When Will RSS Be "Really Simple"?

Author:
George Assimakopoulos
Managing Director

For a technology that is heralded as being REALLY simple - RSS has been anything but. Many of my clients want to know when RSS will become more mainstream. I tell them that the adoption of RSS will dramatically be impacted when Microsoft releases their next version of Internet Explorer - and with their upcoming launch of the VISTA operating system.

With previous versions of IE, it’s pretty tough to know when a web page has an RSS web feed available. However, with IE 7 due to be released this winter, the header of the web page is scanned to see if the publisher has associated a web feed with that page. If a web feed is found, the web feed button on the toolbar lights up. In addition, the user can configure a sound to play when a feed is found, and the same of list of feeds associated with the page can be found under the Tools menu. With IE 7, the browser will detect when a page is really a web feed, and it will display a view of the feed that’s much easier to read. Users can even add the web feed as a favorite for quick access, right from the page.

In addition, the new Microsoft operating system - VISTA - scheduled to be released in early 2007 will have RSS built into all desktop applications. Similar to how we get notified in Outlook when new e-mail arrives - so will be the same for blog feeds and podcasts that we choose to be kept informed about. This will change the way that we communicate content to others - and how advertisers will communicate to us. Brace yourselves...Microsoft is REALLY trying to make RSS simple. Just like e-mail is today - RSS will become part of our everyday (online) lives.

Going LOCO for Local

Author:
George Assimakopoulos
Managing Director

Media buyers and planners reported spending 18 percent of their clients' online display ad budgets on local media, including Web sites of local TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers. In the first two quarters of 2006, executives said they spent just 13 percent of display budgets at local sites.

Jupiter Research recently announced that U.S. spending for online local advertising grew 26% to $3.2 billion in 2005, and will continue to grow 11% compounded annually, to $5.3 billion in 2010. The report, "U.S. Local Online Advertising Forecast, 2005 to 2010," points out that classifieds will continue to comprise almost 70% of that total throughout the forecast period.

Jupiter Research Senior Analyst, Gary Stein, said "Local, service-based companies will lead the second wave of online local spending... if they are offered ad models that make sense for them. Pay-per-click doesn't make a lot of sense if you don't value your site as a source of leads."

Rule To Remember: Small to Mid-size companies will look to deepen their competitive footprint in their respective markets by focusing their advertising dollars locally. Site properties that embrace this early - and offer a suite of PPC campaign support tools such as metrics and behavioral targeting options - will be considered as pioneers in local marketing channels. Soon, it will not matter how big or small a site's traffic volume is. What will matter is how "engaged" are the eyeballs on that site.