Link Shorteners

Not heard anything about this!?!?!? I always use Google URL Shortner.

TechCrunch posted about it in 2009 - Bit.ly Starts Warning About Malicious Links

Your visitors see a page like this:


Brent

I have heard about that too. Lots of people are using Bitly for malicious ways. I recommend Google URL shortener if you need an alternative.

Loren

I would just stay away from link shorteners. You lose control of your traffic.

Just buy your own domain.

Get serious and get a real domain name, and start marketing with it. Why play around with link shorteners? You think a link shortener will be the difference between whether or not you get an affiliate sale?

What I do is put all my products in a database table. I redirect them by using php/mysql/html. This way I can use bitly or any other url shortener. I give the url shortener the url of my page in php and pass the product id by parameter. Bitly won't block it, because it's shortening my domain page in php, not the final affiliate code, it's like a bridge.

Totally agree with Randall and Chris. I don't use link shorteners, everything goes through my own https domain. It not only makes you look much more professional, it also makes you look serious to Facebook Google, and your autoresponder. For example, using your own domain for links in your emails will always deliver better than links that have gone through link shorteners.

It's really not that hard to do links this way through your own domain, it's very simple.

I always say it's best to just go this route. Otherwise, it's like you're kicking the can down the road, because you'll eventually need to know how to use your own domain and hosting for stuff like this if you're in it for the long run.

Try namecheap, the reason I suggest you check them out is because their support desk is absolutely phenomenal, the best I've ever worked with. They will literally walk you through stuff like this and teach you on the spot.

Just forget the link shortening route and use your own domain, you'll eventually need to know how to do that stuff anyway.

Hope this helps!

You'd be better off using a simple META refresh tied to a DIRECTORY

The meta refresh file is an INDEX.html file

Easy

No fuss

No muss

You can even include a COUNTER in the redirect

With Greengeeks you spend only aproximately 100 usd per YEAR.

And you can have hosting, domain and add easily subdomain for every link, instead of using shortener.

If you only want a domain, and it's an error cause for being serious with business you NEED an hosting, you can go to alibabacloud and they have cheap domain with privacy included.

Link shorteners come in handy when they fulfill their function, i.e., shorten links. My social media post scheduler automatically changes a link to a Bitly link. This may be a holdover from the 144 character limit days, but it can be useful in streamlining your work.

If you have ever worked with an Amazon product link, you can definitely appreciate a shortener. One other feature of Bitly is they will translate Amazon product links to amzn.to. I have also been using Sniply - where you can add a call-to-action to every link you share. Check it out. There is a free version.

Lastly, your concern about Bitly can be true in some circumstances. This is when their bot picks up warning signals of a scam or other forms of abuse. Just check your links to make sure there is not a problem. No doubt, the vast majority of your links should be just fine.

You do get the odd message like that when you use a Bitly tracking link, but it's more user friendly than the Google equivalent.

If you do get the block message then, an email to their customer service usually sorts the problem within 48 hours.

I'm using rebrandly to shorten my links now, I'm surprised how unknown this company is. They only get around 600k visits per month, while bitly gets over 1 bil in traffic.

I tend to overthink things too much, but rebrandly's link shortener starts like this "reband.ly" it looks so obvious, it looks like an affiliate link. I don't know maybe its just me. If you guys were an average customer and you came across the these short links, which one would appear more spammy to you?
Rebrand.ly/superweightloss3000
bit.ly/superweightloss3000

Obviously I made those up, but rebrand.ly clearly says "rebrand" I think some people may think that its a paid link. While bit.ly has been around for a while, although we've all clicked on a few spammy links that started with bit.ly. I don't know yet, I may come up with my own service eventually, I still find link shorteners to be quite useful sometimes.

*I'm not an affiliate for rebrandly, for anyone wondering, I just signed up a few days ago*

Use prettylinks. it is more a redirect than a shortener but works the same. it is a WP plugin so you control it.

al

Definitley worthwhile investing in your own domain.

There are links shorteners are allow you to use your own custom domain with your shortened links. That way it doesn't look spammy. For example Linkgage - linkgage.com allows you to use your custom domain and also you can add retargeting pixels to those links too.

Best

Get your domain mate , you will never loose any traffic.

You can also try a link tracker like Clickmeter for your links. No spam problems. Free version allows 800 hits per month.

Yup, i have also heard about this. you can try google shortner

Thanks for sharing your thoughts

i've had a bad experience with bitly. Google shortener is indeed better, and over all much safer.

There are some relevant issues brought up by some above. Your own domain looks more professional.

I have several of my own domains but still use Google link shorter on you tube.

I do this mainly because I have long domains and tracking links.

The link shortner just makes it look neater for me.

In the end what matters most is how YOU are coming across to your visitors.

I have a way of presenting myself that I get enough people to click on my links no matter if they are shortened or not.

Another reason NOT to use link shortners is if you have a whole wack load of shortened links out there, the provider you're using can cut you off at anytime rendering your links useless and completely dead in the water.

tize.io is pretty great because you get paid for your shortened links.

Other than that, I'd say Google URL Shortener is next best.

Google Is Shutting It's URL Shortening Service...

There are various link cloaking plugins are available for WordPress. I am currently using Thristy Affiliates and it works great for me.

I am using YOURLS on some of my sites. Free and customizable. I like YOURLS (https://yourls.org/). You can check the clicks, date, zone, IP address, traffic source and lots more their.
the interface is also awesome to work.

URL shorteners give us good 301 redirect backlinks. These are very helpful. Since Google us shutting down its URL shortener service there are 2 others which you can use to get backlinks viz. bit.ly and TinyURL

am using bitly for my marketing and its working fine

I actually use bitly with ClickBank all the time...careful to use google shortener. They can disable the link at their discretion and then you don't understand how your site is getting no traffic at all...

Better than all is to get your WordPress site. and use a plugin called prettylink. That will give you the opportunity to strengthen your branding while being 100% sure that nobody will disable your link. On top of that, you can change the URL target any time you want.

Yes, I have also heard about this. you can try the URLAT (link removed by moderator) link shortener. It is totally free.