What is a Favicon and Why Your Website Should Have One

by | Mar 19, 2021 | Maven News

You may have never heard of favicons ( or ‘favorite icon’ ) but chances are you’ve seen them everywhere! Nearly all of the websites you visit have that nifty little icon that appears in the URL bar of your internet browser. So, what is a favicon and why should you care? They may seem like an inconsequential detail, afterall, they are only small icons ( 16×16 pixels to be exact ) depicting a logo or brand related image, but in actuality, they affect more than you might think.

 

Impact on SEO

There are rumours that favicons have an impact on your overall SEO success, but there isn’t actually much evidence of this. But that certainly doesn’t mean they aren’t important.  As we previously mentioned, favicons appear in the URL bar of your browser but they also appear in places like your bookmarks, browser history, and most importantly, in your browser tabs right next to the page title. 

Your Favicon appears in the browser tab for all the visitors to your website!

Many people (especially us!) browse the internet with a plethora of tabs open and it’s very easy to get lost when clicking back and forth between multiple windows. This is one of the reasons why favicons are so essential – they help the user find and navigate to the exact web browser tab they are looking for with a quick glance! Our brains respond faster to images, so a little pop of color or a recognizable symbol will stand out much better than trying to read through twenty tabs of tiny text titles alone. 

Scanning through folders and folders of bookmarks would also be more taxing if it weren’t for those easily recognizable favicons that draw our eyes right to them. It saves everyone time and also adds that touch of professionalism that, if missing, just leaves the whole website feeling a little incomplete. 

 

If you Skip it, People will Notice

If your website does not have a designated favicon, you will get stuck with a generic, boring symbol supplied by the browser, or the default icon of the website’s hosting company or possibly the icon of the software used to build the website. To the seasoned end user, this sticks out like a sore thumb and can make your brand seem less professional. 

We at Maven Web Design & Development (MavenDD) understand the importance of the little things. Our team ensures that all websites we design and build for our clients have a custom Favicon to match your logo and branding.  Your very own little 16×16 pixel slice of the internet browser for all your online visitors! Now that you know what favicons are and why they are beneficial, you will be more likely to notice them on all of your favorite websites!    

Recent Posts

Cece Parker is Giving Ink a Wink

Microblading, Powderbrow and More! Cece Parker is a bit of a local legend in the beauty world, she has been providing stunning Lash Extensions and salon services to hundreds of clients in NH for over 20 years. Now located at the Color Lounge on Manchester Street in...

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Here is an oldie but a goodie - written back in 2019 when I first launched Maven Web Design & Development. Since then, I am happy to say that I have worked with and designed websites for dozens of business owners, nonprofits and larger organizations all over the...

Hydrotherapy & Wellness from Concord Colonics

Ann Kennedy is a lifelong advocate and expert when it comes to wellness. This passion paved the way to the opening of Concord Colonics & Wellness in Concord, NH, earlier this year. The wellness center has quickly become the top provider of colon hydrotherapy in...

Art is Good for the Heart ❤️, just ask Estelle!

Hey NH locals, do you have any summer plans that unleash your creative side? Maybe think about adding some painting or drawing classes to your list! I love sharing information about Maven Web Design clients, especially when I know they have something to offer that I...

Everything You Do is Marketing

I attended a business networking meeting a few weeks ago and met a lot of cool and driven people from the greater Concord NH area.  Something happened at that meeting that prompted a key member of the group to make a statement that really stuck with me.  So simple,...

Videos, Zoom Calls and Podcasts…Oh My!

Being housebound and unable to operate business as usual, has thrust a large chunk of the population into the world of virtual meetings and finding new and creative ways to adapt their skills to fit an online work world. Creating digital content is the new norm for...

Offer Remote Products & Services on Your Business Website

This global health crisis is impacting us in ways that many of us were not prepared for. Top priority is the safety and well being of the human race of course. Above and beyond that, the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis is clobbering us in the stock market, retirement...

Got Small Business Website Blues?

You did it! "World's Best Cup of Coffee" You worked hard and finally took the plunge to launch your own business. Now, you are your own boss, barreling full steam ahead, doing what you were meant to do and making your mark on the world! Livin' the Dream But what if...