Why Your Hotel Should NEVER USE TinyURL to Redirect Links

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. December 08, 2009

PARSIPPANY, NJ, December 7, 2009 - There are numerous free URL shortening and redirect services out there, with the most popular being TinyURL. Using such services puts your hotel at risk and may cost you business and expose your hotel to potential lawsuits. The most dangerous situation is where someone else impersonates your brand or hotel and creates redirect links to malicious websites.

Below are a few reasons why your SHOULD NOT use TinyURL or other free services :

1. It's a free service - you get what you pay for! How long can a free service survive? If they shut down - what happens to your hotel links?

2. The service has "no one behind it" - Click on contact and you send an email off...there is no person or phone support when links don't work.

3. Hotel branding is very limited - you're always stuck using the tinyURL.com domain name and you're building their brand…not yours.

4. Hotel cannot use relevant, keyword-based domains for event types/purposes (weddings, graduations, Packages, etc.).

5. No dashboard enabling you to organize all your links.

6. No expiration date option to automatically disable your links on a specific date.

7. You cannot create sub users for your entire team to use one account.

8. Anyone can create malicious links and use your hotel name in the custom field - puts you at risk. In fact read this article about hackers using TinyURL to steal info: http://www.scmagazineuk.com/phishers-use-tinyurl-to-trick-users-into-accessing-fake-sites/article/126894/ and http://andywibbels.com/2005/01/i-hate-tinyurl.

9. It has been well documented that TinyURL links have been blocked by ISP's as they are mostly spammy, malicious links.

10. Creates Search Engine Optimization issues with your site . read: http://www.searchengine-promotion.co.uk/blog/seo-for-twitter-why-we-shouldnt-use-tiny-urls

11. Emails get blocked when using TinyURL because of spam issues. Read: http://www.smarttofinish.com/Blog/2009/05/tinyurlcom-blacklisted-dont-use-in-your-email-marketing-campaigns/

Link2Brand.com is the only hospitality based URL shortening and redirecting solution that your hotel or brand should use. For more information and to sign up for a free 10 day trial account, visit www.Link2Brand.com.

About Lodging Interactive
Lodging Interactive, headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, is a leading provider of Internet Marketing Services to the hospitality, spa and restaurant industries. The company provides a portfolio of effective hotel internet marketing services to hundreds of hotels, resorts, timeshares, spas and restaurants. Clients include branded hotels from nearly every major brand as well as prestigious, landmark independent hotels.

Through its CoMMingle Social Media Marketing Agency operating division, the Company offers hospitality focused and fully managed outsourced hotel social media marketing.

Lodging Interactive is a proud member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and a supporter of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). For more information contact Richard Walsh, Vice President of Business Development at sales@lodginginteractive.com or at 877-291-4411. The company's website is located at www.LodgingInteractive.com.