URL shorteners have many functions today in the online world. One of the functions includes shortening social media URLs to provide for productive use. When using social media, it is easier to post and repost a URL when it is short. A good example is Twitter that requires a minimum of 280 characters before posting as well as reposting. Therefore, it becomes easier for you to post and others to view and Retweets. Not well known or popular until recently, these Best URL shortener plugins are possible for people who are bloggers to use and make money through sites such as WordPress. Popular websites have created URL shortener links to make it possible for you to work while on their sites. Facebook’s URL shortener is Fb.me, while Google search engine has Goog.gl. This article will provide more information below about best URL shortener sites that are popular today.
Table of Contents
What is a URL shortener?
Domain names or URLs uniquely identify websites on the web. Creating a domain name that is already existent is not allowed. It happens that some of the names you think of are already in use by somebody else. To use a name that already exists, you have to figure out how to tweak it a little. And so, you are likely to end up with a very long URL for your site.
However, that should be no damper to using long names, thanks to a URL shortener. Besides, long names may incorporate keywords for SEO purposes. A URL shortener shrinks your long URL or creates a link that redirects traffic to your site. The tool is available in the form of plugins. Also, some websites offer online URL shortening services.
Also, You Can Read Ways to Boost Your Site’s Domain Authority
Why shorten URLs?
A very long URL tends to look confusing as opposed to a shorter one. It is, therefore, advisable to keep your URL short as you can. Here are the reasons why:
Clarity: Shortened URLs look clear. They are easy to read and memorize. Nobody will have to waste time trying to understand what your long URL could be all about.
Authoritative and trustworthy appeal: Long URLs with strange characters may create a spammy impression. Shortened URLs have a higher odd of building trust and confidence in those visiting your site.
Improved readability: Keeping your URL shorter makes it easier to be read by web crawlers. As a result, the position of your site on SERPs scales up. And that means an improvement in your SEO ranking.
Easy sharing: Shortened URLs are easy to share on social media platforms on which long URLs cause ambiguity.
Easy link management: It is much easier to manage links shortened than a long one.
What Are the Benefits of Using a URL Shortener?
Using a URL shortener is beneficial as follows:
Data gathering: A good number of URL shorteners you may come across provide you with analytical data. Bitly is a good example. It provides you with exhaustive info such as link click stats, visited the page, and the visitor’s physical location. Plus, it shows the time of the visit, what the visitor clicked on your site, and where your links are shared.
Enhance sharing: The popularity of social media platforms continues to grow with emerging trends in the digital world. Most of the social media apps work on smartphones. Therefore, users share URLs and other content on these platforms. However, long URLs may not work in cases like tweeter where a posted link should be less than 23 characters.
Extra advanced features: Some URL shorteners go beyond shortening URLs. For instance, Pagetweet has a feature for sharing on social media and checking views. Digg’s URL shortener has a feature that provides data on the number of comments your articles get. As technology continues to grow, URL shortener developers incorporate new functionality in their products to bag clients.
Better click-through frequency: Extremely long URLs somewhat reduce the speed at which pages and links on your site open. By shortening your URL, the tool improves the rate at which visitors move from one page to another on your website.
Low bounce rate: Since your URL is short and opens faster, the rate at which visitors leave your site reduces. Links that are sluggish to open are a turnoff. Nobody will be patient to wait for your website to load due to a lengthy URL. Not when your competitors have sites that have condensed URLs and load faster.
How to choose the right URL shortener for you
There are lots of both free and paid URL shorteners on the internet. But the question is: How do you choose the right one for your needs?
Several factors influence the conclusion on which URL shortener is suitable for you. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Scope of your requirements: There is no need to pay for a solution with advanced functionality, which may end up not exploring. A free link shortener may serve you well if you are not interested in such things as in link tracking or branding. You don’t need a fancy tool if you are running a small business with fewer transactions. Otherwise, it is worth going for a paid package if you look to track your links or brand them.
Number of users: The size of your team, which will be using the solution determines the plan you should settle on. There are URL shorteners with a team management feature. This feature helps you effectively control the use of the package by your team. However, you don’t need such functionality when you are a single user.
Financial capability: Most paid high-end URL shorteners have advanced features. But, you should be ready to spend a little they interest you. They charge a monthly or yearly fee, depending on the plan you choose. However, make do with a package that won’t strain your financial muscle if you can’t afford those with expensive price tags.
Next, let’s take a look at some of the notable solutions in the URL shortening industry for more insight.
Top Url Shorteners Used To Shrink Urls For Effective Website Use
Shorte.st ( Earn from shortening links and sharing them on social media)
Suitable for those bloggers looking for URL shorteners that can also pay them. In 2016, this URL shortener ranked among the top money-making URL shorteners. Besides, Shorte.st can enable you to mass shrink many URLs at once. In case you are a WordPress blogger, this URL shortener can help you make money using the WordPress plugin. However, you shouldn’t use Shorte.st with your WordPress personal profile. Social media sites do not view ad-based Link Shrinker as good practice based on their Terms and conditions of use.
It is a plus for users with sites running on the WordPress platform. Shortest.st integrates with the WordPress plugin for site monetization to give you a much better experience.
Features
- Campaign management
- Analytics
- Partner management
- Competitor analysis
- Link management
- Account management
- Link retargeting
- Track link statistics
- Creating campaigns
- Securing links
- Deep linking
Goo.gl (One of the best in the URL shrinking industry but DISCONTINUED NOW!)
Goo.gl is the top URL shortener created by the giant search engine Google. Primarily, this is considered the best among URL shorteners by users. All you do is enter the long URL link, wait for a few seconds, and display the shortened Link.
By creating these links when you are logged in to your Google account, you will have bookmarks that have short URLs. Also, Goo.gl enables you to view the number of times the shortened links stored in your history have been used. They help you refer to the visitor’s profile, including the Country, Browser, and Operating System they used. Therefore, Goo.gl is a URL shortener that you should try to help you view statistics for your website.
Unfortunately, Google stopped new user registration for this product back in April 2018. However, all links that were using it before then continue to redirect to their target URLs as configured.
GoDaddy URL Shortner (Use two different domain extensions to shrink your links)
This URL shortener should be used exclusively for Godaddy users. Therefore, if you are among the 14 million subscribers who own a domain or hosting utilizing Godaddy, you can access the Godaddy URL Shrinker. Create shortened URLs using Godaddy using two different domain extensions that include x.co. Good daddy is great to use every once in a while for this purpose, and it is excellent as it is a trusted brand. As such, you never need to worry about cookie stuffing or dead links using the Godaddy URL Shortener.
Furthermore, another great feature is that you can use Godaddy to create a branded URL shortener all for free. All you need first is to pay $1 monthly for a domain name.
Bit.ly (Undeniabone of the most popular URL shorteners)
It is among the top URL shortener sites that help you shrink long URLs. Bit.ly is considered by reviews to be second to Goo.gl that is superior in its features. Bit.ly does offer a track to your links and keeps precise details when visitors use the links. However, you have to have a link to make this possible. Once you paste the long Link, the shortened Link is displayed within seconds after you click the Shorten button.
Click the “info page +” option, and you will see the details for the shortened URLs here. Among these details include shares on the Link and Retweets from the tweet you shared. Besides, you can also view traffic from the Link.
Features
- Connect custom domain
- Analytics dashboard
- Audience intelligence
- URL retargeting
- Link management
- Branded links
- Mobile links
- Campaign management $ analytics
Price
- Bit.ly offers two plans as follows.
- Basic – $ 29 per month
- Customized plan – Charged as per what clients choose.
Get Started For Free
Android And IOS App To Shorten Url
In 2016 it was decided that URL Shorteners should not be limited to desktops. As such, iOS for Android was created. To make it possible, copy the URL in the app, and you will receive a shortened URL once you open the app on your Android phone.
TinyURL (Generates simple and easy to memorize links)
TinyURL has a simple user interface that any user will find to be friendly. It helps you create concise and memorable URLs. You don’t need to sign up for an account for you to use this link shortener. You can call it a primary tool because it doesn’t have advanced features.
Although it doesn’t have a cutting-edge feature, it enables you to create and share links that easy to remember. That’s enough if you have a small business that doesn’t require much in terms of analytics and link tracking.
Features
- Content creation tool
- URL shortener
- Link analytics
- Bulk URL creation
- Buyer personas
- A/B testing
- Search rank
Ow.ly
Ow.ly is a feature within Hootsuite, which is a widely acclaimed social media management tool. It helps you shrink your URL and share them on social media. To access the app tool, log in Hootsuite, and locate it on the dashboard. You can view analytics for your link and monitor ranking.
Features
- Analytics
- Conversion tracking
- Link management
- Retargeting links
- Backlink management
- Link analytics
- Ranking monitoring
Price
There It is three editions in which Ow.ly is available.
- Professional – $17.5 per month
- Team – $ 91.67 per month
- Business – $ 625 per month
Rebrandly (Branding your URL is simplified)
If you are looking to have your business name as part of your shortened URL, Rebrandly is the real deal. In a nutshell, it is a branding tool that creates short and clear branded links. Plus, it lets you share the branded links across social networks.
The product also taps into Google Analytics to help you track links directed to your site. Furthermore, Rebrandly lets you track visitors to your website from the initial stages of interacting with your Link.
The product has a suite of features. Here is a list of them:
Features
- Private reporting
- Custom reports
- Click tracking
- Multiple domain names
- Customized analytics
- Traffic routing
- Link retargeting
- Browser extensions
Price
Rebrandly has four packages from which you can choose whichever your financial capacity allows. Here are the packages alongside their respective retail prices.
- Starter – $29
- Pro – $69
- Premium – $499
- Enterprise – the price isn’t indicated on the official website. You can contact customer support for details.
How to Create Customized Branded Short Links using Rebrandly
First of all, you need a Rebrandly account. You can visit the company’s official site and sign up for a free account. Once signing up goes through, you are ready to create a customized branded short link. So, log in and proceed to step 1.
Step 1: Custom domain name registration
Go to Rebrandly’s domain registrar and create a new branded domain name.
Don’t worry, in case you don’t have a URL. You can create one on Rebrandly. Type in the domain name of your choice and will see whether or not it is available. If it is not available, you will see domain name suggestions. Choose the one you like and follow the straightforward guidance.
After keying in the domain name, Rebrandly seek to know if the name is not in use.
If it is not in use by a website or a blog, check out the following instructions. If the domain name is already in use, you will have to create a subdomain name. Be sure to include a prefix, for example, “go.”
Next, log into your domain and go to the domain registrar dashboard. Then, configure your DNS records to add the new subdomain you did create, and connect it with Rebrandly.
Regrettably, it may take up to 24 hours to register an existing domain. Eventually, Rebrandly will notify you via email when registration goes through. You can then add your domain to Rebrandly workspace. Should you require any help during the process, these instructions should help you out.
Step 2: Create a Custom Branded URL
With your domain name successfully set up, creating a new short link is simple. Click “New Link” and paste the URL you would like to shorten.
Select your custom domain under the field “Branded domain.” To avoid unwanted random characters, customize the URL slash-tag. Once you are through, click “Create Link” and your customized branded Link is ready in a little while.
T2M (Shortens links and generates QR code)
T2M is a link shrinking platform that is easy to use. It is suitable for institutions of higher learning, business enterprises, and survey agencies. The two dashboards it has makes the link tracking process fast. Besides a short URL, it also generates a QR code. The server response is impressive due to dedicated instances.
It lets you create branded URLs that have a higher likelihood of getting more clicks. Also, link security is tight owing to the link password protection features.
Features
- Full-scale analytics
- Dedicated instance
- Auto-generated QR code
- CSV Import tool
- CVS export tool
- Analytics filter
- Dedicated load balancer
- Timeline chart
- Dashboard reporting
Price
T2M is available in five packages as follows, and they have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Basic $5 paid at once
- Standard – $9.99 per month
- Pro – $29.99 per month
- Premium – $89.99 per month
- Dedicated – Price not indicated. Contact support or sales team for details.
ClickMeter (A Perfect fit for advertisers)
ClickMeter is fit for marketing besides shrinking links. Advertisers can use it to track and analyze the progress of their marketing campaigns. It integrates with most content management systems like WordPress and has a comprehensive reporting functionality. Plus, you can integrate it with Shopify, Google AdWords, and other advertising platforms.
Another upside of Clickmeter is its ability to monitor activities in real-time. It has tons of features you may find handy. Have a look at some of them enlisted next.
Features
- Link tracker
- Traffic redirector
- URL encryption
- Password protector
- Traffic redirection scheduler
- Clicks composition bar
- Report filter
Price
ClickMeter offers three paid plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee. What’s more, you can change your plan at any time. See the plans next.
- Medium – $29 per month
- Large – $99 per month
- X-Large – $349 per month
Polr (You have the freedom to self-host your URL shortener)
Polr is an open-source URL shortening tool. You can get it on the Polr project webpage. Alternatively, you can as well get it from GitHub. It is a self-hostable application that lets you host your URL shortener, thereby giving you control over your data. It’s easy to use and offers you a demo page in case you would only like to test its workability.
Features
- URL shortener
- Brand control
- Analytics
- QR Code generator
URL Shortener by Zapier (Saves you the hassle of manual link creation)
This solution automatically creates and saves shortened links. Initially, it was part of Zapier’s Formatter, but it’s not an independent URL shortener with a couple of great features. It lets you create a Zapier, automatically creating a short link when you post a new image on Flickr. And from there henceforth, whenever you upload pictures to flicker, this URL shrinking tool will create a short link.
Features
- Filters
- Formatters
- Webhooks connections
- Custom logic paths
- Multi-step zaps
Price
- Starter – $24 per month, billed annually.
- Professional – $61.25 per month, billed annually
- Team – $373.75 per month, billed annually
- Company- $748.75 per month, billed annually
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Shorby (Ideals for Instagram enthusiasts)
Instagram users find Shorby a great URL shortener. It adheres to Instagram’s one Link in bio rule. Also, it provides a customizable short link that can be updated. You don’t have to change your short URL in your Instagram account. Just add your new content to Shorby and leave the Link unaltered.
Furthermore, it is possible to create click-to-call boxes for such communication platforms as Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messanger. Plus, you can add links to web content in chunks and track analytics.
Features
- Built-in affiliate link
- dashboard team
- Click insights
- Ad platform
- Bio Rich link
- Unlimited page links
Price
- Start – $9 per month
- Rocket- $15 per month
- Pro-$29 per month
- Agency – $99 per month
Buff.ly (Shrink links and schedule when to send posts)
Buffer has all the bragging rights as far as ownership of Buff.ly is concerned. It gives you the freedom to shrink links and schedule when you would like them to share posts. Your posts can then automatically feature on social media when you think it is the right time.
You can create a social media campaign and share it on a date you would perhaps be busy doing. If you would like to have a feel for it, sign up for a free account. With it, you will be able to post links on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google+ at no cost. Posting on Pinterest will force you to opt for a premium account.
Features
- Stories planner
- Shop grid
- Hashtag planner
- Stories & posts analytics
- Custom reports
- Instagram tagger
Price
The company offers users three packages, all with a 14-day free trial.
- Pro -$ 15 billed monthly
- Premium – $ 65 billed monthly
- Business – $99 billed monthly
McAf.ee (Get to know the sources of links you receive)
Mcafee is a famous brand name in the computer security arena. Interestingly, they also have a URL shortening solution by the name of Mcaf.ee. Besides shrinking URLs, the tool also performs other functions, like enabling you to share shortened links on social media.
Not only does it share links, but it also indicates the source of the Link. It is commendable because users don’t have to worry about clicking on a link for fear of malware attacks. Moreover, the plugin can be installed on such browsers as Mozilla Firefox and Chrome. Shrinking a link is faster when a page for which you want to create a link is open in a browser.
Features
- Analytics
- Link management
- Link analysis
- Custom reports
- Link identification
SU.PR (Let’s see a list of people visiting your link)
Su.pr is a product of StumbleUpon and helps you shorten your links and share them along with a message. Plus, you can configure it to send your messages whenever you want, thanks to an in-built message scheduler. Note that you need to sign up for an account for you to use this URL shortener.
Visitors can see a StumbleUpon toolbar where they can comment on your content, and indicate if they like it. Moreover, it has a quick option that lets you share your Link on social media via email. You can also view real-time stats for the links you share and a list of people visitors who liked or shared your Link.
is.gd (Shrinking of links made quicker)
Shrinking links is swift when using IS.GD. Besides, this URL shortener creates QR codes that users can use to access your links. Smartphones can decipher QR codes. There, users with such phones can get to your links quicker via the created QR codes.
Again, you can check your link stats using the page preview feature. Your links are permanent and available all the time after you create them. You can also customize your links whenever you want to align them with your brand and maintain a unique appeal.
Features
- Conversion tracking
- Securing links
- Backlink management
- Link analytics
URL shorteners Do’s and Don’ts
There are best practices you should stick to whenever you shorten your URLs using your tool of choice.
DON’T link on your website using short URLs.
When you want to share a link to your blog post on a different page on your site, don’t use Shortened URL. You don’t have to track the clicks using a short URL.
DO use short URLs on social media and other sites.
It is advisable to use shortened URLs when linking to social media or another site. It saves space on social media and makes tracking of performance simple.
Plus, if you use a vanity URL, you’ll be able to give a nice boost to your brand awareness.
DON’T use short URLs your emails and personal messages
If you are not an analytics geek, sending your short URLs in your emails and personal messages is unnecessary.
DO incorporate short URLs in your link building drive.
You can boost your site’s authority on the web immensely by integrating shortened URLs in your link building campaigns. Also, you can keep track of who is heightening your online presence via links and redirects.
DO use Short URLs on social media.
Social media is awash with millions of potential clients. Serious entrepreneurs comb through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook in search of clients. Note that short URLs and social media gel so well. Use your short links on such platforms to help you reach as many prospects as possible.
You must keep tabs on your social media accounts’ performance regularly. Why? It’s the only way you can tell whether your social media campaign is performing in line with the set objectives.
Check out the quick video review on Best URL Shortener
Source:-Jake Broe
Conclusion
In conclusion, these sites listed here are the top sites used for URL shortening. URL shorteners can help you monitor your links on social media by using the URL shorteners above. The shortened URLs are saved, and your links are monitored in terms of visitors and traffics. Therefore, you can use these URL shorteners that were not so common before to Shrink long URLs and help you get stats for your social media posts. Also mentioned was a way to use URL shorteners to earn money using WordPress plugins. Find the best way to use URL shortening and use it to your advantage online.
Whatever your URL shrinking needs may be, there is a solution that can satisfy them. Your financial capability and the nature of your needs are critical factors that determine the right tool for you.
So, which of the URL shorteners we have discussed in this article interests you? We suggest you go ahead and try it out.
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