If you have ever shared a link online, you know how long and unwieldy some URLs can be. They can take up a lot of space, look unprofessional, and be hard to remember. That's why many people use a URL shortener free to turn their long links into shorter ones that are easy to share and manage.
But did you know that you can also use a custom URL shortener for free and get even more benefits? A custom URL shortener free lets you create short links with your own domain name and custom alias, making them more branded, personalized, and trackable. In this article, we will explain what a custom URL shortener is, why you should use one, how to choose the best one for your needs, and how to create your own short links for free.
What is a Custom URL Shortener?
A URL shortener is a service that shorten and replace long url by using a shorter domain name and alias. For example, if you want to share this link:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/ R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjvPyY0Rops2yQI- YGhbZToV7YAXo6O 3vEcvGBreqkPnR_ UDFC4240kry5d15BFRvDfS8T6kfyzfTm0D .webp
You can use a URL shortener like Linkye.net to turn it into something like this:
This shortened link is much easier to type, copy, paste, and share online. It also looks cleaner and more professional.
A custom URL shortener, sometimes referred to as a branded URL shortener, lets you brand your links. For example, instead of https://u3l.co/live-with-me, you could use a custom short URL like https://yourbrnd.co/live-with-me.
A custom URL shortener consists of two parts: a domain name and an alias. The domain name is the part that comes after https:// and before the slash (/). The alias is the part that comes after the slash (/).
You can choose your own domain name and alias when you use a custom URL shortener. This way, you can create short links that reflect your brand identity and message. You can also customize your short links with relevant and catchy words that appeal to your audience and convey your value proposition.
Some examples of custom URL shorteners are Bitly, Rebrandly, Cuttly, etc. They offer different features and options for creating and managing your short links.
To use a custom URL shortener, you need to register a domain name and create an account with the service of your choice. You can then use their tools to generate short links with your domain name and custom alias. You can also access analytics and other features to monitor and optimize your short links.
Why Use a Custom URL Shortener?
Using a custom URL shortener has many advantages over using a generic one. Here are some of the main reasons why you should use a custom URL shortener:
- Branding: create consistent and recognizable links that reflect your brand identity and message. A branded link can increase trust, credibility, and awareness among your audience. It can also distinguish you from the others and show your competitive advantage and personality.
- Tracking: monitor the performance and analytics of your short links, such as clicks, conversions, referrals, etc. A custom URL shortener can provide you with valuable data and insights that can help you measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and strategies. You can also use these data to improve your decision making and optimize your results.
- Personalization: customize your short links with relevant and catchy words that appeal to your audience and convey your value proposition. A personalized link can increase engagement, click-through rate, and conversion rate among your audience. It can also help you communicate better with your audience and deliver the right message at the right time.
Using a custom URL shortener can be helpful in many situations and scenarios where you want to share your content online. Here are some examples:
- Marketing: promote your products or services with short links that match your campaign goals and target audience. You can use different domains and aliases for different campaigns or channels to track their performance separately. You can also use UTM codes or pixel retargeting to enhance your tracking capabilities.
- Social media: share your content with short links that fit the character limit and look professional. You can use different domains and aliases for different social media platforms to track their performance separately. You can also use hashtags or emojis to make your links more engaging.
- Offline: print your short links on flyers, posters, business cards, etc. to connect with potential customers offline. You can use QR codes or NFC tags to make your links scannable by mobile devices. You can also use different domains and aliases for different locations or events to track their performance separately.
- QR codes: generate QR codes from your short links to make them scannable by mobile devices. You can use QR codes to bridge the gap between online and offline marketing. You can also customize your QR codes with colors, shapes, logos, etc. to make them more branded and attractive.
How to Choose the Best Custom URL Shortener?
There are many custom URL shortener services available online, each with its own features and options. How do you choose the best one for your needs? Here are some criteria and factors to consider when selecting a custom URL shortener service:
- Pricing: compare the cost and features of different plans and options. Some services offer free plans or trials, while others require a subscription or a one-time fee. Some services also charge based on the number of links, clicks, domains, etc. that you use. Pick a service that suits your financial situation and provides the features that you want.
- Domain name: check the availability and suitability of your desired domain name. Some services offer free or cheap domain names, while others require you to buy or bring your own domain name. Some services also offer subdomains or extensions that you can use with their domain name. Choose a service that offers a domain name that matches your brand and is easy to remember and type.
- Customization: evaluate the level of flexibility and control over your short links. Some services offer more customization options than others, such as changing the back-half of the link, adding UTM codes for campaign tracking, links with A/B/C testing, pixel retargeting, mobile redirects due to the operating system of mobile devices, changing of target URL, changing destination URL redirects after reaching short link clicks indicated or by date, etc. Choose a service that offers the customization options that you want and need.
- Analytics: assess the quality and quantity of data and insights provided by the service. Some services offer more analytics than others, such as click count, date, time, location, device, etc. Some services also offer more advanced analytics such as conversions, referrals, campaigns, etc. Choose a service that offers the analytics that you want and need.
- Integration: explore the compatibility and connectivity with other tools and platforms. Some services offer more integration than others, such as Zapier, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, WordPress, Shopify, etc. Choose a service that offers the integration that you want and need.
- Support: review the reliability and responsiveness of the customer service and technical support. Some services offer more support than others, such as live chat, email, phone, FAQ, blog, etc. Choose a service that offers the support that you want and need.
Best Custom URL Shortener Services
Based on these criteria, here are some of the best custom URL shortener services that you can try:
for the best all-around URL shortener with a free plan and a powerful link management platform. Bitly is one of the most popular and trusted URL shortener services in the world. It offers a free plan that lets you create up to 1,000 branded links per month with your own domain name and track up to 1,000 clicks per link. It also offers paid plans that let you create unlimited branded links with unlimited clicks and access more features such as custom QR codes, advanced analytics, integrations, etc.
for an alternative to Bitly with more customization options and integrations. Rebrandly is another popular and trusted URL shortener service that lets you create branded links with your own domain name. It offers a free plan that lets you create up to 500 branded urls using a custom domain with 5 custom domains and track up to 5,000 clicks per link. It also offers paid plans that let you create unlimited branded links with unlimited clicks and access more features such as UTM codes, pixel retargeting, A/B testing, integrations, etc.
for a free link shortener with branded domains, QR codes, and link-in-bio features. Cuttly is a newer but promising URL shortener service that lets you create branded links with your own domain name for free. It offers a free plan that lets you create unlimited branded links with unlimited clicks and access basic analytics such as click count, date, time, location, device, etc. It also offers paid plans that let you access more features such as QR codes, link-in-bio pages, advanced analytics, integrations, etc.
it's a free URL shortening service with unlimited links and clicks. Linkye is a simple and easy-to-use URL shortener that lets you create short links with multiple domain names for free. You can shortener with robust link management to create as many links as you want and track as many clicks as you get. You can also access basic analytics such as click count, date, time, location, device, etc. Linkye is a great option for anyone who wants a free and unlimited URL shortener service.
Conclusion
Using a custom URL shortener can help you boost your online presence by creating branded, personalized, and trackable short links.
A custom URL shortener can help you increase trust, credibility, and awareness among your audience, gauge the success and quality of your marketing initiatives and approaches, and communicate better with your audience and deliver the right message at the right time.
If you want to use a custom URL shortener for free, you need to register a domain name and use a service that offers a free plan or trial. Some of the best custom URL shortener services that you can try are Linkye.