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The Goo.gl URL shortening platform is going away, which means if you’re using it now, you have until March 30, 2019 to view your analytics and download a .csv file of your data. After that, according to the goo.gl site, your previous links will still work as redirects, but you won’t be able to create new ones or track your existing links. Even worse, the data you collect on these links will no longer be active. Or accessible. Ouch.
Time’s a-wasting. What should you do?
It’s time to move to a new short link platform. This blog post from Zapier gives a quick rundown of your best options.
Forced migrations are never ideal. As you consider the alternatives, there are a few things you can do to make sure you never have to migrate again. The top preventative measure you can take is to create links on your own branded short domain so that you maintain total control of your short links and associated data. Since you own the domain name, you don’t have to worry about another link shortening platform shutting you down. Your links are on your domain, not theirs. BL.INK offers the ability to register domains within the dashboard, to help you get up and running on a domain that’s yours to manage and maintain on your own terms.
How to choose a new short link platform
Beyond maintaining control of your brand, links, and data, here are some other crucial things to look for when selecting a new platform:
- Privacy. Many URL-shortening platforms (including Bitly) make it easy for anyone—including your competitors—to see your link tracking data. That’s bad news. By contrast, BL.INK keeps all your data private, even on our free plan. See how it works here.
- Scalability. Can your platform still meet your needs as you grow? BL.INK’s tiered pricing approach allows you to start with a smaller plan and move up to a plan with additional features as your needs change. See our pricing tiers, or if you’re a business, be sure to check out BL.INK’s Enterprise solutions.
- Flexibility. Customize every part of your short links, including the domain. With BL.INK, you can even edit where the link directs visitors after you’ve created your links.
Read more about how BL.INK links work harder for you in this blog.
Not all free plans are the same
When you move from the free Goo.gl service to the free BL.INK plan, you’re still not paying anything, but you’re definitely getting an upgrade.
BL.INK includes many features that Goo.gl does not:
With most “free” services and tiers, you still pay—but instead of paying with money, you’re paying by limiting your flexibility or by surrendering your data for public consumption. For example, if you use Bitly’s free service, not only is your link data public for your competitors to see, your links are locked inside its platform because Bitly doesn’t offer a way to export your links (unless you use BL.INK’s auto-migration service. We’ll help you work around the Bitly limitations to export your links.) BL.INK also offers a free plan, and we’re clear about our intentions: we want you to learn, use, and love the service so that you’re willing to pay for it. However, we allow users at every plan level to have total ownership of their data. It’s yours, not ours.
When you’re making your final decision, be sure to consider the bigger picture. We hope you choose BL.INK, and are ready to give you a great new experience.
Contact us to request a quote, or manage your plan within your existing BL.INK account.
