Most people elsewhere do not know how to read urls
True, and probably an understatement. Many people, perhaps even most of them, don't know what a URL is, let alone how to interpret its components.
These are the people whose ultimate means of navigating to something is to type its name, or something like its name, into the browser search box. Assuming they pay any attention to URLs at all, they presumably treat (e.g.) the "www.mcdonalds.com" that they see on a print ad as a special magic keyword that can be typed into Google. And so it is.
True, and probably an understatement. Many people, perhaps even most of them, don't know what a URL is, let alone how to interpret its components.
These are the people whose ultimate means of navigating to something is to type its name, or something like its name, into the browser search box. Assuming they pay any attention to URLs at all, they presumably treat (e.g.) the "www.mcdonalds.com" that they see on a print ad as a special magic keyword that can be typed into Google. And so it is.