Using short custom URL to redirect customers to regualr busniss URL (it is long)

[tankman1989]

I have a long URL 29 characters between the www. and .com . I have an easier domain which I like (it is a made up word that I picked for an easy domain name to remember).

Now, my question is, if i am talking to someone who I don't think is going to be able to write my domain name because they can't spell, would it be ok to use my short domain name which just is a re-direct? The two domain names have nothing in common except that I own them.

I figure that I would tell them goto ics.shortname.com/ and it will send you directly to the page they are looking for. This is for their convenience and mine as sometimes cell phone reception can cause a call to break up and other times people are just plain, bumd.

So, is this an OK idea? Once they are on my site they will always see the real URL.

Would it be bad to put the short URL on a business card, fliers or handouts?

Thoughts?

 

[BryanVest]

The only bad part I see from this is that any links you have on the web to your site would need to be the long url otherwise this would kill your seo

 

[tankman1989]

The only bad part I see from this is that any links you have on the web to your site would need to be the long url otherwise this would kill your seo

All the links on my site ARE the long URL. The only time I would use the 6 letter url is when they go to it the first time. Once within the site it is as if they got there by typing in the real URL.

 

[BryanVest]

All the links on my site ARE the long URL. The only time I would use the 6 letter url is when they go to it the first time. Once within the site it is as if they got there by typing in the real URL.

Then yeah that would be a good idea as long as its a short domain you own not like alturl or anything.

 

[dogskool]

That is exactly what I do this with my remote repair page.

A short domain name pointing to my subdirectory where my page is located.

Much easier to communicate to the client on the phone.

When they get there the short domain is not listed in the address bar, only the real address from my website's directory. This is really not a problem, they read your header to you and you tell them, correct.

It is so much easier than spelling out the long address, etc.

Also picking a word that does not have similar sounding letters in it. So if you have to spell it out it's less confusing. An example of similar letters is 'b', 'd', 'p', 'e' or a name like 'remotesee-com' can be confused with remotec-com or remotesea-com.

An easy way to go is a simple word with a number. ex cat123-com, help86-com or july4-com. Something that easy to say and spell.

 

[1aComputerServices]

Are you actually talking about a bit.ly address?

 

[ATTech]

vzw.com redirects to verizonwireless.com

I don't see a problem with this.

 

[mkeathley]

just remember that most folks assume www is before everything.

So I woudl make it a simple thing like www.short.com not acs.short.com or some such.

 

[Xander]

Nothing wrong with it. I don't make much use of it but I snagged a few short ones should I want to use them:

pcf1x.com f1xmypc.com pcrepa1r.com

Now, I don't use them much because, over the phone, they're not that great. In a medium where the text is seen, they work alright.
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[mraikes]

This got me thinking about my own domain name. I don't often have problems communicating my address, but the punctuation in the middle occasionally throws people off.

So I just registered another name that is only five letters (versus my regular 13 letters). Even though it's very short, it still sounds computer repair related. It'll be easier to communicate over the phone and a handy shortcut for my own use as well.

But on all hyperlinks, business cards and other printed material, I'll only use my official address, never the short one.

 

[dogskool]

Are you actually talking about a bit.ly address?

I would not use these these types of links, since they are out of your control.

.com, .net, .org - in that order, preferably the .com's

 

[BostonGeek1]

I would create a domain for your brand and make it very short, and then also have one that is something computer related that's longer and gives you an seo benefit. I would then set up a 301 (NOT 302) redirect FROM the short one, TO the long one.......

 

[DList]

There's nothing wrong with redirecting visitors from one URL to another as long as you use 301-redirects (can be done with htaccess or php, can not be done with javascript).

Also bear in mind that you will have to keep renewing both domains