Erick Schonfeld@erickschonfeld / 14 years
In a world where everything is being jammed into 140 characters or less, shorter is better. That goes double (or is it half?) for lengthy URLs. So-called URL shortening services are increasingly becoming indispensable to anyone who uses Twitter. It is the only practical way to share links on the service.
Today, one of these URL shortening services, bit.ly, raised $2 million, sparking the question: How much are these things actually worth? Nobody really knows.
But here is some fun math. Assuming bit.ly sold 20 percent of its shares to its new investors (the OâReilly Alpha Tech Fund, Mitch Kapor, and Howard Lindzon), that would imply an $8 million pre-money valuation ($10 million post-money). Its market share of shortened links, as calculated by Tweetmeme, is only 13 percent. The biggest URL shortner out there is actually TinyURL, which commands a 75 percent share. So by that metric, if bit.ly is worth $8 million, TinyURL should be worth at least $46 million (8/13 X 75 = 46.15). Yes, I am making up these numbers, just like the investors do.
But wait. Bit.ly seems to be shooting up like a rocket, while TinyURL may have plateaued. Why is bit.ly growing so much faster? One big reason is because it creates even shorter URLs than TinyURL does by about five characters (http://bit.ly/ versus http://tinyurl.com/). Donât laugh. Every character counts. Bit.ly also offers better analytics and tracking tools on the backend.
Donât get too caught up in the site traffic growth figures either, though. Traffic to http://bit.ly/ and http://tinyurl.com/ cannot be trusted as reliable proxies for usage because heavy users donât go to the corresponding websites. They use desktop clients or browser based tools instead which incorporate one service or the other. For instance, TweetDeck (a popular Twitter client) uses bit.ly as its default shortener. The bit.ly service itself is a spin-off from Betaworks, which is also an investor in Tweetdeck (and in Twitter). See how it works?
How any URL shortener is supposed to make money is still unclear. The links themselves act as pass-throughs to the original sites. TinyURL has slapped some Google ads on its site and bit.ly doesnât even bother. The data each service is collecting might be valuable and could be packaged in various ways to brand marketers or other corporate buyers . . . perhaps. Or more likely, these things become features of other services.
Already Digg is working on its own URL-shortening toolbar wrapped into its service, and Stumbleupon is working on su.pr, which is even shorter than bit.ly!
Information provided by CrunchBase
FAQs
Which is better Bitly or TinyURL? âș
For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Bitly over TinyURL.
How much does TinyURL cost? âșTinyURL Pricing
Pro plan (starts at $12.99/month): includes 10,000 API requests + 500 TinyURLs with unlimited tracked clicks, link tagging, branded/customized links, monitoring, and analytics. Bulk 100K plan (starts at $129.00/month): includes 100,000 API requests + 300,000 TinyURLs + all features in Pro plan.
300,000. The number of shortened URLs you can keep in your account. Active TinyURLs.
How do you find out what's behind TinyURL? âșThere are a number of ways you can reveal the full URL behind a shortened URL: Use the shortening service preview feature. Type the shortened URL in the address bar of your web browser and add the characters described below to see a preview of the full URL: tinyurl.com.
Should you trust TinyURL links? âșTiny URLs, Big Problems
When TinyURL shortens a long web address, it creates a link in the form of letters and numbers that look nothing like the original. A short link may in fact lead to a scam website or one loaded with spyware, viruses or inappropriate content.
- Clicksfly is the Best Url Shortener To Make Money In India. ...
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Bitly price: Very limited Free plan; Basic plan from $29/month (billed annually) with branded domains, more links per month, and support.
How expensive is Bitly? âșBitly FAQs
Bitly has 2 different plans: Basic at $21.00 per month. Premium at $199.00 per month.
Bitly Account Limits
Shorten up to 50,000 links per minute. Monthly maximum is determined by the terms of the Enterprise account. Shorten up to 1,000 links per minute. Monthly maximum is 1,000 links per calendar month.
Does my link expire? Your link will not automatically expire, however, after you have created your new link you will be given an opportunity to set an expiration date for your link. Once the link is expired, any page requests for that link will be sent to a page explaining that the URL is no longer active.
What does the website Bitly do to roughly 600 million links monthly? âș
Simply put, Bitly takes long URLs and replaces the entire link with a shorter series of numbers and letters. These shortcuts are permanent and cannot be changed once they are created.
Why do people use TinyURL? âșAccording to the website, the shortened URLs will never expire. TinyURL offers an API which allows applications to automatically create short URLs. Short URL aliases are seen as useful because they are easier to write down, remember or distribute. They also fit in text boxes with a limited number of characters allowed.
How do you check if a link is a virus? âșUse a website safety checker
To find out if a link is safe, just copy/paste the URL into the search box and hit Enter. Google Safe Browsing's URL checker will test the link and report back on the site's legitimacy and reputation in just seconds. It's that easy to use Google's URL scanner.
If you aren't so sure about where one will take you, you can verify a link's destination before clicking on it. To check where a Bitly link will take you, add a plus symbol ("+") at the end of the URL. If you feel it's safe, you can then click through to the destination page or copy the shortlink.
How to check if a site is legit? âș- Use the free McAfee WebAdvisor to check for safe sites. ...
- Check the padlock in the address bar. ...
- Verify the website's trust seal. ...
- Use the Google Transparency Report. ...
- Check the company's social media presence. ...
- Analyze the overall look of the website.
- Check the SSL certificate. ...
- Double-check the domain. ...
- Search for a privacy policy. ...
- Analyze the website design. ...
- Verify ownership. ...
- Find contact information. ...
- Identify (and question) trust seals. ...
- Look for reviews.
Our TinyURLs do not expire! With the URL shortening service we provide, you can use and share your TinyURL so long as they are created and maintained in accordance with our Terms of Use. Not only are they reliable and secure, your TinyURLs will never expire!
Can you make money from short links? âșIf you add an advertising layer to a classic shortener, you get paid link shortener. The layer is added between a shortened URL and destination page and this is how money comes into play.
How can I make money online without investing? âș...
2. Through Freelancing
- Freelance India.
- 99Designs.
- Upwork.
- Truelancer.
- Fiverr.
- Hopp.co. Hopp.co is the ideal free URL shortener for online content creators who want to increase their revenue and customer base. ...
- Sniply. ...
- ClickMeter. ...
- Cuttly. ...
- Bitly. ...
- TinyURL. ...
- T2M. ...
- Tiny.CC.
Is Bitly no longer free? âș
Price đ” Bitly offers its basic service for free. After that, premium plans start at $8 per month (paid annualy, at a cost of $96 per year).
Why do people use Bitly? âșBit.ly is a link shortener (not a social media management tool) used by many individuals and companies. It provides analytics for every link you shorten with it, including detailed data on where your post has been shared or linked, how many clicks a post received, where the traffic came from geographically and so on.
How much does a website with 1 million views make? âșDepending on the type of traffic you have, that could vary from $200 per month to $50,000USD per month for 1 million page views.
How do I get paid for monetizing TikTok? âș- Join the TikTok Creator Fund.
- Sell merch to your fans.
- Go live and collect virtual gifts.
- Partner with influencers or other brands in the TikTok creator marketplace.
- Create in-feed ads with the TikTok ads manager.
- Crowdfund projects by collecting donations from fans.
Creating a free Bitly account is similar to creating any other free social media account in which a username will need to be claimed. Some of the benefits include the ability to create up to 1,000 links per month, unlimited link clicks, and customizable back-halves.
What is better than Bitly? âș- BL.INK.
- Rebrandly.
- TinyURL.
- Google Analytics.
- Semrush.
- GoLinks.
- QR.io.
- Ahrefs.
Bitly has detected potentially malicious or inappropriate content. The destination link is hidden behind a link shortened through another service. The link may lead to a forgery of another website.
Can Bitly links be tracked? âșUsing your dedicated Bitly account, you can track the total number of clicks, where they came from, and when they visited. Keep in mind that analytics features are available to Bitly's paid subscribers. Get started today to discover the benefits of using our free URL shortener.
Does Facebook allow Bitly links? âșUsing Bitly, you can condense long Facebook ads URL parameters into a readable link. You can even customize it using your domain name for brand recognition. Create an account today and see how Bitly can power your Facebook marketing campaigns.
Did Bitly get hacked? âșPopular URL Shortener 'Bitly' User Accounts Reportedly Compromised. Secure your spot in this bundle for the limited-time price of only $49.99 before this great offer expires! Hackers spreading mobile malware that hijacks DNS settings of connected Wi-Fi routers.
What to do if a link has expired? âș
Fixing 'The Link You Have Followed Has Expired' Error. The quickest way to fix 'The link you followed has expired' error is by increasing the file upload size, PHP memory, and execution time limits for your website.
How do I get expired links? âșOnce in an email, click on the link icon. Then select the âExpiring Linkâ tab and choose the link. If you hadn't created the link as yet, you can also use this link to go and create one. Then click on Insert.
Are short links Safe? âșShortened URLs, such as those from bit.ly and goo.gl make it easy to type in a web address quickly, but difficult to determine where the web browser will actually take you. Criminals will use shortened URLs to direct victims to phishing sites or initiate a download of malicious software on to your device.
Do Bitly links hurt SEO? âșNo. Using Bitly, which is a 301 redirect, does not hurt your SEO.
Does Google Analytics track Bitly? âșIf you look up Bitly on Google, you're going to see people asking for answers about âBitly and Google Analyticsâ and âBitly vs. Google Analytics.â Here's the answer: it's not a matter of choosing one or the other for your analytics platform. Bitly works as a layer on top of Google Analytics.
Is TinyURL real? âșWebpage Details
TinyURL.com is the original URL shortener that shortens your unwieldly links into more manageable and useable URLs.
TinyURL is a free link shortening platform that's perfect for users who want to shorten links every once in a while. Using TinyURL is simple.
What does a suspicious link look like? âșSuspicious links
You can spot a suspicious link if the destination address doesn't match the context of the rest of the email. For example, if you receive an email from Netflix, you would expect the link to direct you towards an address that begins 'netflix.com'.
Unless they discovered some major vulnerability in your browser, your device or in Google Maps, they can't figure out where you are just because you click a link.
How do I know if a link is spam? âșIf a suspicious email contains a link, you can verify its legitimacy. Move your cursor over the link, but do not click it, hold your cursor there for a few seconds, and the destination of the link will pop up. A link that appears to go to one location, but actually links to another is a big red flag.
What is an example of a Bitly link? âș
Here are a handful of examples: ESPN - uses Bitlinks to track the engagement on their social posts. Mashable - uses Bitly to keep track of visitors who come from Instagram.
Is Bitly link Safe? âșAmong the numerous services used to shorten inks, some are more reliable than others. The Google and Bit.ly services are among the most secure, though not so much so that you can confidently click them if the source is unknown.
Is Bitly good to use? âșBitly is a great URL shortener for large online businesses that share a lot of links and want to brand and track them. It's also a good choice for small businesses that want to generate short URLs and follow their stats for a modest number of campaigns.
Does Bitly give money? âș...
Bitly.
Type of site | URL shortening, bookmarks |
---|---|
Current status | Active |
While there are many benefits that come with using URL shortening services like Bitly, there are also some security risks users should be aware of. One of the main ways that cyber criminals take advantage of URL shorteners is by spreading malware or worms through the shortened links.
How do I know if a link is safe? âșUse a website safety checker
To find out if a link is safe, just copy/paste the URL into the search box and hit Enter. Google Safe Browsing's URL checker will test the link and report back on the site's legitimacy and reputation in just seconds. It's that easy to use Google's URL scanner.
Bitly links never expire. If you use a custom domain to shorten your links they will continue to work as long as your DNS is still pointing at Bitly and the custom domain is attached to a Bitly account. While you can hide links and their analytics from the analytics view, the data will remain in Bitly.
Do you have to pay to use Bitly? âșIntegrate Bitly with your favorite tools and platforms
Integrating your favorite tools and platforms with Bitly's API gives you the control to create and shorten links directly from those platformsâŠfor free.
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