You may have heard to term "blog". A blog is a website that is generally the work of a single person. Some have called blogs online diaries. Typically a blog site is updated often (several times per day, or once a day), contains short articles that often reference other articles on the internet. It is a running conversation from the perspective of the blogger.
Blogging has taken off in a big was because of a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication). RSS lets the prospective reader be notified when the publisher has published a new article. In earlier times, and still today, many websites use email newsletters to let their subscribers know that something new has happened on their website. Newsletters are fine, but they have some drawbacks. First, by now nearly every email box is loaded with more spam than it is with real informational messages. Because of spam, people ignore their email, or mistakenly delete email when they are deleting all the junk. Second, to receive email newsletters, the reader must sign up. The sign up process can be easy -- just provide an email address and a password. But it usually involves fillng out a form which supplies the publisher with various bits of marketing information. Many people don't like this, and so they won't subscribe.
Enter RSS. RSS can provide the potential reader with an indication that a site has new information, but the reader doesn't have to sign up. Here's how it works.
Each time the publisher adds new content to his website, he also publishes a small specially formatted file that contains the title of the new articles, a short synopsis of what is in the article, or even a complete copy of the article. The potential reader makes use of a program called a Feed Reader which automatically checks all of the RSS feeds that its owner wishes to know about. They can be checked every hour or twice a day, whatever. This is done by the Feed Reader. When new articles are available, the feed reader lists them. Feed Readers are easy to use, easy as a browser. In fact, the new Firefox browser includes a feed reader, so you can be notified of new and interesting content with the same program you use to access the web.
Since bloggers generally update their sites often, RSS was a very good way to let interested readers know about what they had just published. But RSS is good for any website that wants to keep its readers current. It is kind to the reader, because it doesn't require the reader to give away private information to the site publisher. It is kind to the reader because it doesn't add to his already large email mess. And it is great for the publisher because it lets you tap the shoulder of your previous readers. Signing up for an RSS feed is easy. You just click on the little RSS icon that is displayed on any site the has a feed.
So, if you are considering a new website, or want to get more mileage out of the site your have, consider adding RSS feed capabilities. You will get many more return readers -- and isn't that the goal of having a website?