By using a shortening service, you choose which domain to apply for creating short links: generic or custom. There are generic services, which only let you shorten links using a generic domain. However, when using generic link shorteners, you have no input into the randomly generated link. You have to take what you’re given and cannot edit it.

Instead, choose a domain to create short links that allow you to add the words, numbers, or emojis that come after the slash. A short link containing a custom domain and editable slug is called a customized link.

More than link editing is essential. Remember to use a custom domain that describes your brand. When branding a domain, it’s much more useful to work on brand promotion and select a domain name that contains a brand name rather than just keywords.

Therefore, the domain for shortening links should contain a brand name, e.g., LEGO.com, Amazon.com, Google.com – it’s all about the brand. This is what people easily remember and what makes you stand out from the crowd of competitors.

Make sure your brand is unique and that the needed domain name is available when starting to shorten links. By the way, you can register “brand.xyz,” even if you mainly use “brand.com,” or you can consider adding a subdomain “link.brand.com,” in case a needed domain isn’t available.

Short.cm provides a generic domain, “shortcm.li,” for testing purposes. You can add a subdomain, such as “brand.shortcm.li” if you want to learn how Short.cm works. Many customers use generic domains to apply them in malicious ways and for spamming. That’s the reason generic domains have a terrible reputation. Thus, “shortcm.li” is provided to test Short.cm. While using the generic domain for advanced purposes, you may face restrictions on Short.cm and social media.

We’ve figured out the cons of generic domains, so let’s move on to the pros of custom domains.

1. Brand promotion.

A short link with a generic domain hides the brand name and content you share.
When using generic short links, you intensively promote other brands instead of your own. Unless you use a branded domain to tell others about your content, you’re missing out on a massive branding opportunity.

2. Brand recognition.

The more users see your brand name, the more likely they will remember it when choosing a product trademark. Use short branded links to help customers recall your brand. With the help of Google Trends and Google Alerts, you can determine how much growth was developed through brand mentions and references.

3. Brand trust.

Brand trust promotes a sense of reliability that a customer experiences when facing a brand name. If people trust Samsung TVs, they will trust other electrical goods produced by this company. If you draw more attention to the advertising strategy of Samsung, it becomes evident that it is the branding that is moving ahead, not a specific product or a product line.

4. Increase CTR.

It is essential for internet users to click on trustworthy links. Customers should know what is hidden behind the link at first sight. This is a psychological factor that plays a crucial role. On seeing something cute, both you and I will desire to touch it; this also happens with customers. When they see a clear link, trust, assurance, and a nice URL make them click on it. Therefore, the CTR of short, branded links is 40% higher than with generic domains.

5. Increase the open rate.

Use short branded links in the content of emails. A short link with a branded domain will improve the open rate of your email marketing campaign. Thanks to brand recognition and trust, users can confidently open your emails.

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The article is about:

  • Branded domain vs custom domain.
  • The advantages of branded domains.
  • Why generic domains spoil your brand reputation.

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