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Facebook eCommerce / F-Commerce Solutions for your Fan Page

January 24, 2012 By 2 Comments


Many brands are enjoying increased traffic and engagement on their Facebook Pages. Some might be wondering how to connect this thriving community with their online stores.

There are many available options for Facebook eCommerce (aka “F-Commerce”) and, although we don’t cover every Facebook eCommerce solution, we have included the most popular offerings and those that exemplify the various approaches to Facebook eCommerce.

What should you look for in a Facebook eCommerce solution?

Finding the best Facebook eCommerce solution will mean comparing several elements, all of which we will cover as we profile each eCommerce application and merchant:

  • Pricing
  • Where does browsing happen (on a tab or a canvas app)?
  • Is the Facebook application a stand-alone shop or part of an existing eStore platform?
  • How much custom design is allowed?
  • Compatibility with popular technologies (read: Dependence on Flash)

Facebook Store Front vs. Facebook eStore

One of the most important questions to ask is where do the transactions actually happen? This is how we will organize the different applications and platform in this post, first presenting apps that are simply “Store Fronts” and then identifying the platforms that offer a fully functional “Facebook eStore.” [Read more...]

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HYPERlinks January 13 2012: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

This week we tried to avoid the temptation to share all of those “year in review” type articles. But Bill’s link to Web Design Ledger’s “Web Design Trends of 2012″ is a great list of design elements that you will be seeing all over the place. Jenni gets us excited about waking up early for CreativeMornings (San Francisco’s upcoming event sounds awesome!). Read on for more HYPERcool HYPERlinks…

Bill Dailey - HyperArts Programmer & Project Manager

Bill Dailey / Project Manager & Programmer

Web Design in 2012

http://webdesignledger.com/tips/web-design-trends-in-2012

Curious about the latest trends in web design? There is a great post over at Web Design Ledger listing emerging trends in 2012. Responsive Design is number one on their list, and has been a hot topic around the HyperArts office this week.

Taking Google Analytics To The Next Level

http://24ways.org/2011/getting-the-most-out-of-google-analytics

Many of you likely have Google Analytics tracking code installed on your web pages (and if you don’t, you should). This article from 24 Ways gives some great insight into how you can use GA to analyze what is happening on your website, and how you can improve it.

Fun with jQuery

http://www.catswhocode.com/blog/10-awesome-jquery-snippets

I love using jQuery, and this article gives from Cats Who Code has some great code snippits that do useful things – preload images, open all external links in a new window, and disabling the Enter button a form. Ah the magic of jQuery. [Read more...]

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Facebook Sponsored Stories Become “Featured Stories” In the News Feed

January 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

“Businesses can pay to feature a post so there’s a better chance you’ll notice it.” -Facebook

Facebook Ads Enter Your Feed

Facebook has quietly announced (to Inside Facebook here and in their Help Center here) that they will be rolling out a new form of advertising for Pages called Featured Stories.

Sponsored Stories have been a form of paid advertising for a while now, you can see them in the right column of the Facebook interface. They are stories that might normally appear in your News Feed (when a friend likes a Page, recommends something, etc) but they also might NOT.

Facebook has admitted that many stories get lost in the News Feed: “…a lot of impressions do get lost because there’s so much content coming through…” (via official Sponsored Stories page). The benefit of Sponsored Stories is that paying advertisers are able to harness the social nature of these stories, since Facebook users are more likely to pay attention to ads if they feature familiar faces and trusted names.

The only drawback is the location – in the right column of the Facebook interface. This is a space that most FB users know is for advertising. So we might ignore it automatically. But with the newly introduced Featured Stories, Facebook puts these paid ads directly into the News Feed. [Read more...]

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How to Migrate your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page

January 9, 2012 By 18 Comments

Facebook’s December 9, 2011 announcement that as of February 1, 2012 they are removing App Profile Pages has confused a lot of users.

The problem is that Facebook doesn’t — at least at this time — create a link users can click to add an App to their Page which was the main purpose of the App Profile Page, a link that could be in the App Settings area.

In my previous article about the App Profile Page removal, I focused on how to code a link, using HTML, that when clicked provides the option for users to add an App to their Page.

In this article, I focus on how to migrate your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page so that all the Likes for the App Profile Page get transferred to the new Page, and how to add a custom tab on the new Page to allow users to add the App from that new Page.

Who actually NEEDS an App Profile Page?

If you’ve created your own iFrame Page Tab app, and you intend to just add it to your own Page, or perhaps to several Pages you admin, then you don’t really need an always-available “Add to My Page” link. I recommend following the instructions on my recent tutorial on adding Apps to Pages after February 1.

The need for a publicly available Page where users can go to add an App applies primarily to App developers who need to provide an add-to-my-page link, and I describe a way to do this, below.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook Programming, Platform Updates

HYPERlinks January 4 2012: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: January 4, 2012

Happy New Year to you! We are excited about getting back to work in 2012 (not to say that we didn’t all enjoy 2 3-day weekends in a row…) and one of the most fun things we get to do each week is share some of our favorite industry links with you.

This week Jenni and Jason share links to websites and blog posts that might inspire some reflection on the past year – both on your own design work and the work of others. If you are feeling like Santa left your wallet nice and full, check out the premuim WordPress tools and icons sets recommended by Tim and Rachel.

Jason Amor / Facebook Designer & Developer

The Great Discontent

http://thegreatdiscontent.com

Inspiring interviews of artists, designers, musicians, and other creative types — all presented on a beautiful responsively-designed website.

Simple Desktops

http://simpledesktops.com

De-clutter your workspace by applying a simple, distraction-free desktop background.

FontShop: Best Typefaces of 2011

http://www.fontshop.com/blog/newsletters/dec2011c/

Take a look back at the best typefaces of 2011.


[Read more...]

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HYPERlinks Dec 22 2011: Holiday Gift Edition! Tools and Toys for Web Designers and Developers

December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

HYPERlinks Holiday Gift Edition: December 22, 2011

This week we share our best gift ideas for fellow Web designers and developers. Some of these gift ideas are practical tools for Web professionals, others are just plain funny. From books to iPad covers, these toys and tools will help you out as you work on the Web. Plus, now we know how Bill protects his Macbook from the Dark Side…

Jason Amor / Facebook Designer & Developer

Books for people who make websites

http://www.abookapart.com/
 
Give the budding web developer in your life the gift of knowledge. The latest publications from A List Apart include the most up to date information about HTML5, CSS3, Content Strategy, Responsive Web Design, Designing for Emotion, and Designing for Mobile.

V-Luxe iPad Stand

http://www.bknydesign.com/
 
If you watch movies on your iPad and consistently wake up with a mangled neck and sore arms, it’s time to invest in an iPad stand. Get this one, etc.

[Read more...]

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HYPERlinks Dec 14 2011: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

December 14, 2011 By 4 Comments

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: December 14, 2011

This week both Tim and Jenni have links about Responsive Web Design that are must-reads for developers working on sites that need to look good on any screen, from a desktop monitor to a smart phone. Jason shares some HTML5 resources and fixes for IE stubbornness. Analisa is in love with the Pandr‘s color tool, you will see why…

Thanks for following our weekly link series, we have fun picking the best links to share with you!

Jenni Schwartz / Designer

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design is a hot topic these days. From desktops to mobile browsers to netbooks and tablets, users are visiting web sites from an increasing range of devices and browsers. Are your designs ready?

The term “responsive web design” is related to the concept of developing a website design whereas the layout changes according to the user’s screen resolution. The practice consists of flexible grids and images and an intelligent use of media queries.

50 Gorgeous Responsive Web Design Examples:
http://designmodo.com/responsive-design-examples/

Techniques in Responsive Web Design:
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/11/techniques-in-responsive-web-design/

Tutorial: A Basic Responsive Grid (plus handy CSS3 media quiery reporter)
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/htmlcss-tutorials/a-basic-responsive-grid-plus-handy-css3-media-query-reporter/
[Read more...]

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Facebook Removing App Profile Pages on Feb 1, 2012

December 10, 2011 By 110 Comments

UPDATED January 9, 2012: I’ve added a detailed step-by-step tutorial on migrating your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page.

UPDATED Dec 14, 2011: I added a (heavily edited) discussion thread from the Developer Blog post that addresses the transferring of a Vanity URL to an existing Fan Page, and user questions around this. See below….

On Friday, Dec 9, 2011, Facebook announced that as of February 1, 2012 they are removing App Profile Pages, to be replaced by a much easier method of adding apps to pages.

Today, we are announcing that we will remove all App Profile Pages on February 1st, 2012. Though similar in appearance, the automatically generated App Profile Pages differ in features from traditional Facebook Pages, and over time the inconsistencies between the two, such as different Insights, APIs, and distribution channels, have become more apparent.

(See the discussion with Facebook’s Cat Lee, below….)

What takes the place of an existing App Profile Page?

You’ll need to migrate your App Profile Page to “an existing Facebook Page with the same name and of Product/App category.”

If you are an admin of an eligible Facebook Page (must be of the Product/App category and match the app name), you will be prompted with the ability to transfer Likes to this Page. Transferring Likes will give you the ability to publish updates to these users from your new Facebook Page as you do today.

Please note that we will only transfer Likes, and not the content of these Pages. Before you go through the migration process, please ensure you have downloaded all photos, posts, Insights, and any other material that you want to keep. Once you hit the migrate button, the App Profile Page will be deleted.

[Read more...]

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Facebook’s Timeline Cover Photo – Time to Get Creative!

December 7, 2011 By 13 Comments

Update Dec 15, 2011: Timeline is now available worldwide! Read Facebook’s announcement about Timeline and how to get started..

At the 2011 f8 conference, Facebook announced “Timeline” — a major overhaul to the Personal Profiles to which we’ve all grown accustomed.

When Timeline is rolled out, your Personal Profile will be organized in reverse chronological order, as a “timeline” of your life, an online scrapbook. As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, “Timeline is the story of your life … in a new way to express who you are.”

When Will Timeline Become Available?

At this point only those who are registered Facebook application developers have the option of converting their Personal Profiles to the Timeline format, at which point they can also see the Timelines of others who’ve opted for it.

However, it’s quite easy to become a “developer” for purposes of getting access to Timeline. Read this article on how to quickly become an “app developer” and have the Timeline option for your profile.

As of December 15, 2011, Timeline is available worldwide.

The Timeline Cover Photo: A Great Opportunity for Creativity

For those with a creative bent, probably the most exciting change is the Timeline Cover Photo, a 851px x 315px canvas that you can fill with the image of your choice. Inserted into the lower left of the Timeline Cover is your Profile Photo. The fun is coming up with interesting and clever ways to have your Cover Photo and your Profile Photo interact.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook Design, Platform Updates

HYPERlinks Dec 7 2011: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: December 7, 2011

This week, Bill shares his love of jQuery, Daniel finds out if his links are too old to Tweet, Tim locates resources for adding new custom shapes to your Photoshop arsenal, and Jenni comes clean about her addiction…to fonts. Read on to find even more useful links for Web designers and developers.

Feel free to share your favorite industry links in the comments.

Bill Dailey - HyperArts Programmer & Project Manager

Bill Dailey / Project Manager & Programmer

Getting Started With jQuery: A Beginner’s Resource Guide

http://www.noupe.com/design/getting-started-with-jquery-a-beginners-resource-guide.html

As a web developer, I have a fondness for all things that are compatible with the multitude of web browsers out there. I love jQuery for its simple, yet powerful nature and how well it deals with all the differences in browser capabilities. If you are new to jQuery, this article from Noupe is a great resource to move you from being curious to an active user.

Now see the kinds of things that jQuery can do for you

http://www.noupe.com/jquery/40-useful-and-fresh-jquery-plugins.html

Once you know a bit of jQuery, the real fun begins since there are thousands of “plugins” available for jQuery. A plugin allows you to extend the basic jQuery code to something very specific, and often very cool. This article lists some of the best plugins that have been released recently.

How to Focus Your Energy Like a Laser Beam

http://workawesome.com/goals/how-to-focus/

If you are feeling a lack of motivation lately, this article from the folks at Work Awesome can help you get back on track. They recommend setting “Why” goals and then finding a way to keep yourself accountable. Might as well get a head start on your 2012 resolutions!
[Read more...]

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