Yeah only a complete geek would do a Facebook Like Button WordPress plugin review… erm OK yes that describes me a bit. Still if you want more readers {than your current readers) like your stuff – and have a nice big link for their Facebook friends to come find you quickly and easily, then you should be whacking one of these babies on your WordPress blog.
Here’s a little info on my experience putting a button on some of my blogs. Of course results may vary for you due to your templates and hacks so make sure you test if yours don’t look like mine.
Facebook Like
Facebook Like 2.6.0
Installing – easy no issues via the internal WordPress plugin installer
Configuring - Easy for tech savvy person
Likes - iframe based so no hit on the seo of the content page
Dislike – Supposedly only a 40px default height frame size, but broke out to 400 causing large gap at the top of posts
Verdict - uninstall
The Facebook Like Button (Beta)
The Facebook Like Button (Beta)
Installing – Erm yes well…it said it installed and is in the plugin list. But where is the configuration area for it (I evenm checked in the widgets !) And it didn’t magically appear on any posts
Configuration – well none, cos i can’t find it
Like – the adventure of Beta testing
Dislikes – The paranoid thought I had just done something stupid to my blog by attempting to install this one
Verdict - Uninstall
Facebook Like Button for WordPress
Facebook Like Button for WordPress 1.0.2
Installing – Easy via internal wordpress install
Configure – Easy and slightly manually configurable
Likes - it will work out of the box for most people
Dislikes – The broken wrap around look at the top of the post (and the not so subtle Christian advertising on configure page)
Verdict – I use this one on another blog as it was the first one I could get to work
Facebook Like 0.5
Install – easy
Configure – none! I nearly uninstalled right then and there but I remembered the notes saying “bottom of post” so I checked and sure enough on the front page there were buttons at the bottom of the page
Likes – well that was easy and on the writer’s blog the button looks great
Dislikes – formatting is all wrong on my blog. Appears only on the front page posts, not in individual post. No configuration to make top of post
Verdict – uninstalled
WP Facebook Like Plugin
WP Facebook Like Plugin
Install – Easy
Configure – Easy and has the things I NEED. Can alter width and height of box so there is no annoying break out. Can change font , cute!
Likes – Configurability (made up word) and that it works!
Dislikes – not sure what the Locale thing is for and too lazy to look it up Update: Marco (plugin author) dropped by in comments to explain locale is for default language for the button display – cool!
Verdict – Going on all my blogs
Planned and executed my exit from the corporate world. Walked away with a 6 figure payment to boot.
I have installed in my blog, the “Facebook Like Button Plugin” of Martin Jonsson! I adapted it at the bottom of the post with the tweet and buzz button. However i will test your choice too!
Thank you for recommend my plugin.
The locale field let you specify then language used in the button. By default Facebook send the button in English, so you don’t need to fill this field. In my case, I’m Spanish and if I put the locale (es_ES) that represents my language the button will be “Me gusta”
I think I’ll stick to just the share button on facebook, not that I don’t think this is a superb tutorial, but I just have so many buttons right now that I don’t want to add another one.
Ahh Thankyou Marco, makes sense on the locale and great for my foreign readers (will update post now!)
If only a complete geek would write this review… what does that make me for actually reading it?
It makes me glad you wrote it! Finding a Facebook plugin has been on my list since the recent announcements, and you just saved me a good deal of trial and error.
Thanks for taking the time to write this up!
Hi guys,
Thanks Allison for showing us all the different ways we can install the Facebook Like plugin. This will save me a lot of time.
Kind regards,
Sam
X
Thank you, thank you, thank you! After all I have seen around the place on this topic, you have made it so much easier to understand. I’ll add this to tomorrow’s “to do” list.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Considering selling your crafts online? =-.
My pleasure Michelle. Now to see how many people actually use the bloody thing. It could go the same way as the social media bookmarking icons which I don’t think I have ever seen a “real” person use
Allison, I found you blog just in time. I tried to setup my WordPress Facebook plugin this weekend, and it did not work. After reading your post, I shouldn’t be surprised. I will implement your solution ASAP. Thanks.
Thank you! I have been going around finding a way to install this for quite some time already. even going through the length of going to a garage sale looking for word press books. Thank you!
UPDATE: I got the recommended plug in working; looked fine. The next day my site’s Google ranking went from 3 to infinity (as in not there). Left it for three days and there has been no improvement, according to Market Samurai.
Have removed it today – I will report back!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Dispelling the “I can’t do it” Myths of Creativity =-.
Well that is unusual. Adding has had zero impact on my blog for my keywords Allison Reynolds and Four Hour Work Week.
It might be a case of coincidence rather than causation. (and Google is a fickle beast at the best of times!)
I’ll ask Brent what he thinks
Thanks Allison. I already have the one with the “not so subtle Christian advertising” on my blog which seems to be working fine. Will come back for the one your recommend though, if needs be.
Will be interested to hear your update on impact on keywords as time goes on.
.-= Internet Marketing Coaching´s last blog ..Internet Marketing Outsourcing Tips =-.
Thanks for a great summary of the plug-ins. Instead of spending additional hours trying to set up the most difficult plug-in (how did you put it? “Easy for tech savvy person” right), I just chose the last one, and that one worked just like that. Very useful post!
Iza´s last [type] ..What’s going on
I would appreciate it if you could give our plugin a try.
Some Features are:
* Plugin is available in English and in German
* the Button can be individualy created for every site or one button for the whole blog
* you can exclude sites which won’t get a like button
* individual button position (before/after the content)
* add all available OpenGraph Meta-Tags
* you can individually design your Like-Button with css (css-Class)
* our Like-Button-Generator makes it even more easier for you to create a Like Button
* Analyse your Blog: Analyse the activity of your visitors and their likes
* Use iFrame or XFBML-Button (with share and comment functionality)
* use a shortcode to insert the like-Button
* create a Like-Button Sidebar-Widget (also individual Like-Button for every Site/Post or one Like-Button for the whole site.
* Live Support in our Forum and FanPage
* easily connect your Facebook-Account, Fanpage or Application with the Like-Button on your blog
* Dashboard-Widget which shows you your blog-recommendations
* Individual Description-Tag for every post/page of your blog
* Shortcode-Only-Modus: If you just like the Shortcode and you do not anything else
* and many more (read more in our wiki or Changelog)
thx a lot
Get it now: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/like-button-plugin-for-wordpress/
GangXtaBoii´s last [type] ..Webtipp- New Window Phone Concept
I’m just getting started with all this blogging stuff and found this article really useful. There’s so much information it’s almost overwhelming sometimes, so thank you for clarifying this – it might be a geeky little point but I research *everything*, so it really helped me!
Pat´s last [type] ..Travel Board Game T-shirts