URLs (the long-form web address you physically type in to access a website) have gotten pretty long and bulky these days. If you want to direct a prospect to a specific web address, you often have to create long, unsightly links with a seemingly random array of numbers, letters, and dashes.
Thankfully, there’s a solution that’s catching on pretty quickly in the social media world. Bit.ly and TinyURL have created services that shorten these long, lanky URLs into shorter and more attractive re-directs. Both services offer free link shortening, plugins, and browser tools.
There are, however, two major exceptions that differentiate the two services: bit.ly allows you to track your links and TinyURL allows you to customize your short link. Tracking is especially useful if you’re using shortened URLs to track marketing results or specific link-backs. This data can help you better understand what type works, what methods work, or what media works best for attracting your customers.
On the other hand, TinyURL’s customizable feature is very attractive if you want to make your link a bit “prettier”. The downside to this is that it will be very difficult to find a custom link that isn’t already taken.
Whichever service you choose, you can’t really go wrong, and we encourage you to check out the services that both sites have to offer and start easing your prospect’s hand cramp!