How to Further Your Brand with the Right Favicon
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You’ve seen Favicons but may not have realized that is what they are called. Favicons are small icons displayed when folks visit your site and add it to their browser’s bookmarks bar or list. You’ve probably noticed Favicons when you bookmark a website.
You may have even noticed that search engines now include Favicons in search results. They are also increasingly displayed on mobile and other platforms. That means it is time to use your Favicon to your advantage.
Here is what the bookmark bar in my primary browser looks like. At a glance, I know where each icon will take me when I click it. I visit these sites frequently, and having them just a click away in any browser window is very convenient.
Do you notice anything similar between all the Favicons above? All are clean icons representative of each site’s brand. You may even recognize a few yourself.
Another way to contribute to your branding efforts is to have a Favicon in place so that when displayed, users know it is you. And let’s not make the mistake of thinking your Favicon is the same as your logo—it isn’t.
Most logos won’t work as favicons. Words that can’t be read are too busy or indecipherable.
What is branding, exactly?
Branding ensures that your product, service, or business is recognized by consistently using the same visuals and style in everything you do, online and offline. (I’ve talked about branding before here.)
For example, your logo is your primary brand identifier. But branding doesn’t end there. It’s about incorporating the logo, colors, and style throughout your website and online marketing efforts.
Back in the day, Favicon display required a particular .ico file format and numerous sizes and versions to cater to every possible display size. Setting up a Favicon to represent your brand is easy, with only a few considerations.
Since V4.3, WordPress has made it easy to add your Favicon. All you have to do is go to Appearance > Customize > Site Identity > Site Icon. Once you create your Favicon in the recommended size of 512 pixels x 512 pixels, you upload it, and WordPress takes it from there.
Favicon Best Practices
When creating your Favicon at 512 x 512 pixels, it is easy to forget that it will most often display at 16 x 16 pixels. That’s a huge difference.
I see Favicons that are illegible, not representative of the site they are attached to, plain old, and don’t make sense. Your favicon will represent you and your business. This means that if you choose an icon for your Favicon, it will be on your website and part of all your other marketing efforts.
Because of this, you want to test how your Favicon will display at that size. Here are the primary considerations when creating your Favicon:
Favicon = Your Brand
My Favicon reflects my initial, uses the same blue as my site, and is easily recognizable. I also use this image on sites and platforms that allow logo uploads. This is how you build your brand to be recognized over time, regardless of where you are seen or which platform you are on.
Can you see how having the right Favicon can make all the difference? Why not update your Favicon today?
At your service,
