Facebook, like its cousin Twitter, has become a hip place for “locals” to congregate to talk about everything from recent purchases, likes/dislikes to their most recent run-in with a customer service representative.
If you’ve started using Facebook to promote your brand, consider the following two tools Facebook’s developers have been working on for its Fan Page users:
Turning Your E-Commerce Site Visitors into Fans with the Fan Box
Facebook developers recently launched Fan Box, a “Facebook Connect-enabled social widget” that Fan Page owners can add to their e-commerce sites to allow users view the accompanying Facebook Page stream.
Using the the Fan Box, sites can bring content from their Facebook Page into their website and help convert website visitors into Facebook fans. Visitors see the most recent posts from the Fan Page, see a list of other fans (including their friends), and become a fan without leaving your site.
Using only four lines of JavaScript, the Fan Box can be set up and integrated into your site in a few minutes. The code is available from your Page (click Add Fan Box to your site underneath your Page’s profile picture.) Each Fan Box includes the Become a Fan button. Your Fan Box is customizable and can be integrated with your site’s design. The box takes a minimum of 200px width and 64px height for the button, and 554px height with all features included.
Facebook Fan Page users can now you can turn Fan Pages into a live-feed widget to add to your site
According to Facebook Developers, the Facebook Live Stream Box is a feature that “any website owner or developer can use to enable Facebook users to connect, share, and post updates in real-time as they witness an event online.”
Facebook adds, “You can run the Live Stream Box next to…any other experience where many people are visiting a website at the same time.”
What does this mean for E-Commerce Retailers?
- Consider using it to announce, advertise and countdown a blow out sale on your site
- Encourage fans to post testimonials about your products or services
- Use a stream as a live customer service portal
To read about the Live Stream Box, visit Facebook’s Developers Live Stream page
Jessica Guerro says
Hm this is something I’m definitely going to look into when I set up my ecommerce site. Thanks for enlightening me.
Jen says
I have seen several articles on this with the same instructions on all; however, my fan page does not have a place to “Add Fan Box”. A search for “fanbox” or “fan box” turns up nothing in the search results in the help center.
Wish I knew what I was doing wrong, since this sounds like exactly what I’m looking for.
Eric says
Give this link a try:
http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Fan_Box
Alyssa says
How Do I Add The Fan Box TO My Personal Facebook Page? I’m An Administrator And Want To Put The Widget On My Own Facebook Page To The Left Under Friends.. Can It Be Done?
Eric says
Alyssa,
If you are trying to add it to your personal profile page on Facebook, you can’t at the moment according to Facebook. If you want to add it to your personal Facebook PAGE (the “page” you created outside your profile but within Facebook) then Facebook says to:
“click on the link under your profile picture or edit your profile and click on add a fan box.”
Again, this works on a Facebook Page, not a personal profile. You need to be an admin of the Page in order to see the link.
For more information take a look at the Facebook Wiki:
http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Talk:Fan_Box
Paula says
I am the administrator, and have a fan (business) page created. I still cannot get a fan box on the business site. The “click on the link under your profile picture or edit your profile and click on add a fan box.” is only for fan box placements on other website, ie. blog sites and such.
QVC on facebook has a fan box… how did they do it?
Paula says
I found out how to get the fan box on the fan page (business page). I started from scratch and followed the instructions again. All of a sudden, the new page came up with the fan box right up there on top. Once you are a fan, the box disappears. You have to not be a fan to see it.
My suggestion is that you delete your page and begin again. I don’t know how I created an incorrect page in the first place, but when I recreated the page, it looked different from the first one.
betsayda, M says
Yes, I would like to inform the Fanboxwidgets that it is not fair to charge a cellphone owner the amount of $5.00 a month for something that the owner was not informed earlier.
I was charged $30.00 by Fido without knowing what this fanbox widgets is for.
I only use my phone for emergency cases only and when away from home.
Only to find out that I was charge this amount for April’s statement of Fido.
Therefore, Widgets employees should talk to the owner personnally if they are interested on their product.
This is very unfair.
David Pagett says
Thanks this is great, just added the fan box to my Zen Cart based ecommerce store by pasting the code into a blank sidebox. However the minimum width is 200 pixels though so I had to adjust column width to accomodate the the fan box.
Canon Scanners says
I’m looking for a Zen Cart sidebox like your “Follow me” box on this page?
Eric says
I would install the “Blank Sidebox” (see link below) and then add the code needed to follow you in there.