How do public URL shorteners affect email deliverability and what are the best practices for app download links in email?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests to be safe, the client should either use a white label shortener service with their own domain, or work out a non-email way (e.g., link to a website with the link) to communicate the link to recipients.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that using branded short links, instead of generic ones, can improve trust and deliverability. They suggest services like Bitly offer branded options.
Email marketer from Mailjet advises to avoid using free URL shorteners in email campaigns as they can be flagged as spam. They suggest using a custom domain for link shortening and tracking.
Email marketer from SuperOffice shares advice to brand your URLs. This can be done through the use of a tracking or link management platform, which provides an easy-to-recognise URL that adds to trustworthiness.
Email marketer from Litmus explains the dangers of link cloaking, which can be perceived negatively by mailbox providers. Transparency in URLs is key for building trust and maintaining deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit User u/EmailGuru shares experience that using too many shortened URLs can raise suspicion with spam filters. They suggest balancing the use of shortened links with direct links to your domain.
Email marketer from SendPulse shares that while URL shorteners can track clicks, excessive use or using untrustworthy services may harm sender reputation. They recommend monitoring sender score.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that public URL shorteners like bit.ly do affect reputation.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow User TechEmail responds to a question that it's beneficial to provide both direct app store links and a landing page that detects the user's device and redirects them appropriately. They emphasize providing a good user experience.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that using a custom tracking domain helps improve email deliverability because it aligns with your brand and builds trust with ISPs. They recommend setting up a subdomain for tracking purposes.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks suggests trying to at least use a custom domain with the shortener.
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that many URL shorteners aren't safe to use for various reasons. It is best to use your own URL.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that any "get the app" experience should be designed to be pleasant on all devices. Send to the store if you can, but if you can't, it should be a nicely branded page with links to the stores and maybe even a chance to enter your phone number to have the link texted to your phone.
Expert from Spam Resource (John Levine) responds that one should be careful about third-party reputation when using link trackers. He suggests checking the reputation of the service and avoiding those with a history of spam or abuse.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost explains that links within emails contribute to your sender reputation. They advise monitoring your link reputation and avoiding links to known bad neighborhoods to ensure good deliverability.
Documentation from Branch.io explains that deep linking can ensure users are directed to the right content within an app after clicking a link from an email. They provide tools for creating and managing deep links.
Documentation from RFC explains how to ensure that the URLs conform to standards. Check the safety and escaping of characters in the URL, and make sure to test and ensure that the link still works as expected once rendered in an email.
Documentation from Google Developers emphasizes using App Links (for Android) and Universal Links (for iOS) to create seamless transitions to your app. This involves setting up proper intent filters and associating your website with your app.
Documentation from Apple explains that Universal Links provide a secure and seamless way to link from a website to an app. They emphasize configuring your app to handle these links correctly by associating your website domain.