Hi Everyone and welcome! I am George Pierce, this post is about your favicon. What we are about to cover is: what is a favicon, why it is more important than you think, a common favicon mistake to avoid, how to create a great favicon for free, and how to install it on your website. Let's begin.
What is a favicon?
Favicon is short for favorite icon, also called a short icon, website icon, URL icon, tab icon, or bookmark icon. It is the small image that appears next to your website's URL in a browser's address bar, on tabs, and in bookmarks lists. Above are examples of better-known favicons.
Why is a favicon important?
Your favicon will help users to more quickly and more easly identify your website among a sea of open tabs. Your favicon also makes it easy for users to spot your website easily in their browser history. The more that your visitors see your favicon, the more likely they are going to be able to recognize your site, the next time they see it. In other words, it is visual tool which goes straight to the brain, and thus allows it to work so well. Take another look at the favicons above. You instantly know what sites are represented, which is not only proof that they work, but also proof of their power.
A Common Favicon Mistake!
Most online newbies seem to think that their favicon and their logo are the same. WRONG! As mentioned a favicon is a 'small" icon, it is typically shown as 16 by 16 or 32 by 32 pixels. It is large enough to recognize but much too small for a logo. On the other hand, your logo is an essential part of your branding and so is your favicon.
How To Create A Great Favicon For Free!
There are two ways to create your favicon. One is the old fashoined way which is to use an image editor, and for that I suggest PIXLR, which is a free online image editor, easy to use, and perfect for the job.
The above favicon was NOT made with an image editor, it was made the second way, which is to use AI. CoPilot created the favicon above. PIXLR has an AI image creator, that I do not recommend. Three that I use regularly are CoPilot, ChatGPT, and GenMo. GenMo is an online image generator site. I do not believe that most people know that CoPilot and ChaGPT will create images. All 3 will give you what you want and it is as easy as typing what you want into the description box, and, as mentioned, it is free.
TIP: Take your time, think about what you want for your faviicon, after you do that, then think about the details such as colors, edging, shadows, etc. The more details, the better your faviicon will be.
How To Install Your Favicon:
Installing your favicon is easy. We need to go to settings.
The following favicon install is with Groove. (Groove Funnels)
Go to your dashboard, click on settings, the bottom icon on the left. You favicon will show up, it will be the Groove favicon. To change it, click on Site Settings, then click on choose, upload your favicon, and select it, then PUBLISH, (publish for the entire site) and then click the red check mark (top right next to X). What I like about Grove is that you do not have to have a site wide favicon. In other words, you may want to change your favicon for a particualr page such as a product page, review page, sales page, etc. You can. Follow the same steps, except choose Page Settings instead of site Settings, and when you Publish, choose page rather than site.
Some free web hosts, such as Webador, only allow you to upload your favicon in their paid version, but on most you will be able to change it.
Some free web hosts are a bit tricky, such as Systeme.
Click on your Profile (image at top right), then settings. Next click on custom domains, then on the three dots, and then you will see the pop up above, to access and change your favicon.
You favicon is an important branding tool, and one that you can create and install quicly, easily, and for free.
Thank you for reading.
Much success,
George Pierce
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