Today, it seems like everything takes place online. You’re already leveraging the Internet to attract clients—but so are your competitors.
So, how do you stand out from the crowd? By offering better customer experiences.
And while there are many ways to do so, we’ll focus on one—URL shortening. It boosts business credibility and facilitates interactions between businesses and clients, as short links are easy to remember, type, and share.
Digital pros create millions of short URL links every day, but this guide will show you how anyone can start using URL shortener tools. Explore the tech behind them, how to create and use them, and how to select a good tool to market your content effectively.
What is URL shortening?
URL shortening is a way to shorten long, complex URLs into much shorter, neater packages that still send you to the original URL. Here’s an example to show you how URL shortening works:
You can shorten https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/02/10/amtrak-deal-valentines-offer-sale/6741296001/ to https://bit.ly/3Bg19uM.
The latter looks better and evokes more trust as it’s less spammy-looking. It also leaves you room to share more details with your target audience when posting on social media sites with character limits.
For example, unless you’re a Blue subscriber on X, you can only post tweets with 240 characters or less. With a long link like the one above, you won’t have space to offer details on what the link is about within the same post.
With Bitly, you can go beyond shortening by customizing your links. For instance, you can shorten the above link to https://bit.ly/amtrak-valentines, adding a custom phrase to the back half. You can make your links even more personal by using custom domain names instead of the bit.ly domain.
What is a URL shortener?
A URL shortener or link shortener is an app that condenses web addresses, redirecting the shorter URL to the original. There are plenty of free and paid URL shorteners available, like Bitly, and apps like X (formerly Twitter) and WordPress often include automatic URL shortening on their platforms.
General-use URL shorteners usually have a free version that offers shortening and other basic services. However, the paid versions typically provide additional services, like advanced link tracking, bulk shortening, and campaign management.
So, how does a URL shortening tool work?
When you submit a long link to a tool like Bitly, it generates an identification code in the form of a short URL or alias. Then a database associates the short URL with your original URL to facilitate future reference.
When a potential lead clicks the short URL, your shortening tool receives the request and crawls its database to find the original link. When it does, it issues an HTTP redirect response to the potential lead’s browser and navigates them to the original URL, which displays your web page.
The shortening service doesn’t show the redirect process to your target audience—it’ll seem like they’re just opening a regular link. And it only takes a few seconds, so you don’t have to worry about lagging.
What is the purpose of a URL shortener?
A URL shortener aims to convert long web addresses into shorter links that display better. Some link shorteners only provide shortening, while more sophisticated apps may add tracking and analytics.
Link shorteners gained popularity when X limited tweets to 140 characters. Then, a longer link could have taken up the entire word count since every character in the link counted.
Today, all X links count as 23 characters. However, truncated URLs remain a best practice to distribute content across all social networks and other channels, including X.
What is a URL shortening service?
A URL shortening service is a web app that reduces the length of Uniform Resource Locators to short, alphanumeric codes. The service maintains the connection between the original long link and the shortened version.
Some URL shortening services also include link tracking for analytics to monitor the number of clicks, traffic patterns, and other stats. Digital professionals also use URL shorteners to A/B test which links resonate best with their audiences.
In addition, shortened links enable link masking—a natural consequence of URL shortening. Masked links can help analysis and software programs track where links originate, and they also increase affiliate link clicks to sell products or services.
Benefits of a short URL
The benefits of short URLs center around better display, branding, engagement, and analytics. Short URLs also support online and offline marketing, improve analysis, and enhance brand recognition. Here’s a more in-depth look at the benefits of short links.
Better display and accessibility with short URLs
Shortened URLs provide the highly noticeable benefit of better display and accessibility. You give your audience simple links of about 10 to 30 characters—instead of complicated ones that are hard to read and break awkwardly.
With short URLs, you get:
- Improved aesthetics: Long URLs can be unsightly and indecipherable because of their sheer length, unique values, and control characters. More streamlined URLs look better on social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and TikTok.
- Easier reading: Long URLs can fill your text with a dense mishmash of words and symbols. Also, they often break awkwardly, which can look like a mistake. Short URLs are easy to read as they only contain a few characters.
- Simplified sharing: A shortened link is easier for your readers to click, copy, and share in their posts, which can help your content gain organic exposure on social networks.
Improved marketing and analysis with short URLs
Short URLs enable better tracking and analysis behind the scenes, especially when using a paid service. Other benefits include improved SEO and higher click-through rates.
More detailed marketing and analysis benefits of short URLs include:
- Link tracking and analysis: Most paid URL shortening services provide analytical data. By tracking link success, you gain audience engagement insights that can help you adjust your strategies as needed. Some services show visitor breakdown by demographics, such as country or gender. You can also tell which social channels or posts drive the most clicks.
- Urchin Tracking Module (UTM): UTM tracking adds codes to pinpoint where traffic originates. When you use UTM parameters correctly, it adds more specificity to your reporting. Understanding the content that drives traffic helps improve audience targeting. Link metrics are as important as tracking comments, follows, or likes.
- Improved search engine rankings: The structure of your URL influences site rankings. For example, a target keyword in a shortened URL gives page visitors and search engines clues to your page topic.
- Higher click-through rate: People are familiar with and prefer shortened links on social media—consequently, these links increase click-through rates. Changing to shorter links almost immediately reaps results.
- Better site structure: Simplifying URL structure makes site navigation and expansion much more manageable.
Brand enhancement with short URLs
Short URLs can enhance your brand’s perception, engagement, and audience trust. On the other hand, long, complex links can look spammy or unprofessional.
Brand benefits of short URLs include:
- More robust engagement: Your audience is more likely to engage with a shortened URL, especially one connected to your brand.
- Professionalism: Long URLs can seem messy or untidy, negatively impacting visitors’ perception of your brand. Short links look cleaner and more professional.
- More legitimacy: A shortened link matching other links on your brand’s digital marketing materials and social media lends more content authority.
- Branded links: Branded links can include a company name or word that embodies what they stand for. Businesses use these links on social media, in SMS messages, at live events, on printed materials, and more to expand their brand’s reach.
- Greater audience trust: A clean URL makes your site or social media feel more trustworthy and authoritative.
Examples of shortened URLs
Shortened URLs are usually 10 to 30 characters and work just like the original URL. Here’s an example:
The URL https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/01/bitly-makes-first-acquisition-with-qr-code-leader-egoditor/ shortens to https://tcrn.ch/3yJH0vv. Short URLs are common in content marketing, but they’re also useful in areas like education and fundraising.
Shortened URLs for learning and education
Research and academic content URLs often run long, prompting the increasing use of short URLs. For example, a link to a book about Florentine history may seem (almost) as long and twisting as that very history. As a result, short URLs are becoming an accepted practice in scholarly work.
Example of a shortened URL for education
Shortened URLs for fundraising
Institutions often use SMS, print, radio, and other channels for fundraising. But their URLs can be extremely long, making it harder for target audiences to understand and share them. Getting the word out with a short handle is easier than with a long one.
Example of a shortened URL for fundraising
The growing use of URL shortening around the world
People are increasingly turning to URL shortening because of the growing complexity of the digital world. Increased competition and reduced attention spans make it vital for businesses to stand out and communicate what they need to within a few seconds.
As such, digital professionals have found it pays to use shortened URLs for e-commerce, social media, research, branding, and SEO. Free URL shorteners make it easy for anyone to try short links out.
URL shortening statistics
Roughly 64% of website traffic comes from mobile phones. This means businesses have a significant opportunity to sell themselves to people using mobile devices. But that can be a challenge with long links, as they’re difficult to read and type, especially on phones.
This is one of the reasons why brands are increasingly investing in URL-shortening services. Short URLs are clearly visible and look clean and concise, even on small screens. Here’s a graph showing the increase in URL-shortening tool usage over three years:
How do URL shortener services work?
A URL shortener service automatically shortens a link, and the short web address redirects to the original URL. The process is pretty simple for businesses, as the shortener service handles the servers, mapping, redirecting, and data storage.
Here’s a basic six-step overview of how link shorteners work:
- A client makes a URL-shortening request to the application server, service, or centralized resource in a network. High-volume services may have multiple servers and a load balancer to distribute the workload.
- The URL shortening service accepts the long URL as input.
- The long URL maps onto a unique short URL on the server, and the service applies the appropriate type of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) status code for redirection.
- The database maintains the storage for the mapping of URLs. Additional data for each entry lives in the database, including unique user IDs and expiration dates.
- The shortened URL returns to the server.
- The server sends the shortened URL to the client to copy and use.
The URL shortener service process
How do URL shorteners redirect?
URL shorteners use a web server function to redirect visitors. A URL status code or HTTP command redirects visitors to the original longer web address. Different codes determine permanent or temporary page redirects.
When you enter a URL into a browser, this sends an HTTP command to the webserver to retrieve and transmit the initially requested web page. The most common redirect status codes shortened URLs use are:
- 301: A permanent HTTP redirect status code, meaning that the redirection “order” will not change.
- 302: A temporary HTTP redirect status code that means the page has moved to a different location for a limited time. This doesn’t affect your audience’s experience.
- 307: Another temporary HTTP redirect status code that servers can issue in place of the 302 code when the page changes location.
Updating shortened links with redirects
Redirecting a link means you change the ultimate destination to another page. At times, you may want to redirect a link you previously shortened. Fresh redirects update links, correct destination errors, or manually retire old links.
Here are some instances when you may need to update shortened links with new redirects:
- Link updates: If you’re refreshing your blog content, you can change a link to point to new content, as in this example.
- Destination corrections: Sometimes, you might paste the wrong URL when shortening a link. Not a problem. You can correct the original by editing the destination URL.
- Retire old links: Some links have a brief life because they served a special offer or promotion. If a link is no longer valid, you can manually change the destination.
How to shorten a URL
Shortening a URL is simple:
- Copy the long URL from your website, social media account, or other long web address location.
- Navigate to a link-shortening service.
- Enter your URL and request link creation.
- Save your new URL.
Businesses that shorten links with Bitly enjoy unique benefits like increased customization and integration. With Bitly, you can create branded links using custom domains instead of the “bit.ly” domain, allowing you to maintain a cohesive brand image.
You can also integrate Bitly with platforms like Zapier to streamline your marketing processes and make it easy to post your shortened links across numerous apps.
Bitly also offers enhanced security features. The platform encrypts all links with HTTPS, limiting the risk of communication interceptions between your web page’s server and your customers’ browsers. Bitly also has a Trust Center that allows you to preview your links and report suspicious behavior.
How to shorten a URL for free
Most URL shortening services offer a free version. Basically, you enter your URL and get a short one back. Also, some social media apps, like X, automatically shorten URLs for sharing. Free shortening makes sense if your volume is low and you don’t have other services.
Here’s a link to a free URL shortener from Bitly to try. Use the directions below as your guide.
Step-by-step guide to link shortening
- Create a new Bitly account or sign into an existing account.
- Select Create new.
- Tap Link.
- Enter your long URL in the Destination URL box and select Next.
- Enter a custom word or phrase in the Customize back-half box to personalize your link.
- Tap Create to generate the short link.
- Select Copy on the short URL to add it to your clipboard. You can then paste it on your chosen display medium.
URL shortening use cases
The use cases for short URLs revolve around marketing, branding, and analytics. Examples include digital marketing, vanity URLs, campaign analytics, and QR Codes. Let’s take a deeper look at each use case.
URL shortening for digital marketing
URL shortening plays a vital role in digital marketing. It helps reinforce businesses’ brand identity since short links are easier to recognize than long ones. Digital marketing supported by short URLs is excellent for multichannel campaigns, A/B testing, and mobile marketing.
URL shortening facilitates better campaign management, as marketers can quickly generate different short URLs for various marketing mediums or promotions. They can also track the performance of each one individually.
URL shortening for social media marketing
URL shortening serves social media especially well, promoting consistent branding across all platforms. As a result, it enables better connectivity with businesses, potential customers, and current customers at every touchpoint.
Brand building is the cornerstone of any healthy business. If you use Instagram as part of your social media marketing, you can do even more by using URL shortening to add links to Instagram stories.
URL shortening for vanity URLs
Vanity URLs are vital in marketing because their plain-text keywords and simplicity make it easier for potential web visitors to remember them.
URL shortening tools play a vital role here, as they eliminate all the non-critical elements, leaving you with a link that’s easy to remember, type, and share.
URL shortening for campaign analytics
URL shortening can help optimize campaign management and analytics. Link-shortening services often provide engagement data, like the number of clicks a link receives, allowing you to determine the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
Services like Bitly go even further by providing demographic-based analytics, like the number of clicks by device and location. This data can help you focus resources on high-performing campaigns and enable you to create well-informed future marketing strategies.
URL shortening for QR Code marketing
QR Code marketing provides a powerful way to amplify your company’s message. Businesses are increasingly coming up with clever ways to use QR Codes, highlighting the versatility of these tools. You can place codes on signs, stickers, products, and anywhere else you can capture people’s attention.
Businesses pair QR Codes with short URLs because they’re simple in size and structure, facilitating faster page loading times. Short URLs are especially beneficial for Dynamic QR Codes, as they allow marketers to change their destination URLs without changing the QR Codes.
Is a URL shortener safe?
URL shorteners are safe—if you pick the right service. Reliable services support advanced security settings, like hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), that meet corporate or government-mandated security policies.
Other policies include Hypertext Strict Transport Security (HSTS) support, Transport Layer Security (TLS) version restrictions, and strict use of algorithms that establish secure connections known as SSL Ciphers.
Reliable services also let you preview destination links, helping you ensure that your URLs are going to the right place. Bitly strives to ensure that people with malicious intent cannot impact customers’ links or content. Our engineering team dedicates itself to ensuring that every link is safe to click on and that the platform is secure and reliable.
Every link on Bitly is secured with HTTPS to add a layer of security. Bitly URL shortener customers can also increase their account security by employing strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication for sign-in. Enterprise accounts have even more protection with single sign-on (SSO) options and advanced user permissions on the platform.
We also encourage customers to preview pages by adding a plus symbol (+) after shortened URLs.
How to find the best URL shortening service for your company
The right URL-shortening service can propel your company’s marketing and growth. When evaluating link-shortening providers, it’s important to consider scalability, customization, security, integration, analytics, and link management.
Here’s a checklist of what to look for in a URL-shortening service. A full service will offer these features:
- Link management: Choose a service that lets you create and manage links at scale. For example, can you expire old links manually, correct a destination error, or update a destination? These processes should be easy with the right shortening service.
- Branded links: Sign up for a service that lets you create branded short links. With Bitly, you can replace the “bit.ly” in your links with a custom domain name of your choosing to reinforce your brand identity and boost customer trust.
- Mobile links: Find a service that allows you to route visitors to the correct destination from your mobile communications.
- Analytics: Look for a service that facilitates seamless real-time data tracking.
- Integration: Make sure the service moves your workflow along—rather than adding to it. Check that the service integrates seamlessly with the apps you already use.
- Security: Make sure your organization’s mission-critical links are in safe hands. Ensure privacy policies and procedures adhere to GDPR and CCPA.
- QR Codes: Find a service that offers both link-shortening and QR Code generation services. This will ensure you can place your content just about anywhere to connect audiences to your website or landing pages.
- Scalability: If you shorten a few web addresses a month, pretty much any service will do. However, if your company generates hundreds or thousands a month, or you see that level of activity in your future, you’ll want extra capabilities and reliability on reserve.
- Company reputation and track record: While you might get a good (or free) deal on services, you want to ensure that the company has a good track record of service reliability and customer satisfaction.
Why use the Bitly URL shortening service?
Bitly’s easy-to-use interface simplifies the process of shortening and customizing URLs, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced clients. But the platform provides more than just shortening services.
You can also customize your links to reflect your brand and track link engagement by reviewing real-time detailed analytics. Bitly even offers integrations with other software tools like Zapier for more control over your marketing campaigns.
Create your account today to boost engagement through clean, easy-to-share short links!
