How to easily create a favicon for your blog

So you’ve just set up a new blog, installed an awesome theme and written your first blog post, but then you look up at your browser tab and see an ugly default icon that you never put there, but what is this called? It’s a favicon.

What is a favicon?

Favicon Definition – an icon associated with a particular website, typically displayed in the address bar of a browser accessing the site or next to the site name in a user’s list of bookmarks.

In simple terms, it’s a favourites icon, or more commonly known now as a bookmark icon. These icons or pictures also appear in the corner of your browser tab.

Why do I need a favicon?

Favicons are just another way to help you reinforce your brand. If you have a specific image that is associated with your blog like a picture or logo — then using that image as a favicon helps people further identify your brand.

When they favorite or bookmark your site, that favicon appears next to your blog name and they can quickly distinguish your link from the others in the list. This is also an opportunity to capture their attention when they are bored and are just looking for a website to visit.

How to create a favicon?

The old way

There are a few ways to create a favicon and the traditional way is to turn a small image into an icon file, which is distinguished by the .ico extension. This type of file is only specific to favicon’s.

Sounds complicated doesn’t it?

Well, once you’ve found the image and converted it using a favicon generator like this you then need to copy the file to your hosting server, replacing the existing favicon.ico and then it should work. But there are easier ways to create a favicon for your blog.

How to easily create a favicon for your blog

Now if you have a self-hosted blog and are using WordPress you have access to all sorts of plugins that can help you to install a favicon. I’ve used a plugin called the ‘Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator‘ in the past and have made a video tutorial showing you how easy it is to install and configure this plugin.

This favicon plugin works for most WordPress blogs but there is an even simpler way to create a favicon for your website.

The easiest way to create a favicon for your blog

Well, there is an easier way but you’ll need an awesome WordPress Theme that allows you to do this automatically.

I use a Professional Themify Wordpress Theme that does all the hard work for me. With my theme, I just need to upload an image into WordPress and the job is done.

If you are looking for all the benefits of a professional theme then take a look at how Awesome Themify is.

So that’s creating a favicon in a nutshell. This wasn’t supposed to be a long blog post so hopefully you managed to stay through to the end. Now it’s your turn.

Go and change your ugly default favicon icon into something that better represents your blog and if you notice someone needs to change theirs please send them a link to this post. Sharing and liking keeps me inspired to continue helping others. Pay it forward.