The latest buzz in the world of Facebook Fan Pages are the new iFrame tabs.
Up to now, Facebook Fan Pages were only able to customized as far as one could implement an FBML app and customize from there.
Most of the customization within an FBML app was limited to Facebook generated tags. If you didn’t know and understand FBML tags, then you were pretty much dead in the water with building new FBML apps.
Well last week, Facebook introduced iFrame tabs for Facebook Fan Pages.
This new way of customizing Facebook Fan Pages now allows full blown html, javascript, and iFrame integration.
You can even embed flash into your Facebook Fan Page – here’s a client I integrated flash for into their Facebook page.
Traditional websites are now obsolete
In my opinion, Facebook’s new iFrame for tabs makes websites obsolete.
You can now create full blown websites from within a Facebook Fan Page, complete with full html elements and custom pages.
The new form of websites that are now possible are what I call “social websites”.
Building a website directly into a Facebook Fan Page makes your website completely “social”.
And not only are your webpages now built directly into a Facebook Fan Page, which makes them social, but you can then add social plugins directly into the pages.
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That's ridiculous to say facebook iframe tabs leave websites obsolete. You're restricted to 520px width and you're still subject to facebook rules. What happens if they decide to remove iframes from pages in the future. Iframes allow for website expansion, it doesn't render them obsolete and anyone who would invest their business' entire online presence to just facebook would be crazy.
I appreciate your view on this issue - but please tell me how a website is
relevant to a business if their site is found on page 5,240 in Google and
has about 10 visitors a month - which is most websites on the web.
In most cases then, I see an active Facebook fan page as the better
alternative.
How is facebook a viable option in that respect? If you're not found on Google how are you going to get much of a better reach on facebook. As of now a facebook search returns results pretty much based on names. So if you're looking for a plumber in San Francisco it's great for the business named San Francisco Plumbing, but unless you want to have multiple generic keyword named pages there's no use. Have you yourself stopped using Google for search?
There is no WordPress for facebook pages, so a business is still going to have to hire and pay the same to have a developer create a facebook iframe enabled website. But, even if all those problems are solved the point would still be why would you want to put all your eggs in one basket? facebook iframes are great, but why not extend yourself if you want your business to exceed. Plus, to the other 75% of fb users out there facebook is still your means of reaching out to friends, not exploring businesses. Sure, I'll "like" a business page and read their status updates if relevant, but I rarely ever explore their profile anywhere near the amount of time I'd spend looking over their website.
I just believe "obsolete" is the wrong choice of wording and isn't a good idea to throw out to business owners.
To Bmangeen:
Personally I know it's not hard to get into Googles Search Engine seeing that I do deal with Website SEO and Marketing. All I was saying is that it is a great 'Tool' to use for advertising besides your own site. Similar to word of mouth.. Understand now?
Much agreed, as a developer there are so many other restrictions that we cannot apply to the Facebook iFrames and yes being limited to 520px does suck. BUT, it does offer a good way to Advertise for your 'Company' or "product'.
I'll take advantage of using the new technology, but turn over my website and content to Facebook - NO WAY! Facebook can rewrite their rules on a whim and I want to be in control of my content.
But let me ask you a question - and please understand, I ask this
respectively and out of the my attempt to add value to this argument - how
prominently ranked, and how much traffic do you get right now?
Google can, and does, on a whim change their algorithm which as wide
sweeping affects on sites throughout the web, but nobody wants to remove
their site from the index.
just some thoughts