Developing applications for Facebook is no easy task. We've
pulled together a list of tips and insight gained through our own
experience in an effort to make the process a lot less frustrating
and a lot more fun.
- Stay current on the ever changing rules for businesses,
content, contests, legal changes and applications. Sign -up for
the Inside Facebook and All
Facebook blog emails. These aren't published by Facebook
but they're excellent resources for helping you stay current. We've
found that many of the regulations change monthly.
- Facebook continually adds and enhances existing features. Plan
for this by referring to the Facebook roadmap for developers and Facebook developer news. These are also great
resources for project planners, allowing them to incorporate
upcoming features into the overall project plan.
- Your application's scope and desired functionality will
determine both the Location and Render Method.
- Location
- Profile - An application placed as a tab on user's profile
page, or a fan page, limited to the use of FBML (Facebook Markup
Language) to add Facebook elements. See Kohl's Facebook Fan Page for an
example.
- Canvas - An application that is placed on its own page, and
gives you the ability to have complex features and multiple pages.
Think of it as a micro-site, inside Facebook. See Yard Smarts Boot Camp Contest Page for an
example.
- Render Method
- FBML - Facebooks Markup Language enables you to easily
integrate Facebook elements, but there are limitations on the use
of custom CSS and Javascript.
- IFrame - Enables you to use a conventional web page with more
complex functionality through the use of the server-side code and
the Facebook API. Also enables full use of CSS and Javascript.
- If you're developing Facebook applications that use the
Facebook API, Facebook provides you with a list of Client Libraries to help in developing
apps.
- Plan to spend A LOT of time researching and testing. Facebook
can and probably will surprise you with quirks. For example, we've
encountered a code sample that was provided by Facebook that simply
didn't work. Don't forget to test your work in multiple browsers
and operating systems. If numerous developers are working on an
application, we recommend creating a Wiki as an
organizational resource for collecting and tracking known
issues.
The importance of Facebook for marketers is all-too
present in today's exciting social media market. You can execute
your Facebook marketing magic much easier with advanced planning,
attention to detail and thorough testing.
- Tim, Travis and Chad
The Development Team