Create Your Own RSS Feed

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has become an increasingly important tool for anyone who has a product, news, or other important information on their Web site. RSS allows users to subscribe to a feed so they do not have to continually return to your site for updated content. When you add fresh content to your site, users will receive the update in their feed reader. Now, RSS readers are available in Web browsers (such as Firefox, IE 7, and Safari) and in some e-mail programs, and RSS usage is becoming more commonplace. If your site is not currently RSS-enabled, there is an easy way to create your own feed and offer this service to your users.

Create an RSS Feed
First, you will need to create a basic RSS file. The easiest way to get started is to copy and paste some sample code into Notepad or another plain text editor file. You can find sample RSS feed code at sites such as devx.com. Once you have copied the code, tailor it to your own news and information: replace the information between the tags (title, link, description, and so on) with your information. Once you have changed the appropriate code, save the file with an .xml extension and place it in your Web site directory (i.e., www.yoursite.com/rss.xml).

Test Your Feed
Now that you have a feed, you will want to test it. Use a free RSS reader like Bloglines or Google Reader to be sure it works properly.

Update Your Feed
You can update your RSS file by hand, but an easier way is to use an RSS code updater like the one found at webdevtips.co.uk. There, you can add new items to your feed and the site will generate new feed code. Copy and paste this code into your RSS file. When you re-save this file to your Web directory, the new feed items will be published. Update your feed whenever you add new content to your site.

Track Your Feed
Feedburner is a free, easy way to track the amount of users who subscribe to your feed and click through to content on your Web site. It will publish a new RSS URL for your feed (i.e., feeds.feedburner.com/yourfeed) which you can promote to your users.