In the character-limited web of micro-updates, instant blog posts, and status messages, URL shorteners have grown from a simple utility to a critical tool for a variety of reasons ranging from vanity URLs to click-through statistics.

Popular social media dashboard tool HootSuite allows users to update Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networks from one web interface, and lets users shorten links using the built-in Ow.ly URL shrinker. Using Ow.ly to manage URLs provides businesses and organizations with important statistical analysis to see which Twitter messages generate clicks-throughs.

The links were/are presented with an opt-out "social bar" which provided options to Retweet, spread to more networks, add a rating, search Twitter, view popular links, and more. With changing desires in the marketplace, HootSuite offers users a choice of URL shorteners Ow.ly is simply a redirect URL without a frame, and the newly-added Ht.ly, which will continue to present the link with the social bar.

Both Ow.ly and Ht.ly options include full statistics, including accurate click-throughs (with bot filtering), custom date ranges, regional breakdowns, and exportable reports. Further, both options include handy storage for photos and files, which you can easily attach to Twitter messages.

Ht.ly with the social bar is best suited for marketers seeking to amplify their messages by encouraging users to spread links across social networks and share with friends. Ow.ly is best suited for users who just need the basics -- a short link and statistics.

Ow.ly is among the top 5 most used URL shorteners on the web and rated as a top performer. Technology industry news source, TechCrunch, in a study with Pingdom.com, rated Ow.ly as top choice of URL shorteners: "When both the reliability and speed rankings are combined, ow.ly and bit.ly tie for first place overall ..." Research bureau Watchmouse keeps real-time status charts for popular URL shorteners and verifies Ow.ly's performance as well as worldwide usage trends.

Further, Ow.ly and Ht.ly also prevent dissemination of shortened URLs that disguise nasty, suspicious links by checking URLs with the Google Malware/Phishing list and present web surfers with a warning message when a page is suspected to contain harmful scripts or scams.

Ref:
http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/08/18/url-shortener-speed-and-reliability-shootout/
http://techcrunch.com/2009/08/18/owly-and-bitly-fastest-most-reliable-url-shorteners-trim-comes-up-short/
http://url-shorteners.public-website-status.com/7827/120764/ow.ly

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