EasyRedir’s guide to vanity URLs.

We live in a magical time where we can instantly access nearly every resource, product, or service with a click or a tap. Recent studies have shown that our attention spans are getting even shorter than before, as we tend to lose concentration after a measly eight seconds or less. So it’s no wonder that customers today have little patience for anything other than quick and painless user experiences. They demand highly efficient access, algorithmic suggestions, and an easy uninterrupted flow to transactions or solutions.

This is precisely why vanity URLs are so vital for companies to use in their marketing campaigns. Vanity URLs ensure that customers can easily access your campaign URLs, and the content you want them to visit, efficiently — all before you lose their attention.

If you haven’t heard of vanity URLs, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about vanity URLs, including what they are, why they’re important, and how to make them.

What Is a Vanity URL?

A vanity URL is a type of custom URL that is meant not only to be more memorable and readable than a typical URL, but also easier for customers to access and engage with. These custom URLs are primarily used by companies trying to maximize the impact of their URLs, by creating a lasting and strong impression with the customer from the start.

So what is a vanity URL exactly? To put it simply, a vanity URL looks like a simple URL that is easy to remember. However, in actual fact it is an embedded link that, once clicked, redirects to a more complex, longer URL.

For example, imagine that you want your first time customers to check out your Fall giveaway, which might go to the following URL:

www.yourdomain.com/promotions/campaign-for-first-time-customers/fall-giveaway

Instead of expecting your customers to know or try to remember the URL, you can provide them with an impactful vanity URL that’s also easy for them to remember. Here are a few examples:

yourdomain.com/fall-giveaway
fall.yourdomain.com
offers.yourdomain.com/fall

Why Should You Use Vanity URLs?

There are great reasons to create and use vanity URLs because they let you form stronger connections with your customers both current and prospective. These URLs also strengthen your marketing campaigns by making it far easier, faster, and more memorable when using accessible URLs. On top of those obvious advantages there’s also the added, and arguably massive, bonus that you can boost your brand presence and leave a lasting impression. To understand why memorable URLs are valuable, we’ll go over the potential problems that complex URLs pose.

As mentioned before, customers demand their online user experiences play out fast and efficiently. If the URL you present them with is convoluted or cumbersome, this will drastically reduce the likelihood that they will end up remembering it, let alone engaging with it. If they don’t engage with that URL then and there, they may not be able to recall it later when they decide to - or worse completely forget it was an option. Additionally, complex URLs with numerous characters and different parts to it are more likely to look off-putting and suspicious.

This is especially true of URLs with Urchin Tracking Module or UTM tracking, as they tend to produce long and complex looking URLs. Keep in mind that even if a complex URL is 100% legitimate, customers will be more likely to avoid clicking it if they perceive it to be unsafe.

In contrast, vanity URLs are clean looking, easy-to-read and trustworthy. They’re also tenfold easier for customers to access from memory as well as copy and paste.

Think about it: Would you feel more comfortable and motivated to click the following highly-complex and unmemorable URL like:

www.yourdomain.com/collections/fall/?source=xmagazine&medium=fashionforyou&campaign=fall-collection-canada-west&content=fall-collection-graphic-v2

Or the following vanity URL:

yourdomain.com/fall-collection

I’m going to assume you picked the vanity URL. The URL is not only neater, it’s much shorter, not intimidating, and tells you exactly what it is. You can trust that your customers would make the same choice, so it’s important to enhance their user experience by providing them with vanity URLs whenever possible.

How Do You Create Vanity URLs?

Now that you know what a vanity URL is and why they’re beneficial, it’s time to learn how to create them.

A good rule of thumb, or best practice, when creating effective vanity URLs is to keep them short and memorable. Ultimately, your vanity URL should succinctly communicate what your customers can expect from the URL when clicked. Keep these URLs tight, meaningful, and efficient as possible so they are simultaneously descriptive enough to inform, and short enough to be memorable.

So how do you ensure your vanity URLs work without a hitch? You need to correctly redirect your vanity URL to the more complex URL.

The technical process of creating vanity URLs can be complicated if you go about it completely alone. This can lead to frustrating and costly mistakes that can compromise your marketing campaigns. We can help you avoid those issues by helping you implement effective vanity URLs.

We strongly recommend using EasyRedir to redirect your vanity URLs. Our advanced redirection service takes the complexity out of redirecting vanity URLs. Instead of trying to navigate your way around embedded URLs or hiring an expensive developer to do so, EasyRedir will ensure your vanity URLs send visitors to precisely the destinations you want them to visit.

Ready to try out EasyRedir and start creating powerful vanity URLs? Give it a try today!