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Pros and Cons of RSS
Pros and Cons of RSS
By Sharon Housley
If you are struggling with the decision of whether to
implement RSS feeds or not, consider the following pros
and cons for webmasters who use RSS feeds as part of
their content and communication plan...
Benefits (Pros Of Using RSS)
The benefits for a webmaster who opts to implement RSS
feeds on their website are numerous:
1. Saves Time
RSS feeds save time. RSS subscribers can quickly scan
RSS feeds, without having to visit each and every website.
Subscribers can then click on any items they are interested
in, to get additional information.
2. Timely
RSS feeds are timely. RSS feeds will automatically update
themselves any time new information is posted, so the
information your subscribers receive via their RSS reader
or news aggregator is timely.
3. Spam Free
RSS is free of spam. Subscribers don't have to worry
about wading through huge amounts of spam in an attempt
to get to the information they are actually interested
in.
4. Opt-In
The RSS subscriber chooses what they want to see, and
what information they wish to receive. Knowing they
have full control, and that they do not have to provide
any personal information to subscribe, they will be
more likely to opt-in.
5. Unsubscribing Is Easy
It is also easy to unsubscribe from an RSS feed. If
they do not like information contained in an RSS feed,
they can simply remove the RSS feed from their RSS reader
or news aggregator in order to unsubscribe.
6. Alternate Communication Channel
RSS provides you with an alternate communication channel
for your business. And the more channels you provide,
the more opportunities you have to connect with your
customers and potential customers.
7. Expands Audience Through Syndication
The very nature of RSS is that it is designed specifically
for syndication (i.e. publication by others). And wide-spread
syndication can expand a company's reach and strengthen
the company brand.
8. Can Increase Backlinks
When an RSS feed is syndicated, it can increase the
number of links back to the original website. And additional
incoming links will often help a website rank better
in organic search rankings.
9. Increases Productivity
RSS increases productivity, allowing people to quickly
scan new posts and headlines, and only clicking through
and spending time on the items of interest.
10. Competitive
Whether you decide to implement RSS feeds or not, your
competitors likely will. So one way to remain competitive
is to implement RSS feeds and other web 2.0 technology,
and not allow your competition to get ahead of you.
Negatives (Cons Against Using RSS)
1. Not Widely Adopted Yet
Outside of technical circles, RSS has not yet been widely
adopted. While it is becoming more and more popular,
it is still far from being a mainstream technology.
2. Content Can Easily Be Copied
Content contained in an RSS feed can easily be copied
and replicated, regardless of whether you want it to
be or not. Few aggregators respect the copyrights of
content contained in an RSS feed.
3. Tracking Subscribers Is Difficult
It is very difficult to accurately track the number
of subscribers who read an RSS feed or the items contained
in an RSS feed. This is due in part to the fact that
at its heart, RSS is all about achieving the widest
syndication possible.
4. Source Origination Difficult
It is sometimes difficult to discern the origin of an
RSS feed item. When an item is syndicated, the source
is not always indicated. The metrics available are not
always reflective of the traffic received.
Weigh the pros and cons of implementing an RSS feed
as a communication channel, and determine whether the
benefits outweigh the risks in your own situation.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in
publications and websites, provided that the resource
box is included and the links are active. A courtesy
copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
Additional articles available for publication available
at http://www.small-business-software.net/free-website-content.htm
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