URL Shortener

We commonly keep coming across these URLs bit.ly or TinyUrl and many others in various Social media posts or promotional sms. We have probably not really sat back to think why these brands they are marketing shows as something else.  These are actually shortened versions of long urls that helps to reduce the clutter online or on the phone. This stands out not just a great way to reduce the space you utilize but it helps to improve marketing strategies as well.

So what is a URL shortener?

Introduced in 2000, URL shortener is a simple tool that helps to shrink a long link into a more convenient length that makes it easier to present and share. As per its functionality they are also called as URL shrinkers, or link shortener, compressor or condenser.

URL shorteners work by generating a shortcode. It maps the target URL to the shortcode and provides a condensed form. The functionality of the URL shortener is based on a web server function known as “Redirect”. The shortcode is used as a key that is used to redirect to the target URL.

What are the Advantages of Using a URL Shortener

URL shortening offers multiple advantages. Here are a two of the advantages that stand out:

1. URL shortcodes mask the original web link and shorten it– This masking can help in a great way when we are trying to promote our brand in social media or sending in short messages. It helps in simplifying the content of a post by giving a shorter link that is easier to present and include in the content without creating clutter.  (inner image space)

Sharing becomes much easier and simpler with a shorter URL that helps to save a lot of space while presenting info. It improves the presentation of information by manifolds as it removes the addition of long URLS to redirect the audience.

2. URL shortening allows traffic monitoring– Using URL shortners allows a business to keep a track of how many visitors clicked on the link and how many were actually converted. Some URL shorteners allows to track the engagement and also to check the scrolls. This kind of information is of great value for a business to understand the effectiveness the content and marketing strategies.

What is the market scope of a URL shortner

As our shops and markets move onto the smaller screens reaching out to the target audience has become digitally localized. Every marketing strategy now starts and ends with digital marketing. Every brand strives to build their presence in the market by engaging and targeting the right audience. With the presence of URL shorteners we given the vantage point where we are able to track the users and the clicks our efforts have garnered.

URL shorteners now come with multiple features which not just enhance usability but applicability as well. With features such as traffic monitoring, engagement monitoring, and others these applications are becoming a mandatory addition for all businesses.

There are about 10 leading URL shortners in the market that have been leading in the field. The market scope is just about increasing day by day as businesses vie to keep a record of how they are faring in the market. Every data received is a statistical asset that helps a business to understand its performance and make the necessary changes to maneuver its operations. Exploring the possibilities in improving the added features can help a URL shortening applications to capture the market even more.

Many new players have entered the market that offers additional features with the application, for example; link targeting, link rotating, link swapping and much more.  As always, this is a dynamic field and as the market trends keeping changing the features are sure to get complex and more engaging.

Conclusion

It is the right time to analyze what is the want of business now and identify which feature could enhance market performance. If you are person or a business looking to develop a URL shortener then you need to understand exactly what is that additional feature that you could offer to up your game. Or if you are a business looking to use a URL shortener then you need to do your research well before zeroing on one.