There are quite a few things to learn about favicons, especially if you have not been paying attention to them before as someone who is looking to make their brand recognizable.
The term itself is short for “favorite icon”. Favicons are what you see on the top of your browser, near the URL. And it has become quite apparent that people pay more attention to it rather than the name of a website. Visuals are that much easier to remember.
Favicon has many uses and not having it on your website is not something you should do. This article is a good reference point for anyone who still has doubts. They will definitely disappear once you finish reading the whole thing.
Adding a Favicon
It is not that difficult to do it. There are a couple of different methods on how to add a favicon to your website.
If you are using a WordPress CMS, the easiest method to upload a favicon is by using WordPress customizer.
Go to “Appearance” and select “Customizer” in the dashboard. Find the “Site Identity” tab and look for the “Site Icon” at the bottom. You should be able to upload an image of an appropriate site.
Simply select one from your computer and upload it. Save the changes and refresh the website. If the favicon is still not visible, try clearing caches and waiting for a bit. It is bound to appear sooner rather than later.
Adding a favicon using plugins or themes is another option, though it is worth pointing out that not every website will have this option. But then again, if something can be done via the customizer directly, why bother with something else, right?
Creating a Favicon
It would not be a stretch to say that most businesses tend to use their logos and simply reduce them in size. This is a common practice in most places. Yet despite all that, there are some who would prefer taking a different approach and create a favicon that is different from the usual logo.
There are multiple ways to go about it as well. You can either create everything yourself from scratch, use a generator that is developed specifically for favicons, or hire a professional designer.
The favicon should not stand out too much. Try to look for something minimalistic. People prefer simpler things these days. Colors, letter abbreviations, and all that should also be included in the overall planning process. And remember that different browsers have different backgrounds, so your favicon will not look the same everywhere.
If you are struggling to come up with something great, look at some examples out there and get a little bit of inspiration. But do not copy them too much. You want something distinguishable.
Favicon Importance
All that trouble has to mean something, right? Absolutely. Favicons matter a lot, and even simple blogs or other websites with no intent to make money are making sure that it is still up there.
SEO
First and foremost, search engine optimization. It is one of the biggest parts of digital marketing and SEO continues to evolve all the time.Favicons do not have a direct impact, but they still bring something to the table. First and foremost, bookmarking.
Whenever someone bookmarks a website, search engines receive a positive signal that indicates the website’s worth. And it just so happens that Google Chrome favors those sites that have a favicon. Missing out on this should not be something anybody wants, right?
The bookmarks themselves are also easier to navigate through when there is a visual aid near the URL. Especially when there are a lot of different bookmarked pages. Individuals can find whatever they are looking for faster.
A favicon is something that your website’s visitors expect to find. Not meeting these expectations will certainly be detrimental to one’s reputation. Make the website as user-friendly as you can.
And where does that lead? It increases the odds of returning visitors and more traffic is one of the best indicators of a good website, ultimately leading to improved results in search engine rankings as well.
Brand Awareness
Like already mentioned, a favicon is something that people will expect to see and if they begin to recognize this small icon, you can expect to see a significant rise in brand awareness as well.
Just look at some of the biggest companies in the world. They are known by simply looking at their logo/favicon. Reaching this point is extremely difficult, but everyone had to start from scratch.
So to sum it all up, this article should be a good way to get yourself familiar with favicons and what roles it plays in making your business stand out from the rest. While things may seem simple on the surface level, the reality is quite different.