The short link has garnered a better reputation for itself over the past years. What most people thought to be simply a few characters written or clicked to be transported to a different site is known by most online workers or brand owners as a powerful and advantageous tool.
Two of the best features a short link can provide you with is its ability to present and gather information. In other words, short links let you advertise your services or products to your clients and gather data about them.
Let's check out how analytics and retargeting are done and why they are essential.
Analytics and Its Importance
Analytics refers to a systematic presentation or computation of data or statistics. This is exactly what a short link can provide you with—data and statistics regarding your users. By simply clicking on a link, the short link extracts information for you.
With analytics, information on the number of active users, where most of them come from, when most of them visit, how they came to your page, and more becomes available. The importance of these pieces of information cannot be stressed, especially if you are hoping to build an online presence or reach a bigger audience.
When you know what time your website or shop gets the most (and least) engagement, you can use that information to decide when to launch your best work, sales, or vlogs or make necessary adjustments and fix issues with the site.
Knowing where your users come from helps you adjust your content or products. For example, if 80% of your users come from Muslim countries, then a good idea would be to develop Ramadan- or EID-related products.
When you pick up information relevant to your website or brand, you allow yourself to fine-tune your site to your clientele's needs. You also allow yourself to grow and improve.
How to Configure Analytics
There are several ways to gain this information. Some involve basic knowledge of Google Analytics, while others require the implementation of JavaScript on their website. There are even lengthy tutorials on how to do it on YouTube.
Short.io provides a suitable and convenient way to manage your analytics. When you apply Short.io to Google Analytics, you no longer need to use JavaScript. Here is a list of steps you can follow to get started with your analytics:
Note: You will need both a Google and a free Short.io account.
- Go to https://analytics.google.com and sign in.
- Click the "Create Account" button and provide an account name.
- Place your website's URL.
- Copy the Tracking ID.
- Log in to your Short.io account and click the "Retargeting" feature.
- Paste the Google Analytics ID.
- Save.
You can check out this video on how to integrate Google Analytics and your Short.io account.
If you are interested in your website's growth, then Analytics is truly a tool worthy of investment. Consider learning the ins and outs of this feature to help you and your brand flourish.
Short Links and Retargeting
As effective as it is when it comes to gathering information, short links are just as effective and persistent when providing information to whom you want it to reach. This is good news, especially for people who want to advertise online. When it comes to advertisements, the retargeting feature of short links can be a wonderful asset.
How Does Retargeting Work?
Retargeting is mainly a tool for marketing. It presents ads to users who have clicked on your branded, short links. Whenever a user clicks one of your links, their browser will load a JS snippet from AdRoll or Facebook.
For example, Julia is online and determined to buy a dress for an event. Coincidentally, she lands on your website and browses through the choices. She finds one and adds it to her cart, but she hesitates.
She decides that perhaps she needs more time to think about it and proceeds to close the tab. A bit of time has passed, and she's forgotten all about the item on her cart. But then, she sees the exact item she wanted in another ad. Deciding she wants it, after all, she clicks on the ad and finishes the purchase.
That's how retargeting works. It reminds the user of the service, content, or product they were interested in. So whenever a person visits your site, the risk of them forgetting your website or the services you offer is significantly reduced as your ads will follow them, despite them being on another page already.
How Do We Retarget Ads?
Like Google Analytics, there are several ways to go about retargeting ads. A few of them may be a bit complex for beginners. Implementing JS codes may be a bit advanced for an individual who doesn't specialize in links, but most ways don't require a high level of tech skills and knowledge.
One of the simpler ways can also be done with Short.io. Short.io works with Facebook Pixel, Adroll, or any retargeting apps coming from the Segment. Here are a few steps to guide you through retargeting with Short.io:
- Select one of the retargeting apps from the Segment.
- Copy a retargeting pixel.
- Go to Short.io and click "Tracking and retargeting".
- Fill in the necessary fields.
- Launch the retargeting.
- Create an ad that re-engages visitors.
The process and steps are easy and convenient. Setting up the retargeting feature may be daunting at first, but the benefits of having potential clients remember your service and products will be well worth it.
Short.io Offers More
While short links offer ways to gather and present information, several other features are designed to help whatever online projects you are hoping to accomplish.
Sure, gathering and presenting information is impressive, but other options like location-based ads, virtual real estate, deep links, and more are also available. That's why setting up a Short.io account is a wise investment for your project or brand's future.
