If the primary service your web startup is providing to users is short profile URLs (a.k.a. vanity URLs), you might as well file for bankruptcy. Perhaps that’s a bit excessive since many entrepreneurs figure out a way to survive even after being shot in the leg (metaphorically speaking of course). Last week Techcrunch reported that Facebook would soon be providing users with free vanity URLs in a land grab that would begin later this week. That means services like Profile.to (which is a relatively popular Facebook application) will essentially be rendered useless.
Short URLs have become all the rage with the rapid growth of Twitter since users are limited to 140 characters with each tweet and URLs take up a lot of space. As services like bit.ly, tr.im, tinyurl.com, and many others continued to grow, some entrepreneurs realized that Facebook was lacking an effective profile URL. In a short amount of time, numerous profile URL services emerged, looking to assist the millions of individuals that Facebook wasn’t catering to.
While short URLs have become a requirement of any new social platform, Facebook has always been reluctant to offer them. One could postulate that Twitter is the main force driving Facebook to offer a new vanity URL service..
Why Facebook Needs To Launch Quickly
There are a number of ways to exchange contact information with others but one of the most recent trends is to ask someone what their Twitter username is. The reason is that you can quickly keep in touch with them by texting “follow [username]” to Twitter. Right now Facebook provides a similar service but users are forced to enter a person’s full name. With the launch of free vanity URLs (if that is in fact true), users will find it easier to add friends and fans while on the go.
Right now Facebook is at a huge disadvantage as users are not quickly texting in messages to create relationships or keep in touch with others. Yes, Facebook has a huge mobile presence which continues to grow every day but there are still plenty of areas in mobile that Facebook is lacking and this is one of the largest.
Go Create A Real Business
Whenever Facebook decides to launch their new vanity URL service, URL service providers will need to go develop a new business model. While vanity URLs have been a feature that attracts new users (just like free e-mail addresses used to attract new users), there needs to be an underlying service that URL providers offer their users. I previously argued that Facebook could charge for premium URLs but it appears that strategy may have changed and as far as I can tell, Twitter is the primary reason.
A vanity URL by itself is not a business model (unless of course you are Facebook), it’s only an attractive feature. While the developers of profile.to and other services may have temporarily generated some cash through advertising, it clearly isn’t sustainable. Do you think I’m wrong about this? Care to argue that profile URLs are solid businesses?
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Nick,
Any idea if you will be able to get a vanity URL for your facebook page or multiple pages?
-Brad
Comment by Brad Kleinman — June 4, 2009 @ 11:29 am
so, basically after 2 days nothing better than facebook.com/sfwef21424 will be available.
aaahh, the dream of facebook.com/name_surname!!!
Comment by thanos — June 4, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Nick,
I gotta say, I think they could use them as an excuse to seed their payments platform. Buy your vanity url for $5, get 50 credits too. Easily gets 10-20 million more people dumping cash into the system.
p.s. which fb connect plugin are you using with wordpress?
Comment by Brian Breslin — June 4, 2009 @ 12:37 pm
Brad, look here
How to Change the URL of your Facebook page
http://facebookmania.net/en/2009/05/16/come-modif...
Comment by Facebook User — June 4, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
With regard to "users will find it easier to add friends and fans while on the go": I agree *if* facebook offers the same texting service.
But I find it even more difficult to search for "woman1981" than to remember someones name, or rough details (first name, plus company they work for).
I feel vanity URLs are a bit of a step backwards to MySpace days.
Comment by Richard Spalding — June 4, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
I can argue that.
I think anyone can.
A monopoly is a rather large object and in it's true definition does not exist. There is always room for profit even in the face of a giant. Wal-Mart has quite a hold, but there are many other places that would be lumped into the same category that are doing just fine.
In all reality, in this case, the overhead of these sites, vanity urls, is almost non-existent. If you can't turn a profit with this feature you may be more corporate based and less entrepreneur.
All email didn't die when gmail rolled out.
If you are looking to be number 1, you may want to back out, but if making a profit is more in line with your business, then keep on plugging away.
Kaje
Comment by Kaje — June 4, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
As TechCrunch pointed out, the release of Facebook Vanity URLs will be a mega landrush. It'll be fascinating to witness for sure!
And I do agree with you, Nick – that as a business model for FB app developers, link shorteners may not exactly be the right track!!
Comment by Mari Smith — June 4, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
Why is a vanity URL any different from a domain in terms of business model?
Comment by Will — June 5, 2009 @ 2:32 am
I run an URL shortener which displays a frame at the top of the page. It's not disturbing, has viral buttons (delicious etc) + ads (sponsored RSS feeds like on the top of Gmail's page). It's very recent, so I don't earn money from it yet. But I might one day. But sometimes you know, you can run one more website just for the pride of it…
Comment by Benoit Villiè — June 5, 2009 @ 9:03 am
If you have access to your server, you can do a 301 redirect like I did: http://sleepysheep.ca/facebook
Comment by Chelsea — June 5, 2009 @ 9:26 am
You can also add a 301 redirect as I did: http://sleepysheep.ca/facebook
Comment by Chelsea Bell — June 5, 2009 @ 9:28 am
Any update when the urls will be available?
Comment by Gloria Antonelli — June 6, 2009 @ 6:29 am
@Chelsea – yep, great workaround. I've been using http://marismith.com/facebook for my profile for some time. And http://marismith.com/fanpage too.
@Nick – I wonder if having vanity Facebook URL's helps even further with indexing? Due to Facebook's own high rank of course.
I'm eagerly waiting for that launch!! I imagine it's coming in phases via Networks.
Comment by Mari Smith — June 7, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
Hosting a Facebook vanity URL party on Twitter. Use #fburlparty in a tweet & it will show up on this page. http://bit.ly/10xK1W
Comment by nebben — June 11, 2009 @ 9:27 am