FBInsider

How to Design the Perfect Facebook Application for the Users and You - Introduction

Facebook is one of the largest and fastest growing social networking sites on the web.  They just opened registration to anyone in September of 2006 and have increased their user base to over 40 million users.  What’s even more exciting is at the end of May 2007 Facebook launched their developers platform allowing any user to access and interact with their entire user base through an application which can be “installed” to a user’s account.  When a user installs an application to their account it grants the application access to their information such as name, profile image, interests, activities, age, friends and more.  The application can then take the information and use it to enhance the user’s experience on Facebook.   Users can do this by using the app to interact with other users in new ways not already available on Facebook.  Already thousands of developers have created applications that have been added to Facebook, but only a few have had the success of reaching out to hundreds of thousands of Facebook’s 40 million plus users.  Now is your chance to create an application (app for short) that will attract thousands of Facebook users.

This guide will include key ideas and strategies to consider when creating a Facebook Application.  These ideas and strategies will help increase your app’s popularity ten-fold.  The whole idea is to introduce and entice Facebook users to an app that you’ve created, and then share it with their friends.  In doing so you want to make your app an enjoyable experience and a continuing one for the users.  The key thing to remember is the users.  Facebook is a social networking site, built and managed by the users.  When you are interacting with these users you do not want to annoy, confuse or deceive them in anyway.  They have the power to determine how great your app is and you must respect that. (Did you notice how I put the users first before you in the title?)

                In the following context you will be introduced to strategies and ideas that, when executed appropriately, will produce fast results, winning Facebook users over.  The three main goals behind these strategies and ideas will introduce users to your app, entice them to use your app, and get users to share your app.  These are the three core concepts that will do just that: make it simple, keep them guessing, and ask politely.   The next part to this article will be available tomorrow.