RSS feeds are a hot topic ever since this whole Web 2.0 movement launched.  But I’ve found that while nearly everyone has heard of RSS feeds, there’s still some confusion about what RSS is and how it can be put to use on a real estate site.

What is RSS?
RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication, and it’s a method of distributing a Web site’s content.  When a site with RSS feeds enabled makes a post, a corresponding post is automatically created in the RSS feed.  Your site’s visitors can subscribe to your feed through a feed reader like Google Reader and anytime you update, they’ll be able to tell.  Since it’s fully automated, there’s no need to notify RSS subscribers through e-mail or anything like that.  It’s the simplest way of helping your visitors keep tabs on what you’re doing.

What are the disadvantages to RSS?
There aren’t many, but some site owners get concerned about doing too much through RSS because it eliminates the need for visitors to come to your site – they can just keep an eye on everything you’re doing remotely.  This is more of a concern for Web sites that subsist on advertising alone – Realtors are mostly concerned with pushing their properties or their information.  Still, if you want to force people back to your Web site, there’s an easy solution.  Most RSS generators give you the option of generating partial feeds, which only give an excerpt of the full article and a link back to your Web site.

What should I be using RSS for?
Any content you update frequently.  RSS is typically used most often with blogs – you can our RSS feed here – but it can be used in other areas as well.  One great way to use RSS would be to create a feed for your new listings.  Anyone in your community who is interested can subscribe to your RSS and be notified anytime you have a new listing.

How can I set RSS up?
It depends on your Web site.  If you’re using a popular blogging platform like WordPress, Blogger or ActiveRain’s new blogging platform, RSS feeds are built in.  If your Web site is a bit older or doesn’t have RSS built in, one easy way to get the functionality is to sign up for a basic Blogger account.  It’s free, and anytime you have a new listing or something new for your clients, you can login and make a post without having to know any code.  And it’ll give you an RSS feed you can give to your clients and leads.