There are many reasons why you need to use a link shortener. Link shorteners (URL shorteners) help keep your links tidy, more effective, and on-brand. Some of the best link shorteners will also offer some other important features.
If you’re looking for a link shortener to use on your site and your social pages, here are 7 effective link shorteners you need to know.
Why Use a Link Shortener?
Often online marketers or merchants use link shorteners to hide or mask original website addresses. Or, if they’re working with an unusually long URL, they use them to simplify the web address.
Sometimes URLs are very long! Long links on Facebook, Google, Twitter, or whatever other ad platforms you’re using can look spammy so this is where link shorteners come to help you.
Alternatively, you may need a shorter link if you’re a report writer or giving a presentation or using the link in media campaigns. It’s very effective to have a link that’s quicker for your audience to note down. A short link it’s more memorable than something long and complicated.
In addition to all of this, link shorteners look great in social bios. Who wants to see a very long web address?
Also, there’s link retargeting or marketing retargeting. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re inundated with ads right after viewing a product online. like a pair of shoes, a dress, or a holiday resort (link retargeting is the answer).
It’s when a piece of code is added to your business’ website so that when visitors go there and then leave, you can then retarget them with ads at a later date.
Let’s take a look at some of the best and effective link shorteners on the market.
1: Bitly
Bitly is a very popular choice, so much so that if you’ve already done a bit of research, you’ve probably heard of them. Bitly also integrates with other software platforms such as Zapier, Hootsuite, and Buffer which makes them a popular choice.
Essentially, Bitly is a good option for businesses because it’s quick and easy to shorten long links.
There are two versions: The free option, and the paid-for package.
The free version only allows you to create 500 branded links and 10,000 unbranded URLs plus you also get access to analytics about your top referrers. The free option is an excellent choice for a solo entrepreneur or small business.
The paid option starts at $29 per month, which entitles you to 1500 branded links and a free custom domain or they do a custom version with bespoke prices that include virtually all the branded links you’d ever need plus multiple custom domains and campaign management.
What makes Bitly one of the best link shortener services is that their dashboard is intuitive and very user-friendly. You can use it to see your click-throughs, statistics, and geographical information about where your visitors are so you always have a birds-eye-view on your links.
2: Capsulink
Capsulink allows users to create custom-branded short links within seconds. Plus, their dashboard makes it easy to view and track visitor location, dates, times, and so on.
One of its most important features is that it repairs broken links so your short links won’t lose traffic. You can also access analytical tools and branded domain names with your Capsulink account which is what allows you to create those all-important branded links for your marketing campaigns.
They offer an excellent free plan that includes 5000 clicks per month, which is way over what other link-shortening programs offer! You also get as many URLs shortens as you like and access to basic statistics.
The one major downside, however, is that you don’t get a custom domain but that’s pretty standard across all link shortening service free plans.
The cheapest paid-for plan starts at $5 per month and the most expensive comes in at $300. Capsulink says its most popular plan is its $40 a month bundle which entitles you to three custom domains, 3000 short links per month, 500,000 clicks per month, and 500 smart URLs.
You’ll also get all the features included in the $5 option, like the Facebook debugger tool and password-protected links.
3: PixelMe
PixelMe is an all-in-one marketing platform because they offer more services, not only short links.
They allow users to add a pixel to every link shared which means you can retarget website visitors with valuable content. You can add retargeting pixels from Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Adwords platforms.
Another feature they offer is that you can also track your clicks using their analytics.
PixelMe is more expensive than most, starting at $65 per month and going up to their Business plan at $249 a month. Their most popular package is $124 per month. All programs provide you with QR codes, unlimited retargeting pixels, an infinite number of shortened links, and much, much more.
4: Rebrandly
Rebrandly integrates with Zapier, which in turn allows for seamless connections with other extensions like Firefox, iOS App, macOS App, and the Android App.
They also offer a free plan which provides you with five custom domains, 5000 tracked clicks per month, and 500 branded links. After that, you need to sign up for a paid-for plan.
The paid-for plans start at $29 per month and go up to their most popular option at $69 a month, then skyrocket up to their Premium bundle at $499 a month. There’s also a custom priced option for larger enterprises that you’ll have to contact Rebrandly directly to get a quote.
In short, the more you pay, the more branded links, custom domains, and trackable links you’ll get.
5: Poplink
Available as a Chrome extension, Poplink allows users to add tracking metrics and retargeting pixels to their shortened URLs. You can also pull content through an RSS feed and there’s an option to edit the shortened link before you use it. You can even add a description, headline, and pictures!
Poplink also offers a free plan with a small number of monthly clicks. Paid-for prices start at a very reasonable $15 per month. The only other pricing alternative is a one-off payment of $195, which grants lifetime access.
The difference between the free and paid-for packages is unlimited links and promotions, infinite custom domains, and SSL certificates.
Every other feature is included with the free version, including:
An analytics dashboard
Retargeting pixels
RSS feeds
UTMs
Root domain redirects
Unlimited SSL certs
6: RocketLink
RocketLink is not only a URL shortener but also a link retargeting platform as well. With their platform, you can add retargeting pixels and your call-to-action buttons to your branded links. They offer a whole host of features including custom domains, retargeting pixels, call-to-action overlays, custom thumbnail appearances, UTM tags, custom 404 redirects, analytics, and QR codes.
They offer three pricing plans, the Lift Off-plan at $19 per month, the Space plan at $29 per month, and the Galaxy bundle at $69 per month.
The three plans offer unlimited clicks per month but the number of links, custom scripts, pixels, and custom domains varies a fair bit.
7: Sniply
Not only does Sniply shorten links but the service also allows users to include a call-to-action with the link. This is done through a call-to-action button.
This is how it works: When you share a link, viewers see a call-to-action button that redirects them to whatever you’ve linked to. This could be your website’s homepage, an affiliate landing page, a product page, etc, the choice is yours.
This tool is excellent for increasing conversion rates.
Prices for Sniply start from a free 14-day trial and go up to a paid-for plan costing $29 per month. Their most popular package is the Pro plan at $79 a month. There’s also a $149 Business plan and a $299 Agency plan.
The basic program allows for 5000 clicks per month, but the figures leap right up to 20,000 with the Pro plan.
Important tip. First, make your research and then decide which link shortener is the best for your business. Also, if you have a WordPress website or blog there are free plugins to shorten your links.
P.S.
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