This article covers how to create feature-rich Facebook Fan Pages and SSL Certificates. (You now need an SSL certificate in order to build a feature rich Facebook Fan Page.)
In February 2011, Facebook announced that they were moving from FBML technology to iFrames – this basically allows us to build a web page within an existing web page.
Facebook restaurant Fan Page
It basically means that it is much easier to build rich content in Facebook because we don’t have to learn a new programming language (FBML).
In May 2011, Facebook followed up by saying that content displayed in the Fan Page iFrames would be required to be served from a domain using SSL for security reasons.
All this is very confusing for non-techies like me but all it means is that we have to purchase an SSL certificate for the domain where we create the website to place inside Facebook. Domains with a security certificate are https:// rather than http://.
SSL stands for ‘Secure Sockets Layer’ – this is a technology for encrypting communications between the web browser and the web server – the same technology used by online banking.
Obtaining an SSL certificate is a laborious process with many steps – I guess total work time will be 30 to 60 minutes for the first time (but this could be spread over 24 to 48 hours) and the total cost, if you do the process yourself, can be limited to just $29 for your first years certificate.
Once you have your SSL certificate, the good news is that you can host as many Fan Pages as you like with no additional cost.
Do not be tempted to go for a FREE solution i.e. get a shared SSL certificate. Yes, this will technically work but, because Facebook wants content provided by secure AND identifiable locations, Facebook has been known to shut-down content proved from shared locations. This is just too big a risk to take.
The other main reason not to use a shared server is that your Fan Page may ‘break’ if they upgrade or move server – much easier to sort out if this is your OWN domain because the process is transparent.
Once you have an SSL certificate you can then create a Facebook App to link your website to Facebook. This enables you then to build a website within Facebook and create Like/Reveal pages and much more.
The problem with the process in setting all this up is finding solid information on what to do. I do have a solid ‘cheat sheet’ for accomplishing the whole process and a good product for building Fan Pages inside WordPress. Alternatively, I will do this for you for a fee.
Feel free to contact me if you would like more information on feature rich Facebook Fan Pages or SSL Certificates. I hope to shortly have some examples of Facebook Fan Page sites to view.
