Hey guys, I just noticed TidyURL just passed the 1 million manual links threshold and thought about giving you a bit of a history on it.

The system is the brainchild of myself and Stuat Ross. We initially wanted it to be a lead magnet that SFM/DEA members can use in their marketing efforts but after bouncing ideas backwards and forwards, we quickly realised we needed to make it way more than that.

We analysed all other major URL shorteners out there, put together an awesome requirements list and got on it.

After a few iterations and name changes, www.tidyurl.com was launched in April 2013. We’ve been constantly updating the user interface based on member feedback ever since.

Behind the scenes is where things became very interesting. TidyURL is one of the central inter-linking components of the SFM marketing platform. It quietly communicates with our other systems(Simple Lead Capture, Digital Business Lounge, Simple Trakk) and helps to streamline marketing processes. Beforehand we used to use Bitly but for our purposes, that quickly became obsolete so we updated TidyURL to fit our requirements to the smallest detail.

In June 2013 we also launched the TidyURL WordPress plug-in which allows you to create shortened or cloaked links on your main domain. The plug-in went through 3 updates since it was launched – the final version is downloadable from it’s landing page on www.tidyurl.net.

One thing to note, if you’re a SFM member is that one of the main purposes for creating these tools was to help you market and acquire more leads. There is training in the back office on how and when to use them so take advantage.

If you need more of an overall picture on how TidyURL works have a read here: The Free URL Redirection, Cloaking And Social Sharing Service.

To your success,
Marius