At the end of the day, there are huge benefits and challenges if you decide to customize your Facebook fan pages with iFrames. But again, the only way to add a new customization to your existing page or start a new page from scratch is by using iFrames, at least for now.
Why did Facebook change?
Many believe that the main reason for the switch from Facebook to iFrames from FBML is that the social media giant can take the burden of running custom Facebook fan pages with FBML. As you probably know, FBML was an extremely popular application that millions of pages used to customize their tabs and add more functionality to their content. But Facebook had to host all of the custom pages, which naturally meant it was only a matter of time before they stopped carrying the load and returned it to users. Hence, the adoption of iFrames.
What exactly are iFrames?
An iFrame is basically another HTML code that allows you to embed a web page in another web page, which in this case is your Facebook fan page. Basically, it means that the responsibility for hosting your personalized Facebook fan pages rests with you and your server. Facebook will host the page itself and stream the content you upload through iFrames. In return, you get more flexibility in terms of the content you can add to your Facebook fan page.
What content can I add using iFrames?
Well, pretty much anything you can do on your own site, from order forms to product pages, exclusive content areas, video, audio, and dynamic design. In short, rich, dynamic content that you can design to fit your other internet properties and preserve your brand, while benefiting from Facebook’s inherent word-of-mouth and viral marketing capabilities. Analysis and page performance are also easier to track because you can also embed your tracking code on your pages.
Are iFrame Fan Pages and Facebook Tabs Difficult to Create?
To create an iFrame-compatible tab, you need to develop an application on the Facebook developers website in which you will embed your content hosted by your server or web host. Once created, you can deploy this app on your Facebook page as another tab and use it as you would any web page.
Of course, all of that assumes you have a server infrastructure and web development skills, or staff to easily customize Facebook fan pages with iFrames. Small businesses and entrepreneurs will find it more difficult to employ these page customization projects, especially those with no prior coding experience. An alternative would be to find custom Facebook fan page developers or providers who can help build the app, iFrame compatible tab, and host the content.
