How To Make Your Site RSS User-Friendly

Despite all the hype and fuss surrounding RSS recently, for the majority of mainstream Internet users, RSS still remains a mysterious orange button sitting on your web site. They are totally unaware of this new method of syndicating information on the web.
This is not necessarily bad news!

For many Internet users are enjoying the benefits of RSS while remaining totally clueless as to its function or how it works. Programs like ‘MyYahoo’ and the RSS empowered Firefox Browser are letting surfers access RSS and enjoy its major benefits without having any or no knowledge of it.

In the very near future when Microsoft introduces its new RSS powered Longhorn Browser and operating system - this situation will hopefully continue. Internet users should be able to enjoy all the benefits of RSS without having to know what it is!

Users don’t have to know ‘DOS’ or even ‘HTML’ to enjoy the full benefits of the Internet and their computers. RSS should fall into this same category. It would quickly bring RSS into the mainstream without having to overcome a long learning curve.

However, until RSS is blended seamlessly into web sites and browsers, there remains one major problem with RSS. Most browsers can’t access the RSS feed directly. When many surfers click that little orange button on your site - they get a jumbled code or worst, their browser freezes. Many will depart your site scratching their heads or saying a few choice words in the direction of your site. Not a pleasant situation for anyone.

At the heart of the problem, an RSS Feed must be accessed by aggregators or an RSS feed (news) reader like Newsgator or an RSS empowered browser like Firefox which has a ‘Live Bookmark’ feature that basically updates your bookmarks or feeds with RSS. A direct link to an RSS feed just won’t work with most browsers.

Webmasters must fix this problem. You must fix this problem. You must make your site RSS User-Friendly. You should realize by now, every web site visitor counts. Besides, its just good net etiquette.

Here are some simple solutions to help alleviate this problem and make your site more RSS-Friendly:

1. Don’t just place the orange RSS button on your site. Always include a link ‘What is This?’ beside it. Have this link leading to a page explaining what RSS is and how your visitors can access and use it. This has a two-fold benefit; visitors who are familiar with RSS will know how to use the button, visitors who are in the dark can get a quick education in RSS 101! Here’s an example I have on my site.

’What Is RSS?’.

You are welcome to use this page on your site if you’re pressed for time. Just copy it and upload it to your site or link directly to it. It will do in a pinch!

2. As mentioned before some browsers can Automatically discover or Access your RSS feed. The Firefox Browser is a prime example. To facilitate or aid in this AutoDiscovery process place a simple code in the HEAD section of your webpage’s HTML code:

(link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://www.bizwaremagic.com/blog/atom.xml" /)

Just don’t forget to replace the (and) characters with < and > in your web page code. Also, place in your OWN feed!

3. Of course, many webmasters use many RSS buttons on their site to guide their visitors in the right direction. For example, placing a ‘MyYahoo’ button will make it easier for visitors using that program to access your RSS feeds. Bloglines and MyMSN buttons are other examples. Some webmasters even design their OWN RSS button for their sites. Just remember to place your ‘What is This?’ link beside it.

4. However, if your visitor is not using an aggregator or RSS equipped browser - they will still get the jumbled code that will be puzzling to them. One way around this problem is to use a free service from Feedburner.com and have your RSS Feed transformed or presented so that if can be read in your visitor’s browser. Instead of linking your orange button directly to your RSS feed, use the Free link from Feedburner in its place. Your web site visitors will then be able to read your feeds but they will also still be able to subscribe to your RSS feed.

More information on what this looks like here:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BurnThisRSS2

5. Perhaps, using the same system above, an easier and friendlier solution to use is a Headline Animator from Feedburner. This will display your RSS feed headlines on your site in a very User-Friendly way. Anyone wanting to subscribe to your feed can do so by clicking this Headline Animator. It will also provide your visitors with information and headlines about your feed’s content. Plus, it will give them a real sampling of your feed. It will immediately make your website more RSS-Friendly.

RSS is the wave of the future. It will play an ever increasing role in how information is exchanged on the web. Make sure your site is RSS User-Friendly so that you can take full advantage this new technology. Make sure your site is a pleasant RSS experience for all your visitors, it will not only put your site in a more favorable light, but it will also make your site more competitive in a very competitive world.

So for your visitor’s benefit and your own, make your site RSS-Friendly right now. Don’t delay. Just do it. Your visitors will thank you in more ways than one.