Transforming a Facebook Group Community into a full scale Website. - Developers

[B]I am not talking about using Facebook for a website or anything like that, I am talking about making a website for an already existent community on Facebook.[/B] My friend RJ started a group on Facebook a few months ago, one I didn't give much thought to. I joined it since it seemed like a neat idea. The whole idea was pretty much where people get on and share media links (usually youtube) of their favorite songs and bands and people talk about them. Well the other day I visited the group page, and it now has [b]1599[/b] members with a good amount of people posting content ever day, so we already have a community to build a site for, the most important thing. The thing I liked about this group is the fact that instead of the bands signing up and begging for people to look at their stuff, it's the fans sharing what they think is awesome, and in turn, bands get a lot of buzz. Due to the popularity, RJ was working on a site for it and was asking for people to help him run it. What's sad is it's one of those not good, free weebly sites. I knew I could help him develop it into something bigger. I would really like to invest some time and money into it and help him develop a [B]real[/B] website. My only problem is, how can I turn this into a full featured website. How can I get the community to sign up and care. How do I make it move beyond that Facebook group?

Create the website, and start to have all links on the page that you post to be redirects to your main site. Use login with Facebook on your site, and highly integrate it with facebook.

I've put a lot of thought into that. I'm scared of having such a dependence on Facebook though, couldn't that possibly be a bad thing in the end? What if Facebook loses popularity?

[QUOTE=Funcoot;32024275]What if Facebook loses popularity?[/QUOTE] That's not going to happen for a very long time. I know everyone says "oh I hate Facebook, I'm quitting!" and then nothing happens and they keep going on.

If that does happen, we could just develop our own account system and if the base is solid people would migrate anyhow? Or we should just integrate the next popular social media system?

Facebook is definitely going to be around for a while. If it's something you're worried about, build your login system with your worries in mind. Just make sure that if/when you need to move away from facebook logins the system is designed in a way that will make that an easy transition on you and the users. I definitely agree that building the site with facebook logins is the way to go for the time being. It'll make it a lot easier to convince users to move from the group to the site.

Is SSL and important thing when setting up a website like this?

[QUOTE=Funcoot;32025238]Is SSL and important thing when setting up a website like this?[/QUOTE] SSL/https isn't really that important for sites like what you're describing. It's mostly used with banks and things that need lots of security, eg Google's login page. I mean, it's nice to have, but not needed for most sites. If you really want to have a SSL certificate, I've heard good things about [url]http://www.startssl.com/[/url]

I think using Facebook as a login system is a pretty good Idea, it allows me (as a potential user of your website) to register in under a minute. I don't have to activate my e-mail, or go trough any weird captchas. And by emphasizing that point with something like, "Register with Facebook and start sharing immediately." you could even easily gain new audience (People that were not in your group). Now one thing I am not sure of is Facebook's policy on replicating their core functions, which is here the share option. (Unless I am completely on the wrong track and that is not a main function of your website.)

You can't really claim that sharing of information is a core function of a website in a laying-claim-to-the-functionality sense. That's all the entire internet is about lol

[QUOTE=cas97;32024452]That's not going to happen for a very long time. I know everyone says "oh I hate Facebook, I'm quitting!" and then nothing happens and they keep going on.[/QUOTE] Remember when everyone said the same thing about MySpace, "oh that'll never happen?"

[QUOTE=CrispexOps;32083941]Remember when everyone said the same thing about MySpace, "oh that'll never happen?"[/QUOTE] No, because there wasn't an alternative to Myspace in the first place.

[QUOTE=DeandreT;32084408]No, because there wasn't an alternative to Myspace in the first place.[/QUOTE] Friendster.

[QUOTE=Funcoot;32024204]The whole idea was pretty much where people get on and share media links[/QUOTE] So... reddit?

[QUOTE=gerome;32158698]So... reddit?[/QUOTE] No. The internet.

[QUOTE=Funcoot;32024489]If that does happen, we could just develop our own account system and if the base is solid people would migrate anyhow? Or we should just integrate the next popular social media system?[/QUOTE] you could allow people to choose whether they create an account or log in via facebook but definitely do the facebook thing, that's where the majority of your users are

Definitely integrate Facebook's functionality 'cause if you're going to post redirect links to your [B]actual[/B] website in the Facebook Group page, then they wouldn't need to go through any hassles to access the features on your website as a registered user.