RSS(Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary) is widely becoming a VERY powerful marketing tool on the NET and for Internet marketers around the world, the question is…

… "Are you using RSS to syndicate your content?"

When I first stumbled across RSS syndication while surfing the net, it piqued my curiosity to the point where I couldn't help myself, but, to look into this new form of site promotion further.

What I found out about this new technology will absolutely change the way you keep in touch with your subscribers and/or readers, in many ways, for years to come.

Just to keep up with the times I recently built a webpage for my website specifically to promote my RSS feed in order to take on new subscribers, and… most important of all, to put this new technology to the test.

Here's what my webpage looks like if you decide to build your own dedicated webpage for your RSS feed. I highly recommend you do, but, that's just me.

If you do decide to build one, make sure you give your subscribers and/or readers options.

http://www.internetwondersezine.com/rss_feed.html

Now, for those of you who aren't quite up to speed on what RSS is, here's a quick definition for you:

RSS is an acronym for "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", and the XML extension is the format used for distributing your news headlines via the Web, which is known as Syndication.

Syndication is where the TRUE power of RSS is unleashed, getting your message across the web in an Instant to your subscribers and/or readers.

That's the basics of RSS(Real Simple Syndication).

Now, for the rest of this article I want to focus on the "10 MOST Powerful Reasons WHY You Should Be Using It".

So, with that said, let's go to reason #1.

Reason #1. RSS Streamlines communication.

RSS streamlines communication between the publishers and readers making it easier for the subscriber to receive your content.

Reason #2. Readers can Opt-In to feeds.

RSS gives the subscriber the ability to Opt-In to the feeds they are interested in and the ability to Opt-Out if they wish through there RSS reader just like an auto-responder.

Reason #3. You don't have to maintain an RSS feed.

This is a great time saver for the busy marketer because RSS is a great communication supplement that doesn't burden the publisher with having to maintain a "List" or having to follow strict privacy rules.

Reason #4. You have the ability to Syndicate your content.

This is where the TRUE power of RSS comes into play because RSS gives you the ability to Syndicate your content to your subscribers and website owners in an INSTANT giving your content the exposure it deserves.

Reason #5. Broadcasts your Sales and Specials.

RSS gives you the ability to broadcast your Sales message and Specials to a wider audience in less time it would take to set-up an email broadcast.

Reason #6. No filters to worry about.

This is the next best feature to RSS feeds because you don't have to worry about your message being passed through some email filter.

By using RSS, your message gets delivered to 100% of your subscribers.

This is a very powerful feature.

Reason #7. No more "Spam" complaints.

This is yet another great benefit to RSS because you never have to worry about "Spam" complaints or "Privacy Policies" again because they have to add your feed to there reader, not the other way around with email.

Reason #8. You get INSTANT credibility.

By publishing your own RSS feed your establishing yourself as an expert in the eyes of your readers as someone who knows his/her industry which will build "Trust".

Reason #9. Multiple ways to read your feed.

RSS is very versatile because it allows you to view the feed in many different media platforms.

Some examples are, Browser Based readers, Software Based readers, and the ability to view feeds on different operating systems like windows and mac.

Reason #10. Free and Easy site promotion.

I like to save the best for last because RSS is a great way to get free traffic to your website without the need of spending money on advertising.

This benefit alone will save you hundreds, if not, thousands in advertising expenses a year in costs to advertise your online business.

Well… are those enough reasons for you to get started with RSS?

I certainly hope so because they sure get me excited everytime I read through them.

Just imagine for a minute your same message you worked so hard on that you were going to send via email getting to 100% of your subscribers INSTANTLY — On-Demand — via your own RSS feed without ever having to worry about email filters.

Your response rates would Double, if not, Triple, meaning MORE $$Profits$$ in your pocket with less work.

Internet technology at its Best.

As I mentioned early in my article, the best way to take advantage of RSS… Starting TODAY! … is to set-up your own dedicated RSS webpage on your website.

If you don't have time to set-up your own webpage I recommend you set-up an account with Blogger.com — http://www.blogger.com — and then head over to FeedBurner.com — http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/home — and set-up an account there.

FeedBurner.com will auto-generate you a RSS subscription page with whatever RSS feed URL you choose.

Well… there you have it, "RSS… And The 10 MOST Powerful Reasons WHY You Should Be Using It" and more.

In conclusion, publishers using RSS as a communication vehicle for their business are able to create keyword-rich, themed content, establishing Trust, Credibility, and ongoing communication with current and prospective subscribers and/or customers without the worry of email filters getting in the way and GUARANTEE's 100% delivery.

The Internet has revolutionized our world. It's really that simple. The introduction of email has reshaped the way we live our lives and how we do business. It allows instant global communication for the masses - no matter where you are in the world you are never more than a quick email away from home. With progress came abuse in the form of spam or junk email. We're all familiar with this particular problem. There is, however, a new problem. It's called splogging - the son of spam.

Splogging refers to spammers using blogs (web logs) to profit from as a business. If you're not familiar with the term blog it's simply an online journal that legitimate businesses are using to great effect online. Blogs look and act just like normal websites but are usually updated daily by their owners - which search engines just love.

Sploggers are not using blogs legitimately however. It's the same old routine. They've taken something that has real value and use and have now corrupted it for their own purposes. So spam blogs = splogs. It's a cute name for something that has become a real problem online.

So what do sploggers do? It's quite a simple process really. They use special software packages to generate hundreds or thousands of blogs each and every day. They then fill these blogs with crap content produced by other software packages - most of this content is barely readable. They then fill those pages of content with adverts. The splogs are then found by the search engines, people click on the ads and the splogger makes lots of money. The splogs are specifically built to offer no real value so that you'll click on the Google or Yahoo ads instead. It's a complete scam.

I'm sure you're sick of seeing these spammy sites show up in search engine results. Splogging adds nothing to the online world and makes surfing the 'net very frustrating. There's a difference though. You can take direct action against sploggers.

What can you do?

If you ever see Google or Yahoo ads on these splogs then simply report the splog to the relevant search engine. They hate splogs because of the extremely poor quality of their content. You can report them by using the feedback link on the ads themselves. The splogger may receive a warning or in some cases Google and Yahoo will shut their accounts down completely. The end result is no more money for the splogger and no more splogs.

Help make the Internet a cleaner and more useful place to be. Report a splogger today.

Web design is always a challenge: new web browsers make website owners to turn to web designers to redesign their web pages; different web browsers display websites in different ways, leading to the same problem: redesign. This is costly, needs time and if the job is not done right, the release of a new web browser may lead to the same trouble. Moreover: a non-standard-compliant website is not a user friendly website (obviously!) and it might damage your business, by driving your visitors away.

To avoid the inconvenience, ask your web developer to create an "all browsers compatible" website.

Design for All the Web Browsers

It's advisable that you have your website designed according to the World Wide Web Consortium's accessibility standards. These standards were created to improve user experience and Internet functionality. The most popular web browsers are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari (for Mac) and Konqueror (Linux). Once upon a time there was Netscape ruling over the Web. Right now Internet Explorer (IE 6) is the most popular browser, but Firefox is winning territory

With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is looking for the perfect gift. For the employer, a child’s teacher, family physician or dentist, it is often difficult to know what to buy. For this reason, many choose sweets and other tasty treats. If you’ve picked up a specialty catalog lately, then you probably notice the expense associated with these delicious gifts. What does this mean for the eBay seller? If you know how to put together a stunning customized gift tower at a fraction of the retail cost, customers may just look to you for their shopping needs.

If so many others offer gift towers, what will make yours stand out above the competition? It’s simple. Customization will make your product the best option for shoppers who want to personally choose exactly what’s included in their gift. A tower gift is simply three or more treat-filled boxes that are stacked atop one another and sealed with a ribbon and bow. Most specialty catalogs offer these towers with preselected goodies, but you can offer something different to your customers. Perhaps your shoppers will want to give all milk chocolate treats or maybe they prefer a more personalized variety according to the recipient’s taste. It’s important to note that individuals have different preferences when it comes to the food that they eat, which is why it is so important to offer customization.

The best way to advertise this type of product is to use the word ‘customized’ or ‘made to order’ in the item title. Be sure to point out the size of each box and provide a quality photo of how the finished product will arrive. To avoid having the chocolate melt, it’s a good idea to offer express shipping. In the item description, provide a list of the available food selections and allow winning bidders to make their choice. Do not include anything that will spoil, needs to be frozen or refrigerated or may otherwise have problems with shipping.

Does a gift tower have to include food? Absolutely not. You can offer a gift tower with toys, beauty items, fashion jewelry or any other small items that you can easily fit into a box and still offer a nice presentation. By providing more options, your listing will attract new buyers and thereby earn even bigger profits.

When listing a ‘made to order’ item on eBay, it’s important to follow their terms of service in how you present your listing. If you are providing a customized product, which is the case in this scenario, it’s essential to point this out as opposed to presenting the listing as a ‘choice of’ auction. Customized products have and will always be a popular gift idea, especially as the holidays draw near, but they are also excellent products to offer throughout the year and for every holiday.

Current eBay policy recommends that sellers provide food in a sealed container, clearly indicate the ingredients and/or expiration date and also advises sellers to check with their home state regarding license requirements for the selling of food items, which may include a food-handlers card and/or other necessary licenses.

When building websites there are two main options: large content site or small mini-sites. Large content sites are normally more "information" focused. Mini-sites, however, normally have one purpose only, to sell.

Given what search engines want, large content sites are much better for getting search engine traffic. Most of the time (unless you're excellent at optimizing), it's hard to get mini-sites to rank well for competitive keywords.

This is why most do NOT rely on search engines for traffic to their mini-sites.

In all honesty, the best strategy is to combine the two types of sites by having a large content site to rank well with search engines that feeds traffic to your mini-sites.

However, not all of us have the time or know-how to easily build large sites that do well with search engines. Most of us just want to put up a small site and start making money.

Here are the 3 traffic generating techniques I use everyday for traffic to mini-sites.

#1: Forums/Discussion Boards

I have made more than $6,000 from one mini-site just by targeting it to the right forum in my signature file. All I did was leave a nice statement in my signature file; in 1 month I attracted over 5,000 targeted visitors that converted to over $6,000 for me.

The basic strategy here is that you need to find related forums and become active in them. Get yourself known, find out what those members talk about and find an affiliate product to fit their demand.

Then, make a nice, simple, yet captive site with a great headline followed by a review of the product. Test it and if it pulls well, you have a winner. If not, choose another product.

#2: Ezine Advertising

I would rate ezine advertising at the second best way to gather traffic to your mini-sites only because this technique can cost some money. Forum promotions have no cost (typically). However, ezine advertising can provide much better results.

Forum marketing requires you taking the time to make sensible responses or asking good questions. However, with ezine advertising, you just write a good promotion and let the publisher send it out.

An advantage of ezine advertising is that you know before you promote that you have a targeted audience that has already expressed an interest in your topic.

Also, the subscriber and the publisher most likely have a good relationship (considering the subscriber has not left) and so your promotion comes with credibility and may get more attention.

One of the keys to doing well with ezine advertising (for me) has been repeated ads in the same ezine. I have found that my results are best in the second of third promotion. However, if I get no results on my first mailing, I do not repeat that ezine again.

Warning: Not all ezines are the same. Some will be major winners and others will be major flops.

#3: Directory Sites

Alright, here is the controversial technique that I use very successfully. I know, I know, some of you will think that it is "wrong" - but in the end, my job is to teach you how I get my traffic; that is exactly what I am going to do.

Directory sites are sites created by software that automatically build you a site which is 500 or more pages. These sites are just simply uploaded to a domain name. Most (if done right) tend to do well with search engines. That traffic is then forwarded to your mini-sites.

As you can see, we're holding fast to our policy of building a funnel system where we use the large sites to bring in the "no cost" search engine traffic (which is also highly targeted). However, all the "selling" takes place on our mini-sites.

Large sites = Traffic Gathering Mini sites = Conversion Into Sales

Obviously there are many more techniques to use to attract traffic to your mini-sites such as banners, pay per click, link exchanging, etc… I just wanted to discuss the top 3 that are the easiest to implement and require the least learning curve (in my opinion).

Copyright 2005 Kurma Group

Although we are aware of Linux adoption by large enterprises, most people do not know that there are sizeable numbers of installations in small and medium businesses (SMBs) as well. This base is set to grow as server vendors lob tailor made Linux servers and applications at SMBs.

Country manager, pSeries & Open power, IBM says, "Unlike large enterprises, SMBs do not have to face the challenge of migrating legacy applications. The popularity with SMBs has helped Linux grow at 30 percent globally".

The general consensus is that Linux did better in 2004 than anyone had predicted. Director Enterprise Marketing & alliances, Customers solution Group, HP India says, " As per IDC India, Linux in the server market grew by 48 percent in OND, 2004 over JAS, 2004, while the windows and Unix markets showed a modest 3 percent and 3.4 percent growth respectively during the same period."

For any OS to succeed, applications need to be made available. SMBs can be major draw for Linux servers as it offers them lower TCO and tighter control on their IT spends. Since many SMBs already have home grown applications, a proprietary OS will be the single largest area of spending. It is here that Linux offers a big advantage.

The availability of version 2.6 of the Linux kernel in Red hat Enterprise Linux 4 and Novell's SuSE 9 will give a big boost to vertical scalability. As SMBs become a part of the global supply chain, they want enterprise applications on Linux to keep their investment low. This trend will be a key enabler for the Linux server market worldwide.

Why Linux Based servers?

Cost is a factor and Linux offers better security as the source code of proprietary software is always kept a secret. With a community supporting it, any security hole in Linux is quickly found and patched.

Linux not only lets an organization save on software costs, it also offers long term long term saving on hardware. Instead of being forced to upgrade software with Linux, an SMB can take control of its IT strategy. Chief technology officer of IDBI bank says, "You decide when you wish to upgrade, not the vendor, hence you get tighter control on your spending." This can be particularly important for users, such as SMBs that cannot afford to keep up with the pace of change in commercial software.

Business application and Linux

There is credit to Oracle for driving the Linux server market. During the early part of 2004, Oracle came up with a value offering. It offered pre- configured Oracle E-Business Suite special edition on Lintel Boxes for a 10 user License for $36,000USD. The traction of this offering was seen towards the end of 2004 when we closed a dozen deals that were in various stages of implementation, says General Manager, Oracle India. This is a testimony that SMBs are opting for Linux servers. SAP is following Oracle in making application available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Customized and certified

All server vendors including HP, IBM and SGI are throwing their weight behind Linux and each has a SMB specific business strategy with significant initiatives to lure them.

HP has announced that some of its high end computing tools from the HP-UX environment are ported onto Linux and made available to SMBs. This includes a clustering solution called HP service guard for high availability of applications and management tools such as Systems insight Manager(SIM) and open view that offer third party integration. Additionally HP is creating a reference architecture stack, including hardware, OS, database and Middleware. HP certifies a stack so that customers can feel more confident on deploying their core business application on Linux. Linux servers are popular in high performance computing(HPC) environments such as research labs.

IBM has recently launched a new family of eserver Openpower systems based on its Power5 processor specially designed for Linux. The Power5 comes with a micropartitioning technology called Virtualisation Engine(VE) wherein each processor can be sliced into ten virtual partitions with each partition acting as a new server. IBM's eserver Openpower 710 is a single CPU processor with 3 HDDs and 512 MB memory with RAID level 1 and 5. This eserver offers SMBs an affordable alternative to higher priced entry level Unix or Linux system. Openpower offers a 64bit platform at a price point of a 32 bit offering. We believe that it is the right product for the mass market.

Sun Microsystems has the Sun fire V20 and V40 severs based on the 64 bit AMD Opteron processor, which has been successful with SMBs. It also offers the Solaris 10 Opetron combination. Sun is aiming to position Solaris 10 as its trump card to take the fight to commercial Linux with support

Journal writing used to be a private, personal experience done late at night, scribbling hardly legible thoughts and daily occurrences down on paper amidst the haze of a barely lit room. When read over on a later date one could find connections and coincidences that sometimes brought deeper insights into the meaning of life. Also, old ideas could be rekindled that otherwise may have been forgotten forever.

In the 21st century a strange new type of journal writing is becoming prevalent in contemporary society. Called Blogs, these are journals used by the masses. Why are people sharing their thoughts instead of keeping them private like the days of old? These journals are found on the World Wide Web and can be used for a number of purposes. The Web is a public sphere and human souls are realizing that sharing their ideas and beliefs can have that same epiphany type of effect on others as the old type of journal had on the personal writer. People are also feeling that they have an identity, and putting it on the Web is a great way of expressing themselves. Anyone can do it, and besides words, visuals can also be integrated into the journal, often making the Blogs very appealing to readers/ viewers.

Blogs are becoming an excellent way of sharing information on any and every subject. Instead of searching Google for general sites about surfing, or 60's music, one can go straight to a Blog on the subject in question and read daily thoughts and ideas by others with the same interest as well as expert points of view. If you own a business, you can see what entrepreneurs already based in your proposed field feel about the industry. As it's a journal structure, the reader can see how certain individual's beliefs have changed over time.

As the world around us is constantly in transition, humans have always looked for better ways of living and growing as a species. The Information Age has helped our society in innumerable ways. On-line journals are becoming the next step in giving voice to every person who has access to a computer and the Net. As well as putting one's identity

Acknowledging higher demand for digitally delivered products, Mara Holian, from eBay's Product Marketing team said that eBay is tightening the rules for egoods in an effort to "improve the way these items are bought and sold on eBay".

Sellers will now be required to identify digital items during the listing process and provide additional information about each product.

Listings for digital products will now include:

*System Requirements. *File Size. *File Format. *Details about any additional software that may be required to use the digital product, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader for .pdf files.

I know what you're thinking: "Shouldn't the listings already contain this info?"

Of course. But, have you ever browsed auctions for an ebook? Some sellers in fact, do not make this basic information prominent in their listings. Buyers will now find the relevant info in the same place and format in every listing, instead of it being scattered about or omitted altogether.

According to eBay's site, sellers of digital goods are now required to use a "PayPal Verified Premier" or "Verified Business" account or eBay's "Checkout Redirect functionality" in order to collect payments.

Does this mean that you can't sell digital products unless you use PayPal or set up complicated software using eBay's API?

Probably not. Third-party services may still be an option.

An inquiry to one of the largest auction checkout & payment services, Andale, was not immediately answered. But they, and others, are likely to make updates which include this new, required functionality.

eBay also said that buyers will no longer see "unnecessary information, such as shipping costs". Which leads one to believe that the days of a 99 cent ebook with $12 in "shipping and handling" charges are gone.

Some sellers have been known to list digital items with unnecessary charges like these, and many buyers, in their enthusiasm to purchase one of these products, overlook these fees only to be disappointed upon checkout.

In addition, sellers will now be required to state that they are "legally authorized" to sell the product.

Research shows that everything downloadable: ebooks, mp3 songs, whole music CDs, even movies, are being offered as illegal downloads via online auction services.

While the legitimate online auction marketplaces police these types of listings and remove them promptly when they are reported or noticed, occasionally an item may slip through leaving those involved open to legal action by the copyright owner.

So, will eBay's new policy have the effect of eliminating piracy on the auction site?

Don't bet the farm.

Often, sellers mistakenly believe that they have purchased "resale rights" to the digital products they're offering for sale. So naturally, they will agree that they have the "legal" authority to re-sell the product.

Many egoods do not contain a copyright notice or resale agreement.

An inexperienced or hasty ebook publisher may unintentionally omit the information or a "pirate" may have removed or edited the author's copyright/resale notice.

While the new guidelines are certainly not a foolproof solution to digital piracy, eBay should be commended for taking a step in the right direction.

For more information on eBay's new digital goods requirements, see: http://pages.ebay.com/choosingformats/digitalitems/faqs/

Before you write <ol>

<li>Stick to one topic whenever possible.</li>

<li>If you have no idea what to blog about, write whatever comes to mind. Then take a step back and look for a general topic that stands out, and make it the focus of your post. Clean up, removing unrelated things and unnecessary clutter as needed, and then continue (or start) writing following the path you've created.</li>

<li>While you may be writing for an audience, put yourself first when it comes to choosing a post topic. This is your personal journal. In the end, you will be the one most likely to benefit and learn the most from this experience. If you have blogging goals, keep referring to them to stay on track.</li>

<li>Write only what you're comfortable sharing. You can always go to those good old-fashioned diaries or private online journals for those very intimate thoughts and highly personal events that you would rather not tell the world about.</li>

<li>Be wary of writing public posts about certain subjects (or people), which may compromise your situation in real life (ie: work, relationships, etc). You never know who's going to come reading your blog.</li>

<li>If you're going to rant, try to do so without using strong, abusive language. There are much more creative and powerful ways to express emotions such as anger or frustration through the written word. Your readers will feel less alienated and will actually find it easier to make a connection with what you are going through if you refrain from using profanities.</li> </ol> While you're writing <ol>

<li>Readers have a short attention span. Either keep your posts short and sweet or find ways (see below) to keep your readers engaged.</li>

<li>Break up those long paragraphs into short ones! Your readers will be more likely to read through the whole thing.</li>

<li>Similarly, try to keep those sentences short. More power lies in brevity.</li>

<li>Organize your material so that it has a clear beginning, middle and end. Use subtitles as appropriate. Such clear-cut organization will make your posts easier and faster to read. Once again, keep in mind that most readers can only spend a limited amount of time reading each post.</li>

<li>Add appropriate visuals (ie: personal photos, stock images and charts) to bring your ideas alive and engage your readers. A good number of people are visually-oriented and will only look at the photos to find out what the post is about.</li>

<li>Aim to use more colorful words to make a stronger connection with your readers. "I'm bubbling with joy" evokes so much more than an everyday statement like "I'm pretty happy."</li>

<li>Find your inner voice by speaking from the heart and being yourself. This voice, through your own writing style, will tell your readers who you are and will help them connect to you more on a more personal level.</li> </ol> After you've written your post <ol>

<li>If you would like your readers' input through comments, at the end of your post present them with a question related to the topic at hand, either by asking them to give you advice or to share their personal experiences with you.</li>

<li>To keep people coming back for more, give them a hint of what they may expect next time. They'll be eager to return.</li>

<li>Re-read your posts at least five or six times for cohesiveness, grammar, spelling and typing errors.</li>

<li>If you're short on time, at least watch out for spelling and typing errors, and flagrant grammatical no-nos.</li> </ol>

Many people often wonder about how to make extra money on the side and how to boost their incomes without investing too much time and effort into it. Google AdSense program has created just a way to do it. Google AdSense initiative is based on advertising but of a different sense than most banner attachments usually seen on the websites. AdSense is based on specific needs of those searching providing ads only related to the topic that is being inquired about.

As is widely known in order to promote a product it needs to be advertised. Even the weirdest and least known product can be sold with right amount of advertising. AdSense is a way to advertise a specific product to a specific group of people. People visit websites every day looking for some sort of information. Search engines have been created to make it easier to find what consumers are looking for, Google being the leading one.

Every time a consumer conducts a search a keyword is being used to produce maximum results on a very narrow topic. AdSense is a system based on scanning these results to provide ads only related to the topic searched. This being said a website hosting Google AdSense ads comes up with related links to the topic, allowing the host of the site to make extra cash on these ads every time a viewer happens to click on one of them.

Various ebooks have been produced to teach internet users how to implement correct AdSense strategies and how to make money off of their websites. Makeshift guides are available for purchase directly from the websites of the authors. These books coach potential website administrators on how to use AdSense to their advantage. Some of the AdSense tips include content monitoring, where it is more desirable to keep in mind that information presented on the site should correspond better with the provided links, to assure more favorable results.

Where many people are skeptical about the concept, calling this initiative simply a way to produce more spam a lot of people have found it useful and came to benefit from it, both on the hosting and consumer sides. After all, these ads do provide useful links to more information on the topic of interest and allow an average web host to make some extra cash while presenting interesting information.