Facebook Nixes Default Landing Tab Option
[UPDATE #2: May 20, 2010: A few members of my community alerted me their Default Landing Tab had “reverted” back… or was working now.
So I conducted a test: I logged out of Facebook, then pulled up about a dozen fan pages with fewer than 10,000 fans that would normally land on a Welcome tab. Some did, some didn’t.
There doesn’t seem to be any pattern. I’m guessing Facebook are rolling out this new “Default Landing Tab Only for Authenticated Pages” rule in phases. Or, perhaps they’ve listened to us and are rolling back?!]
[UPDATE #1: As a workaround to this new inability to direct non-fans to your custom landing tab, you could make your own redirect link, e.g. http://marismith.com/fanpage goes to my fan page and could just as easily go to any tab. (You could also use any link shortener, e.g. bit.ly)
Remember, each tab still has its own unique URL and all your tabs/apps are still intact.
This approach with your own redirect link could work well for promotions outside Facebook.
However, any promotion inside Facebook (e.g. @ tags) would automatically go to whichever default landing tab you’ve set – either Wall or Info. I recommend Wall.
Once you reach 10,000 fans, you’ll be able to set your cutom landing tab. Though, so far, a couple members of my community have mentioned they cannot make the change and they’re over 10k fans. Sounds like the change is buggy.
Props to my fab friend, Mike Stelzner for the redirect link suggestion.]
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Original post follows:
For some time, I’ve been raving about the benefits of having your non-fans land on a specific, custom landing tab on your Facebook Fan Page.
When you send visitors to your Facebook Fan Page, previously, you could have them land on a Welcome Tab, for instance – the purpose of which was to help visitors understand what your business is about and to compel them to want to join your Fan Page.
The option to set this was fairly easy – click on Options underneath the publisher on your Fan Page wall, then click on Settings and select the landing tab from the drop down menu:
However, in a rather odd move, today Facebook quietly let a few disgruntled developers know in the Facebook Developers Forum that they would no longer be offering the option to have a custom default landing tab. That is, unless you have a minimum of 10,000 fans or you have an account rep at Facebook.
New settings for fan pages with <10,000 fans:
(Image credit)
Here’s the forum post:
Amidst all the hoopla of the privacy concerns and morass of Community Pages, this default landing tab change just seems grossly unfair to the small business owner, in particular.
As Nick O’Neill writes, “We’d assume that this change was made for two reasons: to combat spam and more importantly, to boost revenue…”
Hmm.
To clarify, ALL of your custom tabs still exist. And – this is important – each tab still has its own unique URL. So, theoretically, you could shorten the URL’s and split test landing tabs as I’ve talked about before.
If you don’t have an account rep, here’s the contact form per Facebook.
How do you feel about this change? Was the default landing tab for non-fans a big part of your Fan Page promotion strategy? Let me know in the comments below:
Props to my bud Dave Kerpen for the phone call today about the Developer Forum post, and to my Twitter bud Ryan Burns for drawing my attention to this change last night (at first we thought it was a bug!), and to my bud Nick O’Neill for promptly blogging about the issue.
This is not good. Longer term small biz's are not going to stay on the platform nor are agencies going to spend their time getting them there. I have been pushing this big time with our clients.
My biggest frustration isn't just with a single change here or there. It is their overall attitude and disregard for their customers. Plus it is consultants and agencies who I would guess are also helping fill their fan pages. I think they are risking a lot and taking much for granted.
When any company starts to completely lose site or care about their different customer segments, their needs, pain points and not to mention customer satisfaction it tends to backfire.
Makes me wonder if they are just gearing up to be sold and stuffing in as many enterprise class features to enhance the revenue model for buyers that be.
Anyway, enough of my nut rant 😉 Not happy about this move at all.
I hear your pain, Pam. The overall attitude for sure does seem uncaring. And to make announcements casually in response to developer forum comments… vs. a proper announcement on their blog and in the press… makes zero sense.
I doubt they're gearing up for sale though. Zuck is holding on tight…
Well, just my luck :).
I recently set up my new fan page (of course, I have to give you a link to it http://www.facebook.com/yournetbizcafe) – all per your posts, and my next step would've been creating a custom landing page.
Bummer.
10K fans – wow, it won't be easy to get there.
Thanks for the update, Mari
Ana
Hi Ana – well props on your shiny new fan page at least!! Looking good. At least you can do custom tabs and they have their unique URL. Also, it's feasible to create your own redirect and use a custom welcome tab URL. Phew, never a dull moment on Facebook….
This is crazy and so disappointing. I just met with a client yesterday and told her I'd put a nice welcome page together for her for new visitors to land on. I don't get it. I'm looking forward to your seminar tomorrow!
Thanks, Kara!! Ya, unfortunately, I guess these landing tabs are just not important to Facebook… certainly, they're dismissing the importance for smaller businesses. Just seems so unfair!!!
Hey Mari!
Marketers are outraged (and rightly so) over this issue.
Take a look at some of the comments we have on our fan page thread on this very topic:
http://www.facebook.com/smexaminer#!/smexaminer…
Mike
Thanks, Mike. Ya – such a shame to find out in this “back door” way. Hopefully some good will come out of it… onwards we go, I'm all set for my SMSS10 Facebook preso #2!!
Mari – It appears as if our voice has made a difference for now. It does seem like they rolled back the change, at least for our fan page. – Mike
My guess is that few small businesses used the custom landing page feature. So, they won’t miss it…But, I wonder how they’re going to deal with those small businesses who don’t meet the criteria that have created the customer welcome page? Is Facebook going to delete it?
Gosh no – the tabs are not getting deleted per se. All tabs are still there. I rather think Facebook wants to force users to get active on the wall, because as they do, that causes more traction for the fan page.
When will they stop changing the rules without any regard to users? And when will average users wake up to the danger of all these changes?
I know, eh, Courtney — so frustrating to find out such a major change for so many small biz's in such a manner. The FB staffer was like oops sorry. 🙁
Hi Mari! Once again, snaps for getting the good content out hot and fresh!! No kidding, I just finished filming and editing a video for my Welcome tab, and had been learning how to work with FBML so that I could create the loveliest page …
Thank goodness you broke the story!! Now I'll be rummaging for a way to at least get the video embedded in a side box. It's not glorious, but it's something!
Thanks so much, Mari!!!
Lori
Thank you for keeping us informed! There are so many changes lately.
I hope to find 10000 fans soon for My Gifted Girl Fan page.
I agree with Pam.,.. they (FB) are taking too much for granted.
Like you said grossly unfair to legitimate small business owners trying to engage their customers on facebook… 10K seems very excessive, surely 500-1000 would be an acceptable limit if facebook wish to enforce such a measure.
Great post btw.
Andy…
Thanks, Andy.
Mari, I must say this is insane. All these changes are making me feel a little bit turned off of Facebook. Too many changes happening too quickly and do not seem to have the individual interest in mind.
I think more peeps could cope with the changes if they were announced with some advance notice, some reasoning as to the change, and a willingness to receive feedback from the users!!!!