The 16th in the series of…
20 Secret Blogging Tips in 20 Days
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Behold, the Power of the Favicon!
That sounded ominous. Just in case you didn’t know – look at the top of this tab in your browser? See that little soup can? That is my Favicon for this website.
It’s just a small little image (usually 16 x 16 px). Did you know Favicon is short for “Favorites Icon”?
Favicons don’t just show at the top of your browser. They also play a big role when someone bookmarks your site. We’re all graphical in nature. Check out your bookmarked sites – as you scroll down the list which ones stand out? The ones with a custom Favicon.
While very small the Favicon packs a big punch when it comes to your branding. Want proof? Here’s a few Favicons (shown in 16px size). No doubt you’ll recognize most or all of them.
Did you get them all? 9 out of 10? I’ll bet you missed that little black dog. I was just messing with you on that one. It’s for a site I just started HowlMoreBarkLess.com.
It may seem trivial, but when I build a website for a client I look at their logo, their branding and create a custom Favicon for them.
That looks like a rainbow of colors. For the record, the sites above are from left to right: MoveToMich, EastBayRealEstate, SchoolGardens, ReneeMorgan, AreWeConnected, MDSuburbanHomes, FresYes, HomeFolioMedia, TidalMarine, KristinLanham, TheEnlightenedTeam, BlueNoteEntertainment, TheDejaVuBoutique, RespectRealty, ADA, and SenorBurbujas. Go check them out and see how the Favicon fits the site.
Of course this post wouldn’t be complete without me showing you how to get your own custom Favicon.
The easiest way would be to hire me to build you a Custom WordPress Website.
Want the DYI way?
Open up your favorite image manipulation program. Create a 16 x 16 pixel image that you want. Save it as favicon.ico and FTP it to the root of your server. Easy Peasy!
That is, as long as your image program can save as an .ico AND you have access to your server files. For most site owners that probably isn’t the case.
Here’s how you can do it.
Go here: http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/favicon/ It’s a favicon generator. Create your Favicon there, save it to your hard drive.
Now go find a plugin: http://wordpress.org/plugins/search.php?q=favicon has a ton of free Favicon plugins. Find one that works with your theme. Install the plugin, activate it and follow it’s directions.
I build on the Genesis Platform and there’s a plugin just for Genesis
NOTE: You can create animated favicons and transparent favicons and even favicons of different sizes but they are not all supported by all browsers. In the end it’s the viewers browser that determines what and if your favicon loads.
Ready for a killer wordpress website? Click HERE.
He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, bought a cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and now,a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
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