The new OpenCart URL Shortener module allows you to create your own short links (like bit.ly or owl.ly) using your OpenCart websites domain name.

HOW THE OPENCART URL SHORTENER WORKS

Any online store worth it’s salt will be tracking all external links pointing back to their store from Social Media websites (like Facebook, Twitter), Forums and Email Signatures. If, like many businesses, you use Google Analytics for your marketing reporting then you will probably use tracking links which something like:

https://www.opencartstoreurl.com/index.php?route=common/home&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ourcampaignname&utm_campaign=thisparticularlink

The trouble with links like this, is that it looks awful and you may be putting customers off by making it so apparent that your are tracking them. In addition, with social networks like Twitter where the content is limited to a certain number of characters you are burning up your limit with the link rather than the text which is there to draw attention to your business. (The link above is 139 characters, an entire tweet on it’s own!)

Many legitimate online businesses use services like Bit.ly or Owl.ly in order to create short links but unfortunately, many scammers and spam feeds use these services so your customers will be put off. They want to be reassured that when they click the link, they will know where they are going.

This module helps you do just that. You can transform any ordinary link, or a massive tracking link like the example above, into a short link which uses the same URL as your OpenCart store. This works by turning:

https://www.opencartstoreurl.com/index.php?route=common/home&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ourcampaignname&utm_campaign=thisparticularlink

to:

opencartstoreurl.com/r/12345678

This means that you can track all of your essential marketing data to get insights into where your customers are coming from without having to paste huge tracking links into posts. You encourage more clicks from customers because they see a familiar, and trusted, URL and feel assured of where they will end up when they click. Lastly, you have more space for content.

HOW DO I USE THE OPENCART URL SHORTENER

Our lightweight module, can be easily installed or uninstalled on any 1.5.x OpenCart store and features an ultra simple, intuitive dashboard. It allows you to create as many links as you want at any time. simply keep adding the links and then click the “Shorten Links” button in the top right to do them all at once. You don’t need to keep refreshing the page for each.

Once you fire them up, the page will display the new shortened URL next to the actual link it redirects to as a reminder to you. See screenshots.

It’s as easy as that, once they’re side by side it’s amazing to see how much better the links will look as part of your Facebook posts or Forum messages. Not only that, but they don’t reveal to everyone what you are tracking them on and allow them peace of mind since they know where they’re going.

One last thing to show you. If you ever need to get hold of a link which you made before, just click the “View History” button in the top right to see a complete list of the links you created, where they redirect to, the date it was added and how many times it has been clicked by your customers.
change there!