What Is URL Shortening?

URL shortening is a technique on the World Wide Web that allows a user to make their Uniform Resource Locator shorter without losing its ability to direct to the page they're looking for. This is accomplished by creating a redirect link that links back to the original, long URL. It can be a great tool for Internet users who are on a budget, but don't want to have to waste time typing in the full URL every time.

There are several different types of URL shorteners available. Some of them allow you to customize the length of the shortened URL while others allow you to create a custom URL. Most services have a number of settings that allow you to create branded links. Using URL shorteners can also help you increase traffic and conversions.

Although URL shorteners are a relatively new technology, the concept behind them has been around for many years. Tim Berner-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, first coined the term "Uniform Resource Locator" in 1994. His vision was to create a digital space where people could share information. In September of 2000, a patent was filed for a URL shortening service. This patent was granted in 2005. A URL shortener is a shorthand link that is associated with a registered URL that fetches the associated URL. The first URL shortening service, TinyURL, was created by Kevin Gilbertson. He had the desire to convert newsgroups and unicycling newsgroups into web pages without lengthy URLs.

When using URL shorteners, it is important to consider brand awareness. This is a key metric for businesses, as it measures how much attention a brand receives across all platforms. By using URL Shortener, businesses can enhance brand awareness by customizing the URLs to reflect their brand identity. In addition, using custom URLs will allow them to subtly promote their brand.

While GetUrl free limited account used to offer quite a bit, this has changed and is no longer a good option for small businesses. The free account allows for up to 500 branded links a month, but only 100 non-branded links. The paid plan includes more options and analytics. GetUrl also has an unbranded QR code service.

While URL shorteners can be useful for a variety of marketing purposes, they're not for everyone. Some websites don't even allow you to track the performance of your campaign, and sending long URLs to your audience can result in lower conversion rates. In such a case, it is better to use a URL shortener that allows tracking and follow-up campaigns.

Another benefit of using URL shorteners is that they're easier to remember. People pay more attention to URLs than they do to content, so shorter links can help them remember the content. Additionally, URLs that are less than four characters are easier to read, and people are more likely to click on them.