Nick Mendler first discovered WP RSS Aggregator while managing a web design agency, helping clients streamline content curation and save time. When he launched EyeSpy.org, a nonprofit dedicated to building one of the largest online directories for the blind and low-vision community, he needed a scalable solution to efficiently manage content aggregation.
To simplify the process of gathering and displaying valuable resources, the Eye Spy Foundation turned to WP RSS Aggregator—a powerful tool that automates content curation, making it easy for the community to access the latest news, media, and support in one accessible hub.
Here’s how WP RSS Aggregator helped EyeSpy.org automate content curation, scale its impact, and better serve the blind and low-vision community.
About EyeSpy
Nick Mendler founded EyeSpy.org with a simple yet powerful mission: to create a more inclusive digital world for the blind and low-vision community.
Recognizing the lack of centralized resources for this underserved group, he built EyeSpy.org to provide a curated hub of thousands of valuable resources, accessible by region and category—including business, education, fitness, advocacy, podcasts, and YouTube content.
Manually curating news and resources from thousands of sources can overwhelm any team, especially a growing nonprofit like EyeSpy. To scale their efforts and ensure their community had seamless access to timely, valuable content, they needed a reliable, automated content curation solution. That’s where WP RSS Aggregator came in.
“Aggregator has been a game-changer, allowing us to streamline content curation and ensure our community can easily access and enjoy the latest resources, all in one place.”
Nick Mendler, Founder, EyeSpy.Org
Why EyeSpy.org Chose WP RSS Aggregator
Before launching EyeSpy.org, Nick Mendler had already seen the power of WP RSS Aggregator firsthand. As a web designer at Bridge Kid Design, a Florida-based agency, Nick was already familiar with Aggregator and had used the plugin to help clients streamline content curation, making it easy to aggregate and display valuable information from multiple sources.
“I first discovered WP RSS Aggregator through my work as a web designer with Bridge Kid Design, where I implemented it for clients looking to streamline content curation.”
Nick Mendler, Founder, EyeSpy.Org
It had consistently proved to be a powerful, time-saving tool for his clients, so when it came time to build EyeSpy.org, choosing WP RSS Aggregator was an easy decision.
The plugin offered the perfect blend of efficiency and scalability, ensuring EyeSpy could deliver the latest, most relevant content to the blind and low-vision community from a long list of sources – sometimes hundreds of articles and news items per day – without hitches.
Unlocking Full Potential With Premium Features
To support EyeSpy.org’s ambitious growth, the non-profit selected our most popular option – the Pro Plan.
This decision ensured they had access to premium features such as custom post types, feed to post, displays and automations, all critical for scaling their content curation.
With advanced features and the ability to aggregate content from countless sources, the Pro Plan provided everything needed to deliver high-quality resources for the community.
How EyeSpy.org Uses WP RSS Aggregator
Once EyeSpy.org selected WP RSS Aggregator, the next step was implementation—ensuring that the non-profit could seamlessly aggregate, organize, and display content in a way that best served the blind and low-vision community.
Streamlined Content Curation Workflow
With thousands of valuable resources to curate, manual content aggregation wasn’t scalable. WP RSS Aggregator automated this process, allowing EyeSpy.org to efficiently pull in and display written, audio, and video content from diverse sources without the need for constant manual updates.
To keep things structured, the non-profit team used Aggregator to set up three dedicated sources which they named:
- RSS Feeds
Post Type: Feed to Post
Display: Grid
The non-profit team used the Feed to Post feature to automatically import the latest news and articles from sources like the American Printing House for the Blind, and the National Eye Institute. To enhance clarity and engagement, EyeSpy.org used the Grid Display to showcase key details: publication source for credibility, topic categories for easy navigation, and publication date to highlight recent updates.
- Podcasts
Post Type: Feed Items
Display: Excerpt & Thumbnail
To bring together accessibility-related podcasts, EyeSpy.org aggregates episodes from leading voices in the community. The Excerpt & Thumbnail display allows users to preview each episode before listening, making it easier to find content that resonates with them.
Pro Tip: Using the Excerpt & Thumbnail Display improves engagement with your curated content as the visually engaging previews help users quickly assess content relevance.
- YouTube Videos
Post Type: Feed to Post
Display: Grid
Video content plays a crucial role in accessibility education. Using Aggregator, EyeSpy.org automatically curates video updates from top creators in the space, all displayed in an engaging grid format.
Seamless Integration with Divi
Since EyeSpy.org runs on WordPress with the Divi theme, finding a content aggregation solution that fits seamlessly into their setup was crucial. Fortunately, Aggregator made the process effortless.
Start your Content Curation journey with Aggregator!
Nick shares that integrating Aggregator with their existing setup was a smooth experience. While the team invested some time upfront configuring settings and coding elements, this effort ensured a seamless workflow moving forward.
“The ability to use tagging and templates allows us to filter and tailor content specifically for different user groups, ensuring that everyone in our community can quickly find relevant resources.”
Nick Mendler, Founder, EyeSpy.org
Looking Ahead: AI-Powered Enhancements
As EyeSpy.org continues to evolve, they plan to utilize WP RSS Aggregator’s AI integrations to improve accessibility. Their goal is to generate article summaries, making it easier for the blind and low-vision community to find relevant news quickly.
Editor’s Note: Many users have expressed a similar interest in AI-driven features for Aggregator. What AI features would you like to see in WP RSS Aggregator? Take a minute to share your ideas in this quick survey.
The Results
Since implementing Aggregator, EyeSpy.org has seen remarkable improvements across key metrics. Once they fine-tuned the plugin’s settings, adding new sources became seamless, allowing the nonprofit to better serve its community with relevant information.
Today, their website hosts over 120 news feeds, 30+ podcast feeds, and 40+ YouTube channel feeds, all dedicated to providing valuable content for the low-vision community.
From a performance standpoint, increasing content frequency has significantly boosted search engine rankings and site engagement, with visitors spending more time exploring information from their favorite sources.
Beyond the numbers, this large-scale effort to centralize resources for the low-vision community has also enhanced EyeSpy.org’s visibility. While WP RSS Aggregator was instrumental in automating content aggregation, carefully selecting the right sources was the key to success for Nick.
His recommendation?
“Aggregator is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to streamline content curation and amplify their site’s impact.”
– Nick Mendler
If you’re looking to curate and display news and information for your community, WP RSS Aggregator makes it simple.
Set up your sources, design your displays, and let the plugin handle the rest.
