics, and the other one is for device or platform analytics. This platform can even generate a QR code for you along with a short URL.
You can also create branded and flexible short URLs that will get more clicks or choose where the link should work. T2M offers a basic plan for a one-time fee of $5 if you want to use its basic service. After that, you can choose from four premium plans that offer more advanced features. If you pay for the year in advance, you can get three months for free.
Conclusion:
While these are not the only URL shortener services available, they represent some of the best options for users seeking efficient link management and tracking capabilities. Alongside helping you to shorten links, they offer other numerous and enticing services. Good luck as you check them out!
