‘X.CO’ Marks the Spot for Internet Treasures

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For many people, the Web has become all about one thing – sharing informative, funny and even juicy links with others. These Web addresses, also known as URLs, are often very long. URL shorteners have helped Internet users pass along simplified links for some time. Now, Go Daddy’s new ‘X.CO’ delivers with a punch – complete with customization, rich analytics and social media integration – this super short URL redirection service has it all.

“I’ve used my fair share of URL shorteners, each had one element or another I liked, but X-dot-CO has all the qualities I like to use rolled into one.”

According to Netcraft LTD, a leading industry analyst, there are nearly 250 million websites on the Internet. With the Internet growing at such an exponential rate, so are the amount of data and the number of links people are sharing. That’s why Go Daddy, as the world’s top Web host provider and No. 1 domain name registrar, is stepping in to influence that process.

Though it really doesn’t get any shorter than ‘X.CO’ as the root for condensing lengthy Web addresses, the site is also proving that convenient URLs aren’t just about reducing characters. The free short URL service also offers link customization, allowing you to decide how to name the URL before sharing it.

For instance, if you want to use the URL shortener to share a link of useful business tips with colleagues, friends and followers, you might simply link to it as “X.CO/BizTips.” Imagine how easy it would be to pass that around, both on and offline. Once you’ve created a short URL, it’s yours to keep, share and monitor for as long as you’d like.

Registered users can share their X.CO URLs instantly via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and others. All it takes is one extra click. A bookmark feature also enables users to shorten a web page URL directly from a browser with one click.

“X-dot-CO helps users cut through the clutter – making it much easier to share Web links,” said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “I’ve used my fair share of URL shorteners, each had one element or another I liked, but X-dot-CO has all the qualities I like to use rolled into one.”

X.CO users not only get to share their content in a convenient and customizable way, but also use the site’s analytical reporting features to track their link’s activity. The analytics break down how many clicks their URL received across the Web, trending charts organizing the URL’s views by month and day, and also how and where it was reposted. This feature can be particularly useful to businesses or individuals trying to monitor the popularity of their content.

X.CO is an entirely free service for all users. To take advantage of the analytical reporting and customization upgrades, users only need to register for a free account with Go Daddy.

To start shortening links and tracking their reach, visit X.CO today.

To learn how to build and grow your business online, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

Follow & Friend Go Daddy on Twitter & Facebook.

About The Go Daddy Group, Inc.

Go Daddy is a leading provider of services that enable individuals and businesses to establish, maintain and evolve an online presence. Go Daddy provides a variety of domain name registration plans and website design and hosting packages, as well as a broad array of on-demand services. These include products such as SSL Certificates, Domains by Proxy private registration, ecommerce website hosting, blog templates and blog software, podcast packages and online photo hosting. The Go Daddy Group has more than 43 million domain names under management. Go Daddy registers, renews or transfers a domain name every second. GoDaddy.com is the world’s largest Web hosting provider and is the world's No. 1 domain name registrar according to Name Intelligence, Inc. During the first half of 2010, The Go Daddy Group registered more than one-third of all new domain names created in the top six generic top-level domains, or gTLDs, including .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .mobi.

- The Go Daddy Group -