Building custom tabs on Facebook with ShortStack

Connecting on Facebook

Connecting with your users, customers, or clients can be done in many ways. Currently, one common way is through Facebook. While Facebook started out as a way to connect with friends, classmates, and acquaintances, it has since grown to include businesses, organizations, and social movements and causes. Because of this change, businesses of all sizes have successfully marketed their names and promoted their products or services through Facebook. Whether you’re a small business pro or even if you work for a large company, you may not have the available budget to create a business-worthy Facebook page, complete with customizable tabs that fit your professional marketing needs.

Companies or individuals well-versed in the creation of professional Facebook pages are numerous. But many of these are over-priced or just not in an affordable price range. ShortStack, on the other hand, provides a variety of options and price points, and it’s free for certain companies. ShortStack offers an easy-to-use Facebook management platform, allowing you to build and design your tabs with CSS, javascript, HTML, jQuery, and iframes. You can also customize your page’s visibility for both fans of your Facebook page and the general public. This means that you can create a Facebook experience that is specialized and unique for those who “like” your page, encouraging other Facebook users to “like” your page so they can have access to content, contests, and photos.

Instead of using apps, like many modern technologies, ShortStack uses widgets. This makes it easy and more convenient for you to add new widgets and rearrange them to match the vision of your company’s Facebook page. Alongside the available widgets, ShortStack also gives you the option to include customizable contact forms, surveys, contests, and sweepstakes. Some of ShortStack’s widgets include:

• Google Maps
• MailChimp
• Twitter
• Flash and video embed options
• Voting and polls
• RSS
• Product listings

When it comes to ShortStack’s pricing menu, there are five basic options. Which category you fall into depends on the popularity of your Facebook page.

If you have 2,000 or less Facebook “likes,” you can use the free edition. Unsurprisingly, the free version has limited features and options, and it’s allows an unlimited number of pages—up to 2,000 “likes” combined—sweepstakes, fan-only content, and unlimited widgets. If you decide the free version is right for you, be aware that your Facebook page will also have to include a ShortStack logo. If you have more than 2,000 “likes” or you want additional features, you can choose between $15 or $30 a month for up to 25,000 “likes,” $75 per month for up to 100,000, or $300 per month for unlimited everything. The higher priced packages include tab analytics, multiple user collaboration, customized tab icons, and unlimited tabs per Facebook page.

While using ShortStack comes with many benefits, there are also some negatives to be aware of. As mentioned earlier, if you choose the free account, you have to showcase ShortStack’s logo, which is great for them but may not be so great for your business, as it can cause your users to be distracted or confused. And, of course, that depends on the size and location of the required logo. Secondly, the more popular you get, the more expensive your plan becomes. This would not be a problem if the number of “likes” had a direct correlation with your company’s profits. But because your profit or web traffic doesn’t always reflect your popularity on Facebook, ShortStack can become a little pricey very quickly.

It all basically comes down to need, web presence, and budget, and the rest is up to you.