Do you have a favicon?
If you’re like most people, you may be scratching your head, just trying to figure out how to pronounce favicon, never mind actually having one.
So first of all, “favicon” is a jamming-together of the words “favorite” and “icon,” and it’s pronounced “fav-eye-con.” It’s the tiny icon that appears right before the “http” address in most modern Web browsers. Favicons also appear in browser tabs and in a Web browser’s bookmarks, hence the significance “favorite” in the word. Their use in business Website marketing so far has been slight. But that could change soon.
Google has experimented with a few favicons. Go to most Google pages now and you’ll see a lowercase “g” surrounded by blue, red, green and yellow blobs. Go to CNN’s Website, and you’ll see a simple favicon containing CNN’s famous red letter logo.
Even though they’re pretty small, most business Website marketing experts notice the branding opportunities in favicons. A small, compact icon that’s always next to your Web address is a great way to give people something visual. The favicon also makes it easier for visitors to distinguish and remember your Website.
But why are we talking about favicons for business Website marketing now?
Because it looks like Google is experimenting with including favicons in their search results. As with most new Google features, right now only a random few have reported seeing these, so it looks the feature is still in the testing stages.
Right now, business Website marketing experts may tell you that a favicon provides a nice, professional flourish to a Website. But if you don’t have one, it’s not exactly something to lose sleep over. That could change if favicons start appearing in Google’s search results. In order for your Website to stand out, favicons will be necessary.
This also raises some interesting questions for business Website marketing professionals. Will the search results pages look cluttered with too many little icons? And what about favicons for Google AdWords that appear on search results pages?
