“We are in the midst of an ever-expanding technological noosphere – a virtual plane of human interaction taking place on the web – and moving towards an Omega Point in which all business interactions will be intrinsically tied to and dependent on the Internet. This is a great opportunity for those who invest in staying on the cutting-edge.”

-Todd Hoffman, President & CEO

Omega Point Blog

Facebook’s migration to iframe only landing pages presents great opportunities

Last month the ever-changing Facebook decided that they were going to depreciate FBML – FaceBook Markup Language – and encourage developers to create applications that stream their html/css through an iframe. While Facebook’s constant changes to its platform can be frustrating to social media marketers – this change forces us to up our game and design more interactive and creative landing pages.

It is well known that the Facebook landing page is a major key to getting traction, in terms of “likes,” on Facebook pages. For those unfamiliar with the concept – FB allows page owners to create their own pages where you can display images, links, and text prompting your visitors to action. The old way of doing this was to create the page within Facebook using FBML – which was really just HTML hosted on Facebook’s servers. Facebook decided they no longer want to be in the hosting business – so page owners must now develop their landing page on their own server space and link it through and iframe to Facebook. You get the iframe to work on your Facebook page by registering as a Facebook Developer and creating a new application. An important note to consider – you will need to have a valid SSL certificate installed on your hosting service as Facebook utilizes HTTPS to access the page.

Creating a page in this manner does take a little more time than simply banging out some HTML, inserting it in Facebook and calling it FBML – but the opportunities are limitless with the new iframe methodology. Essentially, a developer can now create and entire mini-website inside of Facebook. You can develop the site with whatever technologies your wish to deploy, html, css, php, JavaScript, etc, because its all running from your hosting – not Facebook. You can see an example of a mini-website that Omega Point created here. You can play audio, include email signup forms, display a checkout system to sell products – essentially anything that you can do on your website – just in a smaller frame. (There are ways to overflow the height so that you can exceed 800px without scrollbars, but I suggest designing to Facebook’s iframe specifications to ensure a consistent clean look).

There is a lot of potential in the iframe methodology and I encourage you to take it for a test drive. And why limit yourself to static pages? A CMS template designed to the Facebook iframe specs could be a powerhouse Facebook mini-website.

If you are interested in Facebook page custom design please contact Omega Point Design at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dublin, Ohio - Opportunities for Internet Success

This is a new multi-part series profiling communities in Central, Ohio - if you would like to see your community showcased and receive a 10% discount email us at i This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Known for its beautiful golf courses and Irish heritage – Dublin, Ohio one of central Ohio’s premiere communities and a great environment for small businesses to excel using cutting-edge Internet marketing techniques.

According to the City of Dublin, the average Dubliner is 36 to 45 years of age, married with children living at home, owns single-family home, employed full-time in a variety of professions, trades and service positions with 30 percent employed in healthcare and education fields. With over 50% of Dublin’s population of 41,325 under the age of 44 – Dublin’s consumer’s are very Internet savvy – presenting a great opportunity for local businesses to expand their customer base by improving their website and optimizing their use of social media and email marketing.

With over 3,000 businesses located in the City of Dublin, small business owners know that to staying ahead of the competition means investing in the right technologies that promote their brand awareness, build customer loyalty and expand their customer base through the power of referrals.

From web design to social media marketing, Omega Point Design and New Media can help your business develop and implement the plan that will make your business grow. With over 50% of all purchases being preceded by an Internet search – its now more essential than ever to strengthen your online outreach.

Click here to get a free quote today – or call 614-321-9773 for more information.

And remember to use the coupon code SHAMROCK515 to claim your 10% off!

Facebook Pages: FBML Depreciated, Time to Redesign in iFrame

Facebook iFrame A couple weeks ago, Facebook depreciated FBML. FBML stands for Facebook Markup Language - a formatting language based on HTML - that was the method in which designers created landing pages on Facebook. Facebook decided that it would no longer support this method after March 2011.

From All Things Digital:

Facebook on Thursday will start moving pages and applications on its platform toward using open Web elements rather than its proprietary FBML (Facebook Markup Language). As a side effect, the change will push pages and apps creators who are not technical toward paying outside hosting providers to customize their pages.

The company is “deprecating” FBML as of March 11, meaning it will no longer allow developers to create new FBML apps and non-developers to use Facebook’s simple FBML app for their pages. Rather, they will have to use HTML iFrames.

On one hand, this will encourage more dynamic apps with more consistent experiences across the Web. On the other, change is hard, and this will affect many businesses with pages using Facebook’s free static tools who may now need to find someone to help them create and host an iFrame.

What does this mean for business owners who have nicely designed Facebook landing pages? Well, your existing pages are not going anywhere YET. Facebook will allow those who already have FBML fan pages to keep them. However it is uncertain how long this pages will continue to work. Facebook has a history of changing its methodology quickly - and this one is already out of the door.

Our advice is to upgrade your Facebook page to an iFrame. The iFrame methodology is actually far superior, although slightly more complicated to set up. With the new methodology, a business can host and entire mini-website that is fed in to a fan page via their own host. This allows for a much better user experience and the ability to incorporate some of the interactive tools that are featured on your regular website.

To run a new iFrame Fan Page you must host the mini-website yourself - Facebook is no longer giving businesses a free canvass, so to speak. Your hosting must also include secure transmission (SSL, SHTTP) to ensure that all users are able to view your page.

While the new iFrame Pages are definitely more work - just like any venture in social media - you get what you put in to it back in tenfold. Think about it - the ability to create an entire website within the world biggest online community is a powerful thing - and the flexibility of the iFrame methodology allows for an unlimited potential of creativity.

Readers interested in creating their own iFrame Facebook mini-website can find very good instructions here. If you need some help, Omega Point Design would be happy to build one for you. Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or click here.

Foursquare.edu

Todd Hoffman

Universities could enhance tours with Foursquare

Foursquare, for those who are not familiar, is a location-based social networking platform that allows users to "check in" to registered locations with their mobile devices. Early adapters of this technology have predominately been restaurants - who reward customers who frequently check-in while at their establishments.

The full range of applications for this technology is only now beginning to be explored - and one interesting use of Foursquare for universities would be an interactive campus tour.

Campus tours are a big part of the decision process for prospective students. The tour is often the first impression of the school, beyond the brochures and websites - and is the point when a student decides if they feel comfortable in the university's community. Introducing the option of using a familiar social networking tool would greatly enhance this experience.

Implementing the idea

The University could register important locations around campus. Information about the history of buildings, stories about alumni and academic accomplishments of the university could all be included in Foursquare location data. Future building plans could also be highlighted for growing universities.

The tour guide - mobile device in hand - could lead the students around a path of check-points, while conducting a traditional tour for their less savvy parents. Students could then be encouraged - with perhaps the incentive to win school merchandise - to explore additional locations on their own or with their parents.

Universities looking to score points with prospective students would be well advised to “check in” to Foursquare.

Long way in 5 years

Todd Hoffman

The Evolving Nature of Social Media and Politics

Social media has already revolutionized campaign communications since I started working as a web guru for campaigns over five years ago. The growth in widespread usage and variety of applications has risen exponentially each election cycle.

This medium will continue to evolve - especially with the integration of social media and search engines. Political candidates should continue to use social media to connect with voters – even after the campaign. Social media can be an excellent tool for constituent services.

From Mashable:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, But Perhaps Tweeted

The medium is the message, and like television before it, the social web will radically alter who is electable, according to Matt Lira, the director of new media for Republican Whip Eric Cantor. “Before television, there was a dramatically different set of candidates who could win that didn’t have a chance once television emerged,” Lira said. “Social media’s effect will be no less dramatic.”

Lira notes that at first, campaigning on TV was viewed as a gimmick and was given to young staffers to experiment with. “Over time, television asserted itself as the dominant form of political communication — remaking our nation’s politics in the process.” If that progression sounds familiar, it’s because we’re reliving it today.

It’s about how the social web is rapidly becoming the default place where people spend their time and discuss issues that matter to them. “It will be about how much society has integrated itself into it,” said Gerrit Lansing, the new media director for Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL 6th). “Citizens will be far more accustomed to being a fan of their congressman on Facebook, because it will soon become one of the main ways in which they communicate with him.”

“What we’re seeing across the political spectrum right now is a rejection of traditional media,” said A.J. Bhadelia, the online communications coordinator for Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA 15th), who represents the Silicon Valley district in California. He notes that among Rep. Honda’s constituents, a quarter of the people who get their news online get it from social media. “[I]f given the opportunity, it will take up any space that traditional media has conceded.”