Does your website provide an RSS news feed?

Do you know what RSS is?

Do you mind?

If you haven’t been interested in RSS until now, very soon you won’t have a choice. The imminent arrival of Internet Explorer 7 could well change the way information is found, distributed, and read.

IE7 will make it easier than ever to promote your news feed to visitors, and subscribing will be as simple as adding a new bookmark. IE7 will push RSS from the domain of web geeks to the mainstream. Hold on tight because there’s about to be an RSS explosion and your business better be ready for it.

Few people will buy your product or service the first time they visit your site. If you have an RSS feed, then you have an opportunity to build trust over time (see my previous posts on RSS and blogging for more information on how you can use RSS to market your business).

The use of RSS is bound to explode and become as important a content delivery vehicle as email. The hurdles of having to understand how RSS works and what a news aggregator is will be overcome in one giant leap.

IE7 is now in its third stage of beta testing with the official version due to be available before the end of the year. In addition to closing various security holes and a fresh coat of paint, the new web browser will feature an RSS button integrated into its toolbar. Megan Kidd, product manager for Microsoft Windows, praised: “We believe that RSS is key to how people will use the Internet in the future.”

The RSS button in the new IE7 will light up to visually show if a site provides a news feed. So it’s simply a case of clicking the button and subscribing. This could replace bookmarks as the way people record places of interest.

With full RSS support in the new Outlook and Windows Vista, your feeds will soon be delivered directly to your desktop. Why waste time checking all your bookmarks when you can automatically receive updates?

So what does this mean for your business?

The impending spread of RSS could change the way the Internet is used to obtain information. People will increasingly rely on their RSS feeds for the latest industry and product news. You don’t waste time walking to the newsstand when you can have your paper delivered right to your door.

The importance of regularly updated content will go beyond merely being part of an ‘organic’ SEO strategy. Web users will subscribe to news sources in far greater numbers, and this will determine which sites will get the most attention. It will be the companies that provide the latest news and articles that will thrive in the new content-driven online world.

As RSS achieves massive market penetration, it may even begin to replace email. With inboxes clogged with spam and messages blocked by overzealous junk filters, RSS offers a new vehicle for contacting subscribers.

Mass delivery of content, such as newsletters, product updates, and industry news, could be managed using RSS. That way, it’s guaranteed to reach subscribers and they’re much more likely to read it.

If you’re serious about online marketing and developing relationships with potential customers, you need to start shaping your RSS strategy. IE7 will be available before the end of the year. At that point, you’ll want to make sure the RSS button lights up whenever people come to your site.