It might not be too conspicuous to some internet users while others simply don’t pay attention to it but favicons have already been in existence since March 1999.
What are Favicons?
Favicons are logo-like graphic pieces normally found at the left side of the name of bookmarked sites, page titles of browsers in tab browsing and in the URL in the address bar. Also referred to as a website icon, tab icon and URL icon, favicons was first introduced by Microsoft when Internet Explorer 5 and the file was termed favicon.ico saved in the root directory. The name favicon was derived from “favorite icon” which Microsoft came up with.
These icons are 16 x 16 pixel images that are effective in branding and for most website owners, using favicons is important not only in improving the aesthetic appeal of a site but also offers other benefits.
Professional Appeal
Perhaps, one of the obvious advantages of adding a favicon on your website is the professional look to it. Although not all high page rankers have these creative icons, seeing them with websites with favicons on tabs somehow make them unnoticeable. With a favicon, it will feel like effort and time had been invested by whoever developed the website.
Branding
Favicons can be the first letter of the name of website or the logo of the company. Since favicons are seen in URLs, bookmarks and tabs, internet users will be seeing them all the time. Even if they seem to be unnoticeable, over time, there will be a certain recall on the user, especially if he or she regularly opens the website. Branding has something to do with visibility and this is exactly what favicons give to websites. Whenever a user browses a website, an icon will always be present at the left side and will be seen at one point or the other.
Easy Identification
Favicons are useful not only for the website owners when it comes to branding and recall. They also can help internet users in streamlining user-experience. For example, a user is doing research and opening tabs simultaneously or bookmark several sites, page titles will be hidden. This is where favicons come into play. With these images remaining visible, the user can identify the website with it and can easily know what to click.
How to Make Favicons
In creating an icon, first, come up with a square image of your preferred icon and use any of the favicon generators, Next, generate 16 x 16 pixel image. After downloading the file, it should be added to the root directory and uploaded back to the server.
Below are some helpful tools to help you create a favicon:
Dynamic Drive Favicon Generator
– This favicon creator tool helps you create favicons with .png,.gif and .ico and also provides other tools like animated gif generator that can be very useful for the website owner.
RealFaviconGenerator
– This tool is used for creating favicons for Mac browsers, tablets, desktops and other platforms. Aside from compatible favicons available, this tool also generates report about the chosen favicon on how it looked on previous websites.
Take a closer look next time your on the internet or clicking one of your favorite bookmarks, and notice the favicons each company uses. If you want an effective online presence and be visible, we can help you design your favicon and add it to your site. Contact us now!
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