What’s a link shortener, anyway?
I posted a survey about the likelihood of users clicking a charity or fundraising link that had been shortened with a tool like tinyURL, bit.ly or j.mp, or buff.ly. To my surprise, there was a comment from one follower telling me that he didn’t know what a link shortener was.
Well, link shorteners are online tools that convert long website addresses, (URLs) into shorter, more manageable links. These shortened URLs redirect users to the original, longer URL when clicked. Many sites, like Amazon, Twitter, Wikipedia, and Youtube, have link shorteners to allow you to copy and share a shortened version of an internal link from their services.
I’ve discussed previously how you can use your own web domains to shorten URLs and I do this a lot so that my social media links follow this format: sciencebase.com/social
Link shorteners serve several purposes:
Space-saving: Shortened URLs are particularly useful in platforms with character limits, such as Twitter, where every character counts towards the overall limit. They allow users to share links without worrying about exceeding character constraints.
Improved readability: Long URLs can be cumbersome and difficult to share, especially in printed materials or verbally. Shortened URLs are more concise and easier to transmit.
Tracking and analytics: Many URL shorteners offer tracking features, allowing users to monitor the number of clicks, geographic location of users, and referral sources. This data can be valuable for analysing the effectiveness of your link sharing.
Customization: Some URL shorteners offer the option to customize the shortened link with a branded or memorable alias.
So, those are the benefits, but there are some drawbacks too:
Loss of control: When you shorten a URL using a third-party service, you are essentially relying on that service to redirect users to the correct destination. If the service experiences downtime or discontinues its operations, your shortened links will no longer work.
Security risks: Shortened URLs can obscure the destination, making it easier for malicious actors to disguise harmful or phishing links. Users may be hesitant to click on shortened links from unknown sources due to security concerns. This was the origin of my question regarding charity links.