Many of us immersed in the online marketing world assume that everyone knows (or cares) about the latest and greatest social media advances. The reality is, many small business owners simply don’t have time or interest. We get it! For the people who just want the basics, we offer the cheat sheet to make your website ‘Facebook’ friendly.

Here are the MOST important things to do with Facebook for your small business (sign up for our free UpCity Daily Tips newsletter to get more tips on social media basics).

The Difference Between Facebook Buttons

Start by understanding what each of the Facebook icons do. The buttons on your website should be directed at two basic things:

1. An icon that links to your Facebook business page.

On your home page, the standard Facebook icon should link to your Facebook page. Your Facebook page allows web customers to learn more about your you and, hopefully, ‘Like’ your business.

Note that if someone likes your business it does NOT mean your updates will automatically go to their newsfeed. Facebook feeds have gotten to be a very busy place. In order filter out some of the noise, Facebook has set criteria in determining which of your ‘fans’ will see your information as reported this past November by TechCrunch.

2. An icon that allows people to share your content.

A Facebook ‘share’ button on a blog post or article allows people to share your content to their Facebook page. This will go into the individual’s newsfeed and be seen by their friends and colleagues. The ‘Share’ is synonymous with ‘Recommend’ buttons.

How to Use Them for Your Business

  1. Icon that links to your Facebook page.Liking you on Facebook is a bit of a popularity vote. The more people that like you, the more credibility for your business. As noted, this doesn’t mean that they will receive all of your updates but it’s a start. What you post on your Facebook page has the chance of showing up in their feed. Special offers, products tips, new releases. All of those things work.

    Place the the icon near the top of your homepage (above the fold) so it’s easier to find and click on when someone lands on your site. For other webpages on your site, you may want to place the icon in a less conspicuous place, such as the footer, to leave room for more important information at the top of your webpage.

    Ask for people to ‘like’ you. Gather a tribe. Start small, you can determine how to maximize your followers later.

  2. Icons that allow people to share your content.Sharing content is a big win because your business is exposed to people’s circle of influence, these are folks who might never have heard of you otherwise. Funny images, practical tips and giveaways are a slam-dunk. Think of your audience and what your customers find of value. If they like it, they are more likely to share. This is how things can go viral and you can gain your business much greater exposure.

    There are a whole host of social plug-ins you can add to your website. If you want to use them depends on how advanced your goals are for social media, learn more about Facebook Social Plugins installation and how you use them.

Don’t Lose Them

You’ve worked hard to get visitors to your site and you want them to visit you on Facebook, but you don’t want to lose them. Make sure that Facebook icons open in a new window so they can stay on your site. Most importantly, always drive any Facebook traffic back to your site.

Be Engaged

It’s great that you’ve added the Facebook icons to your site. The next critical factor is being involved on Facebook. There’s nothing worse than sending them to a dead zone.

Getting your site ready for Facebook and engaging customers is just the next step in your small business success.