RSS, or what is now known as “Really Simple Syndication,” is a file format that Internet users embed on their websites to enable “web syndication,” making their web content available in a format that others can universally understand. people.
In essence, RSS is a ‘mini-database’ containing titles and descriptions (a summary or a line or two of the full article) of your web content, including hyperlinks that allow users to return to the full article of their choice.
RSS websites, ie websites that contain RSS ‘feeds’ (articles or posts), often have colorful graphics to indicate to users that specific web content is available via RSS feeds. These graphics are usually represented by orange rectangles that are usually marked with ‘RSS’ or ‘XML’.
With its increasing popularity, RSS is now being adopted and used by more website owners or publishers. Today, there are numerous resources available to help web surfers (and even beginners) on how to set up and use RSS.
Setting up RSS feeds and adding them to your website can be a simple process that doesn’t involve a lot of time or money. Listed below are some simple and basic steps that you may want to follow:
1. Have your web content and/or news in an RSS feed format, such as XML (appropriate and ‘prepared’ feeds are also available from other feeds).
2. Click on the orange graphic – this is the RSS feed icon. Take note of the URL of the RSS feed; this will be displayed in the address bar (for Internet Explorer).
3. Enter the URL of the feed into your RSS feed creation program.
4. Click the “Generate Feed” button. This will generate the RSS code for your web content.
5. Enter the RSS code in the appropriate place on your own website.
After you’ve created an RSS feed for your website, then comes the task of publishing your website’s content and news and displaying it on other sites and headline readers. This is possible thanks to the use of RSS readers or aggregators.
RSS readers or news aggregators are used to view certain web content. RSS readers contain the collection of ‘feeds’ or RSS files from content providers, and are generally categorized into 3 types:
Desktop RSS Readers – Also known as standalone desktop applications, these usually ‘run’ in the background and are similar to an email client, collecting feeds and updating items automatically as they are updated.
Web-based aggregators: These are online services that allow users to customize web pages, updating them each time the page is accessed or each time a person logs into the service.
Plug-in aggregators/readers: use web browsers or email clients, which allow users to view RSS feeds while inside an existing program.
Having an RSS-enabled website provides Internet users (especially those who are website owners) with the following benefits:
It allows users to generate up-to-date news and posts, as information and content from RSS readers or aggregators is automatically updated each time the RSS feed is ‘updated’.
It allows users to have control over the information they want to see or receive, as they can delete a feed of their choice at any time they want.
Apart from these benefits, RSS websites are also useful for people conducting their business on the Internet, particularly Internet or Online Marketing. RSS can be an effective marketing tool for your website, especially in the following fields:
Publishing and email marketing
Search Engine Marketing and Optimization
business blogs
Internet publicity
·Digital public relations
Brand and e-commerce
In addition, RSS can ’empower’ your website, giving you the following:
·Valuable, up-to-date, and relevant resources for site visitors and potential customers: RSS is ideal for websites that contain (and distribute) a lot of information that needs to be changed or updated regularly.
Search engine optimization for website.
Increased Website Traffic – Your website can ‘harvest’ and display information from other sites, which drives more traffic to your own website.
A wide selection of ‘channels’ for content distribution, such as PDAs, cell phones, voice mail and email messages.
A reliable way to deliver your web content to Internet users and potential customers: RSS ensures that your site is seen by the people who are interested in it, without being blocked and ‘cleaned up’ by ISPs or spam filters.
These are just some of the benefits that RSS can bring to your website (and your business). The possibilities are endless as more and more crop up almost every day. Don’t get left behind: harness the marketing and publishing power of RSS.