URL Shortening
Texting
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What Is Tracking And Why Use Short URLs?
Tracking: One of the most important aspects of advertising is known as tracking. Tracking means keeping track of the results of your
advertising so that you can determine what works and what doesn't. Then, based on the results of your tracking efforts, you
can improve your next advertising campaign. Improvement means getting more people to respond to your advertising message in the exact manor intended.
Over the years, tracking has developed into a science. There are very precise ways to measure results employing complex software and formulas, and there are simpler trial and error ways, such as A/B testing. A/B testing means utilizing 2 different ads and simply comparing which one performs best.
In the online world, the more complex methods involve what are called analytics, and businesses can hire a company who specializes in providing analytics to perform the tracking for them. With the increase in mobile marketing, it's become necessary to track how people respond to the mobile advertising messages received on their phones.
For businesses using simple text messaging to send a coupon or special offer to their customers, one of the simplest ways to track the effectiveness is to require the customer to show the message to their waitress or clerk at the time of purchase. You just keep a running count, and the results are obvious.
Another tracking method that's been used for years in print advertising is the use of codes. A different can be used for each ad piece you use to ask people to send a text message to join your mobile club or receive a special offer. That way you can determine which ad gets the most opt-ins.
The benefits of tracking are numerous, and every seasoned marketer will tell you that you're wasting your time and money if you don't put methods for tracking into place. The primary reason for tracking the behavior of your contacts is that it's the only way you can learn how to make changes in your campaigns in order to make them more effective - which ultimately means more sales.
Short URLs:
Commonly known as web addresses or links, a Uniform Resource Locator, or URL, can be quite long. To prove the point, go to amazon.com. Look up a product, and look at it's address in your web browser's address bar. Here's the link to one of my favorite books:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118034716/ref=s9_simh_bw_p14_d1_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=13RFGMM8ZDJSQH6Z05E2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1287771322&pf_rd_i=283155
Can you memorize that? Good luck! Can you put that in a tweet at Twitter? No. Twitter only allows 140 characters, and that link is 186 characters long.
Long URLs are responsible for thousands of programs that shorten the URL and still take you to the same web address. This is done by internet magic known as a "redirect". In effect, the short URL is redirected to the original long URL.
If you went to Amazon as suggested, return there now and look on the right side of the page below the "Add To Wish List" button for the word Share. Click on the envelope beside the word and look at the link you'll be sharing. It's only 26 characters long now. That is the short URL for the long URL up above. Here it is: http://amzn.com/1118034716
Why do you have to be concerned with short URLs? Because a text message is limited to 160 characters. Obviously you have to create short and to-the-point messages, and if you want to include a link to your website, a map, or any thing else, you'll want the shortest link possible.