Facebook finally made it’s official announcement that Facebook fan page tabs are getting narrower on August 23. Here’s the official word from Facebook:

Next week, we will give Page admins the ability to preview their custom tabs in the new 520 pixel width so they can modify their layouts as needed. All profile and Page tabs will be resized automatically beginning the week of August 23.

They’ve been talking about the subject since October 2009, and I’m glad to see they’re finally rolling it out. In fact, Facebook is making quite a few changes to functionality and the user experience. They are also removing the “boxes” tab, so that will mean changes for fan pages and personal profiles alike.

The main reason they’re making the tabs narrower is to help streamline the user experience. That means if you paid a Facebook application developer to design custom tabs, you may want to look at the width and make sure you won’t be affected by the change. As blogger expert Denise Wakeman points out, all you have to do is google “Facebook Page Designer” and you’ll get a slew of options.

If you are a business with a page on Facebook, I would recommend checking out the customized tabs that are now available. There are quite a few companies out there doing it, and it’s a great way to encourage first time visitors to “Like” the page if done correctly. Happy Facebooking!

Filed under: Facebook, social media, Social Networks