Are you aware of URL shorteners? Do you know how they first started?
In season 3 of the on-again, off-again TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the regularly stoic Captain Raymond Holt is helping out one of his detectives, Rosa Diaz, break up with her boyfriend. Holt finds an article on the web about how to break up and asks Diaz if she knows the website. But instead of being generic and saying, “do you know about Cosmo/Women’s Health Magazine/etc.”, Holt reads out the entire web address, including all the backslashes, numbers, and punctuation.
Thus, the need for URL shorteners. That is a joke, of course, but URL shorteners do serve a very important purpose for advertising a website, blog, or store. One of the more popular tools was Google, until the site shut down that service back in March.
URL shorteners also help marketers track the source of their website visit. Even though each URL is short, it’s still unique.
A better name for them would be “URL shortener, customizer, and marketing strategy tool” but that would be too long.
Bitly is often the big player in URL shorteners, but it is certainly not the only option. There are plenty of other options out there who have better services and options for some. Check out the list below.
#7-YOURLS
That’s a mouthful of a word, but still a great option, especially for coders. If you’re not a coder or someone with experience programming, this tool could be a bit trickier than your average URL shortener.
It’s a free tool that’s not used by a whole lot of people. The product also hasn’t changed tremendously ever since its inception.
Unfortunately for any new users, you’re going to have to figure most of it out yourself as well. There’s no ongoing blog or people to answer any doubts.
#6-Branch.io
As we’ll soon see, many URL shorteners have certain specialties and Branch.io is no different. The product specializes in deep links and mobile apps. If you’re an app developer or data analyst, then this one is a must.
Branch.io is free to start out, but some of the more premium options will require payment down the road. They also have a solid educational platform to help users and are both active on their blog and Twitter.
#5-ClickMeter
Clickmeter is a URL shortener that is often targeted by marketers, advertisers and small business companies. This product is packed with features and offer a conversion tracking feature, so you can find out if a customer purchased your product or other similar actions.
ClickMeter is pretty expensive, with both users opting for their $99/month plan. It also has a steep learning curve, meaning you’ll have to up your game if you feel behind.
#4-Clk.im
Clk.im has plenty of options that seem to incorporate the best of other URL shorteners. Clk.im is also one of the few places that will give you a free trial before you decide if you want to pursue a paid plan.
The product is for marketers who are centered around social media, social sharing, and link monetization. It’s also pretty easy to use compared to other products.
#3-Bl.ink
Ideal for small businesses, Bl.ink that also helps track any incoming traffic from different links. It starts out with a free option before offering payment plans. It’s ideal for small businesses because Bl.ink offers plenty of chances to make sure their product is right for you, so you don’t go away spending any precious money.
It’s a bite-size version that’s easy to learn.
#2-Ow.ly
People love free stuff, right? Ow.ly is fantastic because it’s free. Plus, it’s integrated with Hootsuite, an ideal platform for all digital marketers.
Many social media users will recognize Ow.ly, as you can post plenty of links across different types of pages all at once. It’s great for publishing lots of content over various platforms at once while not missing a beat.
#1-T2M
Also known as T2Mio, T2M is unique in that it makes URL shorteners and QR codes at the same time, ideal in this day and age for business cards and public printouts. The platform has a built-in geo-tracking tool, allowing you to better track your traffic from all over the world.
T2M offers plenty of support for users and has a lower learning curve than other platforms. You can start out with a free plan but like other platforms, it adds more features over each pay plan.
