Tutorial on iFrame Pages for Facebook

Facebook, the popular social network site, periodically changes important features relating to its use and operation. The pages feature enables you to create an online presence for your business, band or organization. In early 2011, Facebook changed the code used to make custom pages from Static FBML to iFrame, a template-based system.

Facebook Profile vs. Page

Individuals have Facebook profiles, but if you have a business or band, or represent an organization, you can have a Facebook page. The two have different capabilities. Individual profiles amass "friends" while pages collect "Likes." When an individual posts a status update on a profile, all of her friends see it, but unlike a profile, the pages that she "likes" don't display these updates. However, anyone who "likes" a business page sees the posts made by the administrators of that page.

Facebook Pages and iFrames

Facebook offers design tools that create graphical sections in a page. Up until Spring 2011, Facebook supported FBML, Facebook Markup Language, for this purpose, but from that time on, the site has supported iFrames for page design templates. You can use iFrames to create a page or add an application or other features to an existing page.

Apps for iFrames

Facebook apps can help you create your iFrames page. Static HTML iFrame Tab (facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=190322544333196) is free and easy to use, and will convert your old FBML page if you have one. Facebook's Developer App (facebook.com/developers) lets you bring an outside Web page you might host elsewhere online onto your Facebook Page. This is a good solution if you have an image map or other Web page code such as PHP. Apps made by Wildfire and Involver (iframes.wildfireapp.com and involver.com/applications/, respectively) can also boost your iFrame creativity.

What You Can Do

Use iFrames to add an image and an interactive graphic called an image map to your Facebook page. An image map is a picture divided into sections in which different actions occur, depending on where a visitor clicks or hovers his cursor. You can also use iFrames to make a form your visitors can fill out to enter a contest, sign up for a newsletter or answer a poll.

References

• LouiseSteiner.com: Simple iFrames Tutorial for Facebook. Louise Steiner. March 2011.
• HyperArts: Tutorial: Add an iFrame Application to your Facebook Fan Page -- 2011 Edition. Bill Dailey. Feb. 2011.
• SocialMouths: How to Build a Facebook Landing Page with iFrames.
• Practical Ecommerce: 3 Tools to Create New Facebook iFrame Pages