This change is prob. the biggest change for Facebook business pages.
Companies like pagemodo do well selling custom pages and making them appear on a custom tab. The new timeline has completely changed everything. Many company invested large amounts of money on their custom facebook pages. Companies almost formed a backbone on facebook. I would hate to be running a specialized social media company.
Some says that Timeline will be forever? Is that true? I actually don’t want the Timeline. 
I thought they still allow you to use custom layouts, though? It’s just a timeline now.
You can, but there is little point in having it, take a look at this page http://www.facebook.com/americanexpress, the entire navigation is a whole lot different. You can only select a page through the top of the page. It’s just not the same and don’t give the same effect.
I think its right. i also think facebook needed some change and they do it. but many company use facebook page and they spent more money for this change.i think it will be more useful to promote company product. such as cover photo. A company can use this option by their product image or photo. then many user understand about that product at a first glance. so i think this change not a bad thing . its a great change.
Yeah, I hate the new FB timeline, it’s not eyes-friendly and make the content looks more complicated. I use the free pagemodo to create fan page but it’s still work the same. I guess because I use the free version.
We’ll prob. have to change the way we design for Facebook and the way pages are ordered, if you need pages at all that is.
I like Facebook changes
ow fan pages make width 810px and its a plus point for designers and developers.
Now designers concentrate on cover picture of fan page
Be sure to view the rules for Cover Photos. While it’s a huge opportunity the guidelines are presented for a reason… the cover is a place to show your culture, your experience, your brand… not to put a discount offer or sign up ad. http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=276329115767498
Yes you are right, If Facebook allowed offers ads something then 50% advertisers will not use Facebook ads
Everyone’s going to have to deal with the changes that are happening in Facebook – may it be an individual running a personal account, or an entity that handles a page. Sure, there have been a lot of changes in the layout, but wouldn’t it be better if you looked at the change as more of an opportunity rather than something disadvantageous?
… and I was just about to do that. All that space and I can’t do much with it. That sucks!
Remind me what I would do with this space?
Sounds like you’re approaching social as a place to broadcast your business. That’s not the path to success.
As facebook’s FAQ says, the cover is a great way to showcase what you do. If you sell products, a great shot of an item or the team building new stuff, if you have an app, a killer shot of it at play, etc.
Agreed with Sega, Facebook is using its monopoly. Don’t like the new interface of profile and custom pages. Just thinking of those business houses who spent lots of money on page designing and its concept. Even, cocacola page is not so good looking now. The landing page option is vanished. that really suck
What “monopoly?” IMO, Facebook is just preserving its brand from those who would use it to set up a branch office for their business. I don’t blame them and I think it’s a good idea. Why shouldn’t their pages display the same cohesive look as do the pages on any other website?
I do agree that it was a big mistake on their part to give businesses the free rein they gave them at the beginning. The ability to add a business page to Facebook was never meant to be a “right”. Unfortunately, business owners around the globe fail to understand the difference between a right and privilege.
There’s no wrong in having and wasting time/money to have a great Facebook page for your business. It is just there way to impress every user that their company had something to tell and offer to them. The more attractive, the more we get conscious right?
I do sympathize with businesses that were able to perform custom page work for clients across Facebook. I had not really considered how the timeline change would affect that market. That said, Facebook timeline changes will occur across all pages at the end of this month. Regardless of the fact if you like it or not you should begin to think of ways to make it work to the betterment of your social media marketing strategy. I don’t really believe Facebook will enable the timeline feature permanently but I do believe that Facebook will continue to change the layout of users pages again and again. Facebook has to keep its platform moving in order to continue to keep regular users on board and to attract new users. The changes will continue to roll out but no one can really predict at what rate that will be.
I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying completely but it sounds like you’re suggesting that a custom page is always more impressive to people and give them more reason to want to follow you. If so I’d strongly disagree – a custom app can be a great tool but so many times they’re simply used to advertise at people. As another social marketer said yesterday on twitter… giving out a coupon is no reason to puff out your chest and march around saying “look at how [good] we treat you”.
I think this is a good lesson to those that try to make a quick buck by specializing in something as goofy as Facebook business pages. Whenever you rely on something proprietary, you are always taking a risk. Including it as an add-on service is fine. Building your whole business model around it (as a developer) is asking for trouble.
From a customer standpoint, I think I like the change. I haven’t looked at too many of them yet, but the American Express one is a nice example.
Social media is about being social. It’s not about selling your products. That may come from being social (building trust with customers, establishing a brand, etc.), but if you try and circumvent that step… well… it doesn’t build trust. =p
Yes, Facebook has given an alert that Facebook is going to change it’s look and feel of web pages on last day on this month.