Find Out How Microsoft's Plans Could Make Your Subscribers Beg
You for RSS Content!
Author: Kent Thompson
Microsoft recently announced that they will be releasing a new
browser version sometime this summer. The new browser version
was to be released with Longhorn, the code name for their next
operating system to replace Windows XP, but they decided that
they needed to release it sooner than that.
Many think the reason is because Firefox, the new popular
browser, has introduced some key features that many surfers have
come to expect. This probably has put pressure on Microsoft to
respond with a browser with the same specs.
One of these key features is tabbed browsing, which allows you
to browse to multiple sites using just one window with tabs
rather than opening a new window for each page.
But tabbed browsing isn't all...
I am really excited about the possibility of a new feature that
could change the way web-surfers get their content!
Although there has been no formal announcement about this, there
has been a lot of speculation about the new browser including a
built-in RSS reader.
An RSS what???
Let me explain...
RSS has taken off like a rocket. Blog sites love it, and every
major website out there now supports it including CNN, ESPN,
Yahoo, Google, and MSN.
RSS is nothing more than a format for delivering article
headlines that can be read and neatly displayed by RSS readers,
much like an email program displays email messages.
But so far the popularity of RSS has been confined mainly to
blogsites and tech-saavy individuals who know how to "tune in"
to an RSS Feed. Though it is spreading like wildfire, many
average web users have no idea what RSS is! (I've confirmed that
by recently asking several of my friends, and none of them had
ever heard of it!)
This is all about to change!
Microsoft has very good reason to include an RSS reader with
their new IE version. If they don't, surfers may have reason to
switch to another that does. Firefox already includes an RSS
reader.
If they DO include an RSS reader, think of the implications:
- You could browse to a webpage and IE could "discover" any RSS
links on the page and notify you of them
- You may be able to Right-Click on an RSS Feed and have an
option to "Add to RSS Reader", which would instantly subscribe
you to the Feed.
- Web developers may be able to write web pages that allow
visitors to automatically subscribe to a feed by clicking a
button or submitting a form.
Remember, Firefox already has all these features, but the vast
majority still uses IE!
Once visitors learn how RSS works and figure out how easy and
convenient it is, RSS will become the expected format.
Soon you will be FORCED to offer RSS content because consumers
will not want to hand out their email address anymore!
The time will come...will you be ready to deliver?
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