Shortening a link in an SMS: why and how

An ordinary web address easily takes up a third of your message. Shortening it solves two things at once.

Space

A long link with parameters can cost sixty characters. That is the difference between one and two messages, and therefore between single and double cost.

Measurement

More importantly: with a shortened link you know who clicked. Without a click you only know the message arrived, not whether it did anything.

Do not use a public shortener

Addresses from well-known free services appear in filter lists because they are heavily used for fraud. A shortener on your own domain is recognised as yours, which improves both delivery and trust.

One link per message

Two links mean you will not know which message worked. And an SMS with three links reads like spam.

Add context

A bare link with no explanation does not get clicked. One sentence saying what is behind it changes that considerably.