23 Jan What is a favicon and why do you need it?

Favicon is a small pixel icon that appears next to your website’s page name. It is usually your logo or a generic image that represents your business/organisation.

Favicons are located at the following places:

Browser Tabs

Bookmarks Bar

History Dropdown Menu

Browser History Page

Search Bar Recommendations

Search Results Listing

We strongly recommend including favicons for your website because:

(1) Favicons help with brand recognition
As it is located As it is located at numerous places, the people see it more often and remember it better.

(2) Clarity at browser tabs
When multiple tabs are opened, users will be able to find the tab with your organisation’s page easier (as the favicon is displayed in the browser tab).

(3) Easy to find at bookmarks/history
In the bookmarks bar/page (or history menu/page), users can identify your site more easily with the favicon. People generally respond better to visuals than text.

(4) Professional & Complete
Your site will look more profession and complete with the favicon, especially when displayed in Google search results listing. – there will be more credibility and trust.

(5) Benefits SEO
Favicons will help indirectly with SEO. Having a favicon improves user-friendliness and indirectly improves your search engine rankings.

How to create a favicon

You can easily create a favicon from “Online Favicon Generator”. Just google this keyword and you will have many free options.

Some design tips for your favicon

Keep it Simple
As a favicon is very small (eg. 16px square), it might not always be a smaller version of your company logo, especially when your company logo has too many details. Such details will be lost when scaled down, and will look like a messy glob instead. Do keep your favicon non-cluttered and simple.

Use Abbreviation
You can choose to use the first letter of your business name. Eg. Wikipedia.

Importance of Contrast
Contrasting colors will make it easier to the eye.