Online Business Support Services

Are you wondering why your links are not “live” like the ones you see all over the internet in articles, social network posts etc.?

The answer is simple: you did not use an  actual Uniform Resource Locator, more commonly known as a URL and although a simple www.expertbusinesspartners.com entry will work in some environments, many platforms (like Facebook and Twitter)  will not make the site name live without an actual URL.

So what is a URL? According to the WEPOPEDIA, it is the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web.  The first part of the address is called a protocol identifier and it indicates what protocol to use, and the second part is called a resource name and it specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located. The protocol identifier and the resource name are separated by a colon and two forward slashes.”

In plain language: the entire text you see in your browser when you visit a webpage (except in instances of masking – which is another topic for another time).  See diagram below then read on:

Finding a URL

There are three common types of protocol that you can use to create a url that will provide a live link to the page you wish to share in your content:

• File Transfer Protocol commonly referred to and written as FTP (used for uploading content to websites)
• Hyper Text Transfer Protocol commonly referred to as HTTP (most common type)
• Hyper Text  Transfer Protocol Secure commonly referred to as HTTPS and used to secured content (like the stuff you see only after you have entered a password)

So, how do you enter a live link in content you post on the web?   There are two options: (depending on where you are entering the data you may have the single option only)

• HTTP:   Simply type in the url as displayed in the browser after you have entered your web page name (see diagram above and, you can simply cut and paste the url for accuracy)   e.g In your Facebook profile where you enter your Web Address, if you simply type: www.ginastorr.com, FB now automatically adds the http:// protocol, which makes it a live link and you will see it displayed as http://www.ginastorr.com (if you have that featured turned on).Another example: if you posted something to your Facebook or Twitter wall that said: visit my website at www.expertbusinesspartners.com, it will display as is but, will not be live, as it is in this post. If however you typed: http://www.expertbusinesspartners.com, it will be live as it is here.
• HYPERLINKS – Don’t you love it when you receive a document or an email that has links that allow you to see the mentioned information with a simple click? Usually, you are prompted to click on a word or phrase and when you do, you are taken to a source on the web or a URL. You’ve already seen this in action if you clicked on any of the links in this article. And, hyperlinks work in PDF documents too!  To learn more and download illustrated instructions,  CLICK HERE (you will be asked to join my mailing list to download the document – no worries, if you can unsubscribe at any time and we do not share your information, period!).

If you prefer not to download the full content, continue reading for a brief and non-illustrated version:

• enter text in document/email

• highlight text
• select insert/hyperlink from menu (placement on menu bar will vary slightly by document)

• enter url that you wish to link to
• hit ok

Now go forth and Liven Up Your Links!!!

One Response to “Liven up your links!”