Jim Carlson dot Net

Recently, I conducted a brief experiment comparing the URL shortener services Bit.ly and Ow.ly. Although both services shortened links effectively (as they all do) I was specifically researching the analytic advantages of these services. I also asked my Facebook and Twitter followers what they used. Every recommendation I received was for Bit.ly.

Ow.ly and Ht.ly are integrated into HootSuite. Ow.ly shortens links, while Ht.ly shortens links and also adds the Owly Social Bar which allows users to Tweet, share and rate your page.

Since Ow.ly and Ht.ly are part of HootSuite, users can shorten the links using the online interface. This is very convenient.

Bit.ly also shortens links effectively. If you use HootSuite, like I do, this is a separate step. You must go to Bit.ly and shorten your link, then copy/paste it into HootSuite. It should be noted that Bit.ly does offer API access and other social media aggregators like TweetDeck which allow you to use Bit.ly seamlessly. Finally, both Google Chrome and FireFox browsers have Bit.ly plug-ins/extensions to quickly generate short-links on the fly.

Analytics

Both of these services offer analytics so you can track clicks using your custom shortened link. This can help you measure your influence, as other people may Retweet your message, or may copy and paste the shortened link and share it with their friends.

As a webmaster, you can also use the shortened links on your pages, allowing for another analytic metric to track out bound links.

To be fair, I think Bit.ly’s analytics were easier to use and more complete but both services do a great job.

Custom URL’s

One of the cool things about Bit.ly comes with Bit.ly Pro. This (still free) service allows you to configure custom URLs to generate your shortlink. For example, I purchased JimC.us and configured it so all of my Bit.ly links use  JimC.us instead of Bit.ly URLs. For me, it is more of a novelty, but for larger companies (like Facebook and The New York Times) this is an essential brand extension.

Wrap Up

Either service allows you to shorten links and track clicks-throughs.  Bit.ly, for me won the battle. I just thought the interface was cleaner, the analytics were better and I love having a vanity URL for my short-links!

My latest article for TMA+Peritus on Wausau Daily Herald dot com overviews business websites. In general there are three major types of sites: corporate, e-commerce and content marketing.

Websites offer different benefits for corporate, e-commerce and content marketing.

One of the interesting developments with mobile web browsing is the increasing number of iPod Touches I’ve seen in my travels.

For the unaware, the iPod Touch does just about everything the iPhone does….except offer cell service. As long as there’s WI-FI, a user can browse the internet, download apps and songs and check in on FourSquare or Facebook Places. Since WI-FI is available in many businesses (McDonalds, StarBucks, etc), coverage is widely available.

Since the latest version has a mic and two cameras, now you can now snap and upload photos, record video and communicate via FaceTime, Skype or similar VOIP service.

I know of at least three people who have ditched their smart phone for a ‘basic cell’ and use the iPod for their mobile web needs.

Right now, my smartphone contract is up, and I’m experimenting with my Touch. To be fair, the Touch delivers a far better internet experience than my Windows Mobile phone.

Can I survive with a Touch and a ‘dumb-phone’? The jury is out. Let me know if you’ve made the leap or why you wouldn’t even think of it.

Editors Note: You can view the complete series of Facebook articles on this site by viewing the Facebook Category.

As many of you are aware, Facebook recently allowed profile users to create custom URL’s. Instead of a series of numbers, a profile URL is as simple as www.facebook.com/jimcarlson.

Unfortunately, Facebook Pages needed 1,000 fans to qualify for a custom URL, which left a lot of smaller businesses, bands and organizations in the dark.

But there is good news, according to information posted on the Facebook Help Pages, all Pages with at least 100 fans will be eligible for custom URL’s on Sunday, June 28, 2009.

Editors note: Other articles in this series:Facebook Band Pages, Musicians and Social Media Networks and Surviving a Recession as a Musician.

The original Facebook Pages (for bands, businesses and non-profits) had completely different functionality and visual layout from the personal profile pages.

The layout differences were startling. While personal profiles were dynamic (with status updates, friend feeds, applications), the Pages had a boxy, almost web 1.0 layout. There was no interaction on the pages, they served as a glorified Facebook ‘business card’.

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