Service information

This screen is part of a Web Feed Reference section for the Web Feed Generator. Please ask us if you cannot find the answer to your question.

• Do you provide a site audit for customers?
• How much does this service cost?
• What's in it for me?
• How can I tell how many people use my updates?
• What is a service band?
• Can I use this service on my intranet?
• Won't this service swamp my site with requests?
• Why not send email updates?
• Do I have to pay online?

Q:Do you provide a site audit for customers?

A: Yes, Metacentric provides summary statistics on the use of your feeds in the form of Web server logs. The server logs have a standard format that includes:

• All requests made
• The Internet Protocol address for the request (which indicates the number of people checking your feed)
• The name of the browser or feed reader
• The date and time of the request

The log may also include the address of the referring Web page, if available.

This combined log format can be processed by standard log analysis software.

Note that the Web Feed Generator saves a local copy of the feeds it issues to end users to speed up the service, so very few feed requests will tally with a request to your Web site.

See also:

• What is a feed URL?

Q:How much does this service cost?

A: The Web Feed Generator service is charged at a flat rate of £0.70 GBP per day, which amounts to £21.00 GBP over 30 days. All customers start in our Zero rate service band and move to the Standard rate service band when their first feed is published.

Service charges are calculated on a daily basis and invoices fall due 30 days in arrears. See our payment details page for information about how you can pay.

Q:What's in it for me?

A: Many people visit your Web site once and never return. Like a holiday romance, it's nice while it lasts but a poor return on your Internet investment. News feeds stretch your Web site out over time and help build a long term relationship with the people that use your site. This should build a greater depth of understanding of your products and services, and greater trust in your business.

The benefits you get from providing a news feed will depend on the nature of your Web site and how you promote the service. Rather than limit the scope of what can be done, it may help to compare news feeds with other forms of marketing communication, to give you an idea of the possibilities.

Direct mail

News feeds are like direct mail because end users opt-in to the service and periodically get promotional information from you. One key difference is that you do not have to manage an address list.

The opt-in nature of news feeds means that customers have an express interest in your site to start with, and close integration with the Web means that you can use your site to fully support the news feed.

Word of mouth

News feeds are like literal word of mouth recommendations or email networks amongst friends because of the incidental, privileged notification scheme and immediacy of the news format. Notification via a news feed means that your customers are the first to get the information and they are more likely to visit the Web site and tell other people about it.

Advertising

News feeds are like advertising because they can be used to present targetted information to customers that are already committed to you, and encourage them to visit your Web site. The text-only format of news feeds makes them similar to classified advertising, but integration with the Web means that promotions can be supported with graphical and multi-media presentations.

See our illustrated service overview and summary service benefits to get a better understanding of our service.

See also:

• What is a news feed?

Q:How can I tell how many people use my updates?

A: Metacentric provides server logs that tell you how many times each of your news feeds has been downloaded daily, for the overall usage of your feeds. You will get an impression of the growing level of interest in your site through your own Web server logs, and should see increased activity amongst your visitors as they respond to your news feed.

See also:

• Do you provide a site audit for customers?
• Will customers install a feed reader to see my news?

Q:What is a service band?

A: Web Feed Generator service bands are used to calculate service charges. When no feeds are active, the Zero rate band applies at no cost. When there are one or more feed requests per day, the Standard rate applies at £0.70 per day. The request rate is calculated as a rolling average over 5 days.

All customers start on our zero rate service band and switch to standard rate when they publish their first news feed. See our payment details page for information about how to pay.

Q:Can I use this service on my intranet?

A: In short, you will not be able to use our public service on your intranet. This is because the Web Feed Generator needs to download your source pages from the Internet.

We may be able to adapt our public service to provide an intranet service, or there may be better ways to do what you want. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Q:Won't this service swamp my site with requests?

A: No, the Web Feed Generator stores a temporary copy of your news feed, which it serves for all further requests. This "cache" copy is kept fresh according to information we get from your Web server without having to check repeatedly, and acts as a buffer for any number of service requests.

Q:Why not send email updates?

A: There is no reason to stop using email if you find it works well for you. There are several reasons you might complement your email updates with a news feed though, mostly to address the privacy and security concerns of your customers.

Many people are growing wary of giving up their email address because they don't want to suffer abuse by unwanted "spam" messages, or face the risk of viruses or worms. People do not have to divulge any personal information to use a news feed and can cancel their subscription when they choose, so news feeds are seen as a safer option.

It can also take considerable effort to operate an email notification service; to manage new subscriptions, weed out bad addresses and deal with messages that "bounce" back undelivered, let alone writing the messages. Once the Web Feed Generator is set up, your Web Feed takes no further effort to maintain because it is updated automatically from your Web site.

Q:Do I have to pay online?

A: No, you can also pay by direct bank transfer or standing order, but we recommend you contact us in advance if you require this facility. Customers with British bank accounts can also pay by cheque. Choose the Cheque or bank transfer option on the service payment screen when your invoice falls due.