Using redirects to easily change embedded links.

Putting a link in an embedded spot — one that you can’t easily change — is something to put extra consideration into. We often publish new web pages or content but don’t put any thought into the URL. Some URLs are impossible, or at least are very difficult, to change once they’re in the wild. For example, changing the URL on printed marketing material would require re-printing everything, or changing the URL in a mobile app would require re-publishing the whole app through the app store approval process. Does this situation sound familiar? If you’ve run a marketing campaign, or developed an app, it soon might. Here are some situations where you may become stuck with hard-to-change embedded links and how URL redirection can help!

What Is an Embedded Link?

Simply put, an embedded link is any URL that can’t be changed once it’s released to the world. There are many examples: URLs on printed or downloadable marketing materials like billboards or pamphlets, URLs used in emails, and URLs used in TV or radio marketing. We also consider in-app URLs to be embedded links because, although they can be technically changed by re-deploying your app, that usually means the app needs to go through an approval process that can take a lot of time.

How to Redirect Embedded Links

1. Create Vanity URLs for Marketing Campaigns

Running a marketing campaign means creating a number of assets which have the URL for a dedicated page on your website. You may use these to promote your campaign on various channels, as well as on advertisements. Updating these for new campaigns can be time consuming, expensive and unnecessarily wasteful. It is in every company’s best interest to make the most of their investment and reuse assets when possible.

With URL redirection, you can choose a dedicated URL to include in your marketing collateral and simply redirect your most current marketing campaigns to that URL. This also allows you to send users to your homepage, or to choose specific URLs that help target campaigns for certain audiences. For example, a renovation company can use renovation.com/kitchens for those looking specifically for kitchen campaigns, and renovation.com/bathrooms for bathroom campaigns.

2. Streamline Third-Party Services

Small to medium-sized businesses don’t always have the capacity to build in-house software solutions for their needs, and large businesses usually prefer to buy rather than build IT systems. Organizations use third-party services for things like surveys or forms, which often have specific URLs set by the service — and they can’t be changed. What happens if you decide to switch vendors but don’t want to disrupt your operations?

When sending out links for surveys or forms, it is good practice to select your own URL with your own domain, for example: survey.mybiz.com. Not only are these URLs memorable, but with URL redirection, you retain the flexibility of being able to switch to a different vendor without re-sending a new link to your contacts. Plus, you get to keep your brand on all of your messaging.

3. Save Time Updating Your App

Businesses that have mobile apps often need to update links on those apps. In-app embedded links are difficult to change and can take up quite a bit of your developer’s time. This is especially cumbersome for companies who use external contractors each time a URL update is needed. On top of that, app store approval processes have become more rigorous in recent years and approvals generally take additional time.

In the planning and building stages of your mobile app, it’s a good idea to identify links which may need updating. Instead of then having to constantly update them, choose specific URLs for these links and simply redirect your updated URLs to them. URL redirection takes significantly less time and effort than having to go back through an app and update links.

How to Redirect a URL — the Easy Way

Hard-to-change links do not have to be a big pain point for you and your business. With careful planning, strategic URL selection, and URL redirection, you can work around these issues easily. See how EasyRedir can work for you. Check out our plans and sign up for a free EasyRedir trial today.