A favicon is a small icon that represents a website on a browser. When I say a favicon is tiny, I’m not kidding! The standard size for a favicon is 16×16 pixels. You commonly see favicons on the left side of the tabs of your brower, in your bookmarks, or as a part of search results. Here are some favicons from iconic brands that you are sure to recognize:
Favicons and Brand Identity
Setting up a favicon is a crucial part of your branding for your business. For starters, having a favicon builds legitimacy and trust for your website. Have you ever visited a website that had the dreaded grey globe as a favicon? That’s the default icon that is displayed when no favicon is designated. It’s generic, and gives the impression that the website is legit, or worse, sketchy. Visitors identify with your brand when you have a favicon – it’s a little visual reminder that makes your business easily identifiable.
Having a favicon makes it easier for a web user to identify your site. It saves them time, and decreases potential difficulties or finding or navigating to your website. This adds up to a positive user experience, which is all part of branding and messaging that you hope to convey to each potential visitor.
So how do I make a Favicon?
At first glance, favicons seem easy to make, because they are so tiny. But a good favicon can’t just be a shrunken down version of your logo. Here are some best practices for creating a the perfect favicon for your website:
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Because of their small size, it’s best to keep favicons really simple. Thin lines and extra detail will be lost and illegible. Many of the popular favicons you see today are simply composed of a circle (or square) with one letter inside.
KEEP IT COHESIVE
Remember, the purpose of your favicon is to allow people to easily identify your brand or website. When creating your favicon, stick to your brand’s colors and fonts for a cohesive, on-brand look.
KEEP IT ABBREVIATED
Favicons work best with little to no text. A simple icon that represents the personality and spirit of your brand makes a memorable favicon. Or, try using initials or even just one character (in your brand’s font of course!) to make an elegant statement.
You can easily create a favicon using a free design tool like canva.com. Simply create your favicon on a 40px by 40px square (that’s the smallest size Canva allows) or per the specs of your website platform (WordPress likes favicons at 512 x 512, for example), then download it as a .png file with a transparent background, and it’s ready to use!
Writing good website copy is an essential piece of designing websites that will be successful and convert. I work with my clients to guide them to a better brand understanding and provide templates for creating website copy that they can use with their brand voice. Other times, I refer them to a professional copywriter, who can do this all for them! Whether you are DIYing your copy, hiring a pro, or somewhere in between, these tips for good website copy are relevant. Remember that just like everything else in business, the 3 T’s apply: Try, Test, and Tweak ’till you get the desired results and feel good about it!
