Apple introduced “vanity URLs” a few days ago, allowing developers to promote their apps with an easy to remember App Store URL. The feature made its major debut Sunday night during a Super Bowl commercial for the upcoming epic flick, Star Trek: Into Darkness.
At the end of the commercial, there is a promotion for the film’s companion app, directing viewers to AppStore.com/StarTrekApp. This link takes users to the app page in the App Store, functioning in the same way as the traditional itunes.apple.com link.
According to the Apple Developer Notes, the URLs will be assigned to apps as they are submitted to the iTunes App Store or Mac App Store.
The links are perfect for developers who want a short, easy to remember URL to use to share an app in a print ad, TV or radio spot, App trailer, or even a billboard.
The simple domain names can be directed to an individual app, or a group of apps. Names that result in naming conflicts will be directed to a search page, so developers are being encouraged by Apple to create unique app names for future apps.
Apple has owned the AppStore.com domain name since shortly after the App Store debuted in 2008, but this marks the first time Apple has put the domain name to use.
And wasn’t that Star Trek trailer cool? Seeing the Enterprise free-falling toward Earth? Woo-Hoo!
