How to Create a Facebook Fan Page for Your Small Business

So you’ve got a business. If you’re playing your cards right, your company is going to have at least a few people who are big fans. But what can you do with this goodwill, and how can you channel something as abstract into a positive opinion of your company?

That’s easy. Create a Facebook fan page!

It’s a great way to gather all your biggest fans in one place, not to mention promote your business. It’s not the time to ignore Facebook—doing that means missing out on catching the attention of potential clients for your business.

The Very Basics

First of all, Facebook only lets a user have one fan page at a time, so make you’re not admin of one already!

You’ll need to log in, and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you’ll see these icons:

You’ll want to click on the one that says “Ads and Pages.” From here, you’ll be taken to a screen like this:

You’ll see two options: one to create a targeted ad and one to create a page. This second one is the one you want. You’ll be taken to the screen below and asked to fill out your page’s information. You’ll need to provide your full name so that Facebook can authenticate you; fake pages and unofficial fan pages are not permitted under Facebook’s Pages Guidelines. But you’re creating a fan page for your business, so you have nothing to worry about!

From there, you’ll be able to customize your page, adding your company logo, some employees, maybe a mission statement or two. Here’s ours:

Beyond the Basics

Congratulations! You've just created a fan page of which others can “Become a Fan.” A basic fan page includes a wall, newsfeed, photos, videos and list of fans—it’s basically a profile page for your business. But if you really want to make the most of your page, you’ll want to investigate different Facebooks applications, widgets and Flash boxes to liven up your page and make it a place your fans will check up on regularly.

Some suggestions to get you started:

• If you have a company blog, why not add an RSS Feed to your page to tell all your fans when there’s a new post?
• Try holding a contest to get your fans involved with the page; the aim here is not to wow your customers with something flashy, but to reward their loyalty.
• Browse through Facebook Application Database to get a better idea of what’s out there…there are hundreds of apps!

Just remember: don’t go overboard. Keep your page’s usability in mind at all times, and loading it with too many gadgets will take away from that. You want your page to be a place that fans like to visit, not something that confuses them with flashing lights or intrusive sounds!

Make membership of your fan page like a special club anyone would want to be a part of by updating often, with lots of great links or company news. Got a launch happening soon? That should definitely be on your page. But if you ate a big lunch and are now stuffed full? Better save it for your personal Facebook account.

To wrap up, treat this page as an extension of your brand. This fan page is your company’s ambassador on Facebook, and you should keep it fresh, updated and always interactive.

A Word of Advice...

Of course, this is all on a very small scale. The bigger your company is, the more work your social media ventures require. Why not consult the people in the know?

9 for '09: Current Web Trends

by Jill Butler, Content Development Specialist

Our art and tech department banded together for this blog entry-- a survey of the top web design trends for 2009. Read on to find out all about how Technology, Creativity and Strategy are changing online.

TECHNOLOGY

1. Mobile Compatibility

Site: Pizza Hut

With more and more users getting their daily web surfing done on their iPhones or Blackberrys, smart websites have made the leap to offering content that either works well with or is specifically designed for these devices. Check out Pizza Hut's innovative iPhone app, that allows the user to order their pizza from the palm of their hand.

2. Online video/ Internet TV

Site: NBC.com

Regular TV-watching has become a thing of the past. After all, with the busy schedules and tightening household budgets of many tech-savvy TV lovers, cable just isn't convenient. So they turn to the Internet, which offers full episodes, either for download or streaming, whenever and however you want them. The smart networks, like NBC or the CW, have turned what might look like a cash-drain into an opportunity, offering exclusive content online and becoming the best source for reliable, quality online programming. As the old saying goes: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

3. Personalization

Site: iGoogle

The web can only be what you make it--and the trend towards making it your own has been growing steadily. With leaders like Google, even the browser you use to surf the web can be completely customized to suit your taste and needs. That's more or less the entire purpose of iGoogle--one stop for local weather, custom features, and news feeds that cater you YOUR every demand.

CREATIVITY

4. The Big Picture (layouts)

Site: The White House

This is a hot one: designers have been going for the high impact statement more and more, with bold, eye-catching banners and header that incorporate content and are more than a pretty face. The White's homepage is a great example of that--using their carousel-style banner to display important links and information.

5. Minimal: White Space and Then Some

Site: Concentric Studio

Clean, straightforward and useful--the trend to have more of nothing has been catching on for a while now, as more designers opt to de-clutter their web spaces and put focus on only the most important elements of the website. The upside? The user doesn't get overwhelmed by too much information only choice -- there is only where you want to guide them.

6. Big and Bold: HUGE typography, illustrations and vibrant graphics

Site: National Television

If you want big, eye-catching communication, there's nothing like a sure bet. Placing emphasis on words and putting illustration front and center has a fresh, almost European feel, giving the website an equal focus on design and communication.

STRATEGY

7. Keeping up with social media

Site: Fuel Your Creativity

More website are realizing the power of putting social media front and center--like Fuel Your Creativity has done here. It's wise to put these hotlinks in a very visible place, making it as easy as possible for any interested users to click on your blog, visit your Facebook page, or subscribe to your Twitter. There's no point in hiding these links-- you want people to use them, so gathering them into a one-stop corner of your website is a smart move.

8. Closing the Back Door

Site: Web Design Ledger

The "back door," in this case, refers to ways that stop your readers from clicking away from your blog or website--namely, by getting them interested in something else they'll find useful. There are many ways to do this, but one that is gaining speed is the "Related Links" widget. By using this feature, placed at the bottom of a blog post or page, you can catch your user's attention while you've still got it, and point them in other directions they may find helpful. It's good for them--they find out more about a topic they're interested in--but it's great for you--you get to keep your reader for a longer visit.

9. “Speaking” navigation

Site: Intereactive

Looking for clarity? You can't go wrong by adding this feature. "Speaking" navigation is more or less what it sounds like--instead of having simple, one or two word navigation (such as "Home" or "About Us") you use the coveted space to expand just a little on your company. This is especially helpful if the navigation your company has chosen is unconventional. It also gives you another chance to be personable and really connect with the people using your website--which is never a bad thing.

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That's our top nine web design trends for '09. Got anything to add? Leave it in the comments; we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Interactions Issue 4 is Out!

We just launched our fourth issue of the Applecore newsletter, Interactions. It's filled with lots of tips and tricks for navigating the tricky terrain of businesses online and off, including learning opportunities and workshops. The central theme of this issue is passion and energy, and how the two work together to guarantee the output of your very best self. The topics this month:

Creating a Community: profile of local businesses doing it right online

Complimentary Workshop: Expanding Your Digital Footprint

St. John's Events (October)

This is your chance: why not sign up now and get in before the next issue? Make sure you're in for the latest in interactive tips, brand secrets and design innovation!

Watch this space for the announcement of our Interactions archives.

Microsoft Gaining Momentum in the Search Engine Ring

by Greg Pike, Web Developer

Typically when people think about search engines, they think of Google. In the past few months Microsoft has been working hard to reset that mentality, but even the successful launch of Bing left critics forecasting the search engine was nothing more than fresh hype.

They were wrong.

Microsoft’s Bing continues to collect more and more market share. So much in fact that the search engine giant Yahoo joined forces to take a stab at Google’s incredible market share.

Note: Microsoft attempted to purchase Yahoo! last year for $44.6 billion. At the time Microsoft was running two ailing search engines, MSN and Live. Yahoo! turned down the offer.

Bing’s beautiful new brand, successful hype, and innovative new search technology are not the only reasons they are closing the gap on Google’s market share.

Recently I received a phone call from Microsoft welcoming me and our company to Microsoft AdCenter, Microsoft’s version of AdWords. We signed up to start using AdCenter as soon as Bing started making an impression in the search engine world.

The phone call I received was not just any generic call. I was asked for by name and the lady on the line complimented the website we were advertising, which happened to be a tourism website, and said that she and her family had already made plans to visit that destination for next year.

She also told me about the different free services available to us.

When I got off the phone I came to the realization that not only would Google never make that call, but they make it impossible to obtain personable support...no matter that their online support documents are still second to none.

Suddenly, Microsoft’s continuing momentum in the search engine ring is no longer a puzzle to me.