Web Address Domain Icons
 by: Larry Waverly


Want to make your online business look more professional and standout from the rest of the domain names saved in a web browser favorites lists?

Now, adding an image to the URL domain name listed in the address bar is easy and will help your website stand out from the rest. The hardest part of adding a web address icon to your domain name is choosing the image that you want to use.

Many of the most reputable and large web domains use this simple tactic of placing an image in the web address bar to help their sites stand out. Look through your favorites menu you may already have some websites bookmarked that are displaying a nice little image next to the name. Notice how those URLs stand out and draw your attention from the default icons used by all the other sites.

What is a Web Address Icon?

The image you see is a page or URL icon commonly called a favorites icon or “favicon” for short and is commonly associated with a particular website. Many (if not all) of the popular web browsers used today, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and above and Firefox will display these favicons. The icons will be shown in the browser’s address bar next to the URL, next to the page name on the tab (if you are using IE-7) and next to the name of the website if you saved it in your favorites list.

Creating a web address icon and getting it to display is very easy and only takes a few minutes. You can have a web designer create the icon but it is not necessary since the process is very easy, you can do it yourself.

How Do I Create a Favicon?

The process for creating and setting up you very own web address icon is very simple consisting of four main steps:

Create an image to use
Transform the image into an icon
Edit your website pages with a few lines of HTML code
Upload the image and edited web pages to your domain

When you create your very web address icon, the most difficult part you may face is deciding on the image to use. A note of caution here, be sure to avoid using any copyrighted images or logos that are already in use – especially if you are running an online business. For example, sites like Google, CNN, and eBay all use a favicon so using theirs on for your site would be a big no-no.

How Can I Use a Web Address Icon?

Think of a favicon as a form of avatar, similar to one you may use in online forums or chat rooms. If you run a personal web page or blog, you can use a picture of yourself to place alongside your domain name. That way when your friends and family bookmark your site, your picture will be displayed alongside the bookmark to your personal website or blog in the favorites menu. If you are using a “free website”, you may not be able to use the favicon feature - check with the site provider first.

If you running an online business, what better way to start promoting your brand or logo than by having your very own web address icon. The image you use can be your business logo, or an image of a particular product or service you are promoting.

Whether you are an individual looking to make your personal website look better, or an online business that wants to look more professional and stand out from the rest, using a web address icon can do that. So, take a few minutes today to create an icon that you can use alongside your domain name to help make your website stand out.

About The Author
Larry Waverly is a contributing writer for Computer Internet Resources. Visit http://www.domainnames.computerinternetresources.com for free domain name service reviews.