dezin Talk Orhan Mc Millan Dezins Print and Web Services

Add an R-S-S to your S-I-T-E and get more T-R-A-F-F-I-C

Want an easy way to distribute your news/events? Want more web traffic? Then you need an RSS news feed. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication.

RSS is a format that allows the syndication or making available of lists of news headlines, upcoming events, etc. to your interested customers. Each listing has a hyperlink directly to your website thus more traffic.

Basically, the interested customer goes to your website where you have an RSS link. They click on this link and your “feed” is added to their software. If they are a first time RSS user, the link will allow them to download and use RSS software. Many simple and free programs are already available that file subscribed links; similar to the way your inbox looks in your email program.

For example, imagine that your company announces a new product or feature every month or two. Without a feed, your viewers have to remember to come to your site and see if they find anything new — if they have time. If you provide a feed for them, they can point their software at it, and it will give them a link and a description of developments at your site almost as soon as they happen.

Choosing Content for Your Feeds Any list-oriented information on your site that your viewers might be interested in tracking or reusing is a good candidate for a feed. This can encompass news headlines and press releases, job listings, conference calendars and rankings, or upcoming events.

Finally, remember that feeds are just as — if not more — useful on an Intranet as they are on the Internet. Syndication can be a powerful tool for sharing and integrating information inside a company.

Telling People About Your Feed An important step after publishing a feed is letting your viewers know that it exists; there are a lot of feeds available on the Web now, but it’s hard to find them, making it difficult for viewers to utilize them.

These links should be placed on the Web page that is most similar to the feed content; this enables people to find them as they browse.

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