Most that own a website or use the web are familiar with the term URL. Beyond this, they may not know much about it. Many are under the impression that the URL is no more than the domain name. They are only partly right.
What Does URL Mean”
The letters stand for Uniform Resource Locator. Computers that access the web are made up of networks that have to be able to communicate with each other. To do this, they have a language of their own. This language is comprised of numbers. Anything capable of connecting to the internet has a unique address that identifies it. It is called an IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol. With there being so many devices that need to be identified, their address tends to be very long.
Numbers Are Confusing Domain Names Are Not
It is challenging for people to remember and use long sets of numbers. To make this much more manageable, domain names were utilized. The URL is comprised of the domain name and other information that the network needs to allow someone using the web to arrive at the destination they are seeking.
URL Shorteners
These sometimes go by other names such as link shrinkers, link condensers, URL condensers, link shorteners, or Vanity URLs. They all mean the same thing, which is they are a tool for shortening long URLs.
The Benefits of URL Shorteners
There are several benefits of URL shorteners that everyone should be aware of so they can determine if any of the benefits are going to be best suited for them.
Manageability
A person creating a link knows the success of the link is based on the keywords within that link. At the same time, they don’t want a long or messy looking link, so they are caught between a rock and a hard place. The creator of the content wants the URL to describe the content but doesn’t want a long and messy looking link. The URL Shorteners can make the links more manageable.
Tracking
Another benefit is that with the use of the right URL shortener, it can both track data and compile data that comes from clicking on the shortened links. For example, information such as the geographical location of the user can be identified. Or, the webpage where they came from can be determined.
It is just an example of what can be gathered from a shortened link as there is much more. This data can be extremely useful. For the website that it applies to, it can give the business information that can help them increase their business. For those who are developing the content for the site, it helps then to design links for specific target markets.
Transformation
Social media sites rely heavily on the use of shortened URLs. It is believed that because shortened URLs can be data collectors that this could be transformed into a social media setting. Those that are innovative may have an opportunity to take the data from these and create mashups that may provide additional social media services. Nobody knows what the whole future holds as yet for the shortened URLs.
Built In Features
As can be imagined with URL shorteners having a useful purpose and their growth in popularity, they are several that are producing these tools. To put themselves ahead of the competition and to make a more viable product, they are creating built in features.
Businesses can use this benefit to their distinct advantage. For example, it may provide a user interface that compiles a lot of valuable information like the number of views or being able to share data with social media. A company like Diggs, however, wants to rely on different types of information that they can utilize to create better user experiences. One way they can do this is to identify which content is performing better than others. For example, knowing how many digs a page got and the number of comments that were left. Trying to collect and decipher this type of information manually would be time consuming and complicated.
User Options
Anytime something is going to be provided to a user, it has to give something to the user. Those who are going to click on shortened links want to receive something for their actions. With the shorteners coming with built in features, it means those providing them have to be careful that they don’t inundate the users with too many features. There is the opportunity to give those that are using the option to use them in a plain version to get them to the required destination. Or they have the option of using the features that come with it. Overall a good quality resource that is used for shortening URLs can provide a better browsing experience.
Enhanced Sharing
Another great benefit and one that is important to content is enticing sharing. When it comes to content, space is often an issue. Content writers are continually racking their brains to provide concise text without losing its meaning. For example, so much content is now being created for mobiles that it has become a priority to produce text that will fit nicely. When a URL shortener allows for longer text to be generated then shortened, it sets up the creator of the content for success. It means the user is more apt to share the material where the shortened URL has been used.
These are all significant benefits that URL shorteners can deliver on. However, some feel that there are some negative aspects to using these. A content creator, no matter whether it’s the web site owner themselves or a professional, has to weigh out the benefits against the proposed risks. They make the final decision for themselves whether shortened URLs are going to bring the benefits that are going to enhance their purpose for being on the web.