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When you want to share an important link with a friend or colleague, you can often get stuck with posting an unsightly and incredibly lengthy URL. URL shortening services are convenient and often necessary, especially when using social networking sites like Twitter, which limit the amount of characters used in a tweet. While there are already some great URL shortening sites in existence, why not start your own? You can help make sharing information over the Internet easier while earning money at the same time.

Starting a URL shortening service is very simple and inexpensive. One of the first things you will need to do is come up with a domain name that is short and memorable, and then register that domain. You will also need a host for your website, which you may even find for just a few dollars a month. Some hosts may even provide domain registration as a part of their service.

Then, you will need to download FTP software and a URL redirection script, such as Yourls, and follow the installation instructions. Yourls includes a sample index page that you can customize for your own website. You can also incorporate Google Analytics as a way to gauge traffic.

To generate an income from traffic, add Google AdSense to the site, which will pay you per visitor that clicks on each ad, or sell advertising spaces to businesses worldwide. Don’t expect to make thousands of dollars right away, but with continued perseverance and marketing, it could possibly build into a nice supplemental income.

The leading URL shortening site, Tiny URL, does not generate any advertising income, yet maintains enormous market share worth. Tiny URL is estimated at having a 75% share, with a value of at least $46 million. It serves as an example that, perhaps, if you build your site to be among one of the most trafficked, it will increase in value as well.

So, if you are looking for a way to make some extra income, but don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to an upkeep of a business, you may wish to consider starting your own URL service.