Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website

But...

While the huge plus to link shortening is a much more compact and "neater-looking" link, there are two downsides worth exploring before you opt to shorten your url using any third-party method.

The first downside you must consider is, right or wrong, a third-party service might consider your use of the link as s'pamming and turn it off. Then all your current a'dvertising is useless.

The second consideration, and a very important one, is how fast will your long link load if you shorten it?

For example, I just clicked a link in a solo I received. Above, on my IE browser, I can see the url is a lengthy one and understand the advertiser's desire to shorten it. This person chose tinyurl.com, a good service, fr'ee - a good choice.

However, it is taking "forever" to load, and I use DSL (granted not the best DSL in the business, but nevertheless DSL).

I thought, "Hmmm... Let me test this url myself."

I'm headed over to another favorite website of mine http://www.submitplus.com.

Cl'ick on their Fr'ee Programs, then choose "Load Test." Insert your shortened url and see what they say.

Currently, I'm still waiting for them to pass their way through tinyurl.com to the true website link in this person's solo.

This is not good.

Attention spans on the net can be like those of toddlers. Run here, grab there, close this, impatient that...

Getting your page up front and center as fast as possible is a must.

Yikes! That tiny url still has not loaded, and I've even had a phone call come in while I wait.

Okay, I've given up. I closed all windows, and am starting fresh - straight from the link inside the solo itself (the short one).

I'm counting (slowly) and have reached 130 seconds, and still the page has loaded less than halfway. So far I'm staring at a totally blank page - not even a clue as to what may appear to grab my attention.

Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website

The second consideration, and a very important one, is how fast will your long link load if you shorten it?

For example, I just clicked a link in a solo I received. Above, on my IE browser, I can see the url is a lengthy one and understand the advertiser's desire to shorten it. This person chose tinyurl.com, a good service, fr'ee - a good choice.

However, it is taking "forever" to load, and I use DSL (granted not the best DSL in the business, but nevertheless DSL).

I thought, "Hmmm... Let me test this url myself."

I'm headed over to another favorite website of mine http://www.submitplus.com.

Cl'ick on their Fr'ee Programs, then choose "Load Test." Insert your shortened url and see what they say.

Currently, I'm still waiting for them to pass their way through tinyurl.com to the true website link in this person's solo.

This is not good.

Attention spans on the net can be like those of toddlers. Run here, grab there, close this, impatient that...

Getting your page up front and center as fast as possible is a must.

Yikes! That tiny url still has not loaded, and I've even had a phone call come in while I wait.

Okay, I've given up. I closed all windows, and am starting fresh - straight from the link inside the solo itself (the short one).

I'm counting (slowly) and have reached 130 seconds, and still the page has loaded less than halfway. So far I'm staring at a totally blank page - not even a clue as to what may appear to grab my attention.

Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website

I thought, "Hmmm... Let me test this url myself."

I'm headed over to another favorite website of mine http://www.submitplus.com.

Cl'ick on their Fr'ee Programs, then choose "Load Test." Insert your shortened url and see what they say.

Currently, I'm still waiting for them to pass their way through tinyurl.com to the true website link in this person's solo.

This is not good.

Attention spans on the net can be like those of toddlers. Run here, grab there, close this, impatient that...

Getting your page up front and center as fast as possible is a must.

Yikes! That tiny url still has not loaded, and I've even had a phone call come in while I wait.

Okay, I've given up. I closed all windows, and am starting fresh - straight from the link inside the solo itself (the short one).

I'm counting (slowly) and have reached 130 seconds, and still the page has loaded less than halfway. So far I'm staring at a totally blank page - not even a clue as to what may appear to grab my attention.

Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website

Getting your page up front and center as fast as possible is a must.

Yikes! That tiny url still has not loaded, and I've even had a phone call come in while I wait.

Okay, I've given up. I closed all windows, and am starting fresh - straight from the link inside the solo itself (the short one).

I'm counting (slowly) and have reached 130 seconds, and still the page has loaded less than halfway. So far I'm staring at a totally blank page - not even a clue as to what may appear to grab my attention.

Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website

Exiting...

A total waste of my 130 seconds.

Worse though, that's a lost lead or sale for the advertiser. I'll most likely not try again :(

I head back to Submitplus.com to try one last time (just so this article is accurate) and insert the short url into their Load Test.

I'm waiting...

Well phew! Submitplus finally returned results, but be careful what you are willing to believe. It took just as long for them to run out via the short link, and track it on over to the website as it did by my "counting" method above (if not longer).

BUT... the results are faulty! Submitplus says the url loaded in an excellent time for a 28.8K modem - 0.05 seconds... oh yeah?

However, the test did serve it's purpose. I sat and watched the entire process with my own eyes and can clearly tell using a shorter link, in this instance, is a mistake.

Therefore, as the advertiser, I'd have opted to find an alternate method or just gone ahead and used the link given to me.

A great alternative is to own your own website. Then you can create redirect links to your hearts content (and gain additional advertising of your own domain for absolutely no additional cost).

I've included a text example of how to create a redirect, and feel free to copy it. It's here at: http://www.mywizardads.com/rdexample.txt

[Again, this type of redirect would only apply to those who own and can edit their own websites.]

My suggestion for all a'dvertisers would be to test both your chosen method to shorten a url, and the link you are given by the program itself.

Carefully watch the screen perform the test. Then multiple your results by at least 2 or 3 times (for some reason things always seem to "work just fine for me" for the person with the link *smile*).

If, after your multiplication, shortening seems the way to go by all means do. If not, stick with the sometimes awkward, but more faithful, longer url.