Choosing a feed reader
Now that you’ve read about and decided to add RSS feeds to your website, you need to find the best feed reader for your needs. There are surprisingly quite a few options that allow you to read RSS feeds, whether for you personally or for your company. To begin with, RSS feeds are not just limited to being accessed via the Internet. They can also be received on cell phones. It’s best to determine how you want your feeds to be access before downloading or purchasing the software. A RSS feed reader takes the code from a feed (HTML format) that is contained in a URL and puts it into a readable format, hence the name.
A desktop RSS (feed) reader can be downloaded from the web and often for free. This software allows you to organize the feeds. There are also web-based readers. These offer a bit more flexibility because they are not tied to any one computer. Web-based aggregate readers can be access anywhere the person can access the Internet. Additionally, if you have an e-mail newsletter, it’s possible to utilize RSS feeds into it by using an e-mail RSS feeds reader. This reader can be used with some of the most common e-mail software. The most recent addition to RSS readers sends feeds to subscribers’ mobile phones.
Now that the basic readers have been noted, you will need to know why you would pick one over another or use several kinds. Your audience should be factored into which feed reader you choose. If you want to use RSS feeds to supplement your e-mail newsletter, it’s best to utilize a feed reader that is compatible with e-mails, especially if this is how your core audience receives them.
Another few items to take into consideration when selecting a feed reader are speed and ease of import/use. If you have a large amount of feeds to import, it can take a long time to complete if you are using a reader that is slow. Depending on the amount of imports you are doing at a time, it is important to take speed into account when selecting the right feed reader for you. Be sure to select one that will not add aggravation to your process, but improve it.
Ease of use is also important when picking the optimal reader for you. Some feed readers can automatically detect feeds on websites you visit, which can aid you in importing them. If the feed reader you choose is hard to use, it can slow down the process of adding feeds to your site if it is cumbersome and not intuitive. Look for feed readers that are user-friendly.
There are also RSS feed readers that come with extra features. Some of these features can include the ability to upload your e-mail newsletter subscriber list, rather employ a random temp employee to manually type these e-mail addresses into the software. This feature will eliminate the hassle of including feeds in your e-newsletters.
As you compare and contrast RSS feed readers, keep in the mind function, speed, ease of use, and price. With the advent of RSS feed technology, there are many good feed readers now available online for free. One of the best ways to determine if a specific reader works for you is to play with it. Test it out with your own RSS feeds – have a co-worker try it as well to see how easy it is to use. If one of these doesn’t fit your needs, don’t be afraid to explore the avenue of purchasing software. Be sure the one or ones, you pick meet your needs, both now and in the future.
