How to Create a Custom Landing Page for Your Facebook Page

So you have a Facebook page for your business, but you’re not exactly sure how to make it special. Facebook pages have predetermined fields for you to fill in, so it can seem difficult to make your page stand out from the crowd, but there is a way. Creating a custom welcome page using Facebook Markup Language will allow you to design a page that will look exactly how you want it.

Getting Started

Once you’ve created your fan page there are a few basic steps you need to take to set up your welcome page. You will first need to add the Static FBML application to your page. Just click the ‘Add to my Page’ link right under the main photo. Then go back to your page and click ‘Edit Page.’ You’ll see a list of your apps, including the Static FBML app. Click ‘Application Settings’ next to the app, then you need to add the Tab option under Profile Settings.

Adding Content

Once you’ve set up the page, it’s time to make it personal. Go to profile settings and click Edit FBML. Change the page’s title from ‘Box Title’ to something that fits with your company’s message. You can make the page a specific message, like a seasonal sale, a new service offered, or a simple ‘Welcome.’ The page itself should just be a photo that you’ve designed that conveys your company’s message. Enter the html code and link to your photo in the FBML field. The image itself needs to be hosted on another site, but you can use basic HTML in the field. However, a simple photo is usually the best way to make a clean, well-designed page.

Finishing Touches

You’ll need to make your new page the first thing people see when they visit you. This can be done by going to your Wall Settings and changing the option for ‘Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else.’ Now your page is setup and ready for your many fans to see. If you’d like to get more in depth with Facebook Markup Language, you can visit the Developers section of Facebook to learn more about it.

Facebook can allow your company to reach an insanely large amount of people, but the website is famous for keeping its profiles uniform. For designers who want to add a little pizzazz to their pages, using FBML to create a welcome page can be a huge help.