Facebook launches new registration for webmasters

On Dec. 16, 2010, Facebook announced a new registration tool for website owners.

The developers at Facebook have said:

It is an excellent alternative to using Facebook Login (formerly Facebook Connect) when:

• you want to provide an option for users without Facebook accounts
• your site needs additional information that Facebook doesn't provide
• a traditional HTML form suits your site more

By making it easier to sign up for a new account and making it easier to let your friends know about a site, they have seen an increase in completion of the sign up process. They have also noticed that people spend more time on the website, share more content and become return visitors more often. Doing a beta test with FriendFeed, they have noted that Facebook sign ups increased 300%.

The tool can be easily integrated into your website by adding some simple code or an Iframe. When a user is logged into Facebook and arrives at the registration tool on a website, the form is pre-filled with information that they share from their Facebook profile. This makes it much easier for the user to sign-up.

When the user completes the registration using their Facebook account (which is similar to Facebook Connect), the website is given permission to access the user's basic information from Facebook in addition to any of the data in the registration form (if additional data has been requested.). This can then provide the user with a custom, personalized and social experience.