In the world of Direct Sales, we’re always looking for ways to stand out. Even more important, we are always seeking to brand ourselves and not just the company whose products we sell.
One super simple way to do that is to create a domain redirect! Creating redirected domains simply means that you use a service like rebrandly or bit.ly to create short links that are personalized to match your brand OR you can purchase a custom domain and redirect it anywhere you would like!
Why is this such a brilliant move for Direct Sales consultants? Most Direct Sales companies provide you with replicated websites that can be difficult to remember exactly. With branded short links or redirected domains, all your customers need to remember is your business name!
Note – please double check with your companies policies and compliance rules regarding domain redirects BEFORE you start creating redirects and short links!
Creating Branded Short Links
Go to your favorite link shortening site. For this tutorial, we’ll use bit.ly!
If you already have an account, sign in. If not, go ahead and create an account. It only takes a minute!
Your home page will look something like this:
This shows any shortened links you already have set up, along with your account stats. This is a great way to keep track of how many people are clicking on your links!
To create a new one, click “Create.”
In the box where it says “Paste Long URL” do just that – paste the link to the webpage, you want your customers to land on! This can be anything from your company’s replicated website to your Facebook Group. In this example, I’ll use the #ThinkSocial Society:
At first, you’ll get a shortened link that is made up of numbers and letters. Not very pretty, even though it’s short! You’ll want to customize that.
And there you have it! A short and sweet redirected domain link that showcases your personal brand instead of just your company.
Advanced Redirected Domains
Now, let’s get a little bit more awesome. Instead of using a service like bit.ly to create short links, you can buy a custom domain for a low price and create a redirect through your web hosting company.
Here’s how that works:
Go to a trusted hosting site like Bluehost.com or Siteground.com. There are many to choose from – for this tutorial, I’ll use Bluehost.
Next, you’ll need to register your domain. You’ll look under domains and find “register.” That will take you to a page that looks something like this:
Search for the domain name you’d like to register, and it will tell you if it’s available. If it is, you’ll be ready to go! You’ll see several different options, including .com and .net variations. Go for .com – it’s the easiest to remember!
Check out! You’ll have several choices on the checkout page, including how to renew. Choose whatever will work best for you, and buy your domain!
Now, you’ll need to tell your host where to send traffic to that domain. That happens under the “Redirect” tab.
Once here, you’ll make sure “permanent redirect” is selected, then use the drop-down menu to change “all public domains” to your personal domain.
Next, enter the website you wish to redirect to in the “redirects to” field.
Make sure “redirect with or without www” is selected.
And that’s it! Now when someone types in myawesomebrand.com, they’ll go straight to the page you want them to go to!
Redirect Ideas:
- Linktr.ee
- Facebook Group
- Replicated Website
- Customer registration site
#ThinkSocial Membership
Do you need personal & business accountability and in-depth training on all the ways to increase your visibility and grow your business? Join the #ThinkSocial Society today and become part of an incredibly active, helpful community of like-minded entrepreneurs!
