This is kind of random, but thanks to a comment from a reader on a previous post, I wanted to add a really fabulous blog to my google reader, and since I use Chrome as my browser, there’s no RSS symbol in the URL bar to simply click on to capture the RSS feed. Weird. Maybe I’m missing something, but I can’t find an RSS feed for that blog anywhere. And I don’t want to subscribe via e-mail – my preference is simply RSS so I can go through my reader at various times during the day (usually when I’m eating LOL).
Anyway, I’ve always tried to make my RSS feed VERY easily accessible on my sites, without even really thinking that much about why – I’ve always had the RSS symbol in the URL bar in Firefox, making it disturbingly easy. Yes, I know that I can copy the URL and enter it in my Google reader and it will find the feed, but sometimes, that’s just too much work.
The idea with your blog is to make it as EASY as possible for readers to find exactly what they’re looking for, whatever that is. Your twitter, facebook and contact information should be prominent, they should easily be able to subscribe (via whatever method), and a search bar should be in your sidebar, or somewhere else REALLY easy to see. Make a reader jump through too many hoops to get the information they want, and they may not come back.
Anyway, what I do is make a subscribe page for each of my blogs with information on how to subscribe via e-mail and just using the RSS feed, if I have a newsletter, I add the subscription box there too. I link to the subscribe page from the byline of each post (along with my twitter & facebook links), and in the navigation bar at the top of every page. In some cases, I put the RSS link or subscribe link in a box at the end of every post also…I love subscribers – they’re sticky 
What do you do to capture subscribers?
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On my sidebar, the first thing is a widget with ways to subscribe: RSS, email and Twitter. I don’t have any subscribers though! XD
Amy´s last blog ..Music Monday- 10 Things I Would Do With A Billion Dollars
To be honest, I’ve never noticed the RSS symbol in the Firefox toolbar– I actually had some problems subscribing to some sites recently, and wish I had known that. But good to know for the future!
Ashe Mischief´s last blog ..IFB Presents- Links รก la Mode
This is the first instance I now know what Google reader and RSS means
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