Since the Facebook Platform has been launched a number of months ago, allowing anyone to write an application that can interact with Facebook users in any number of ways, thousands of such applications have been released. While many startups are forming (and existing ones) focusing solely on Facebook applications, a viable business model for a web app existing solely within the walled garden of Facebook has not appeared yet. So, even though developing such an application may be easier than developing a stand-alone version, it should not, at this point, be considered as the focal point for any startup.

Instead, think about producing a Facebook application to complement your main application. In this post, I’ll show you what elements I’ve implemented in a Facebook application I’m about to release that was developed solely to draw traffic and attention to the primary application, Localnik (If you’d like to know more about the service, stick around for a future post).

  1. Function
    The primary function of your application (what users “do” on it) should be the same, or similar, to your main site. You want visitors to use your Facebook application in the same way as they would use the primary version. This will ensure that, your user demographics match up. For example, if you have an image-editing site, your Facebook application should also be an image editor. But…
  2. Provide a limited feature set
    What?! Did I just say limit what users can do? I think I did. And here is my justification: If your Facebook application is a mirror image of what your full application is, why should users convert? Finding the right cutoff point is tricky… provide too much functionality, and users won’t bother with your primary site. But provide too little functionality, and your application is worthless. But whatever you do…
  3. Advertise your main site. On every page.

    At the bottom of every page, I have a advertisement for the full site. Not too intrusive, fits in with the Facebook style, but it is something users will notice. The spin of the ad is focused on telling users how the Facebook app is a demo, and what else the main site offers. This is where enumerate all the features you tearfully omitted out of the Facebook application, as per #2.
  4. Entice the users to check out the main site.

    People are lazy. Why should they even clicking on a link, registering another account, and exploring something else? You must have something in addition to an advertisement to draw users. Since my main site is in private beta right now, I decided to give each Facebook user an invite code that will give them access to the application before it goes public. This adds the element of scarcity, and gives the user the sense that they are in some way special. Plus, as the founder, it gives me an initial user base :-). Other ideas: Allow them to register for an account within your Facebook application, or generate an account for them automatically, or have some sort of discount/bonus for joining the main site (points?).

These are what I have implemented for the Facebook-specific mini-version of my main site. You could also use Facebook to boost your business by:

  • Testing an idea - Facebook apps are easy to make, with a built in viral user base. Keeping demographics in mind, see if your idea holds water before spending time making the full-blown version.
  • Advertising - Since you can put whatever you want into your application, make unrelated, heavily viral, applications, and put an ad for your site at the bottom of each page.

Further Reading
If you’d like to know more about Facebook development, check out the platform home page. Once you get your feet wet, the associated wiki is an invaluable resource.

For ideas on how to grow your Facebook application, AllFacebook is a great resource. The Top 5 Viral Facebook Techniques is a must-read.

Also, I am more than happy to help you (zvi AT zviband DOT com, or post a comment below)