The favicon is a tiny image that replaces the typical browser link image with a recognisable icon that signifies your branded website. Although the favicon isn’t a requirement for website design, it makes it easy for visitors to find your link in their bookmarked websites. Imagine viewing a list of bookmarked websites that all have the same link image, but one stands out – your website link – because it contains a customised icon that reminds users of your product. If you’re thinking of a creative way to market a product, a favicon is a simple addition that drives more traffic.

The Image

The favicon has specific dimensions, colours, and file format. The image is tiny, so developing its layout takes a few tests to ensure that it looks visibly distinct in the browser bookmarks. You won’t be able to do high quality images like you do for website pages. The icon format is only 16×16 pixels, so its size limits the amount of detail and quality.

The file type and colour capabilities of a favicon are 256 colours saved as a gif or bmp file. People who developed websites in the 1990s probably recognise the old colour scheme, and favicon limitations are similar to old web graphics. Regardless of the limitations, there is a surprising amount of options when creating the file. For instance, a common use for the favicon image is to use the corporate logo. Logos are usually simple and distinct, so using it as a tag for bookmarked links is an ideal way for your website to stand out.

After you’ve created the image, the next step is converting it to the icon file format. There are several tools used to convert saved gif and bmp images to icon files. AWIconsPro, Easy Icon Maker, EasyApps Icon, and GoldIcon are all good programs available on the Internet to create favicons.

Publish the Icon

After you’ve created the icon, it needs to be published on your website. Many webmasters save the file to the root directory, but the file needs to be saved in the location of the bookmarked link. If you persuade users to bookmark a webpage in a separate directory from the home page, then the icon needs to be saved in that additional directory. For instance, if you decide to convince your readers to bookmark a page named “yourdomain.com/myfavorites/index.htm,” then upload the favicon to the “yourdomain.com/myfavorites” directory. The advantage to this requirement is that you can have several icons with product brands dedicated to different directories. It’s also important to know that the file needs to be saved with the name “favicon.ico.” This file name and format tells the web browser that this is used as an icon for bookmark images. Wherever you save the image, take note of its location, because it’s needed for configuration of the web application.

Edit Web Page Code

The next step is editing the HTML code in your web page. Open your home page file. Most home pages are named index.html or index.aspx. Open this page in your favorite HTML editor. There is only one line of code needed, so you can even open the file in Notepad and add the code quickly. To add the new icon link, find the code that is located in the beginning of the file marked with the “” tag. This is normally found under the “” tag or close to it. Within this tag, place the following code into your web page:

/favicon.ico” type=”image/x-icon”>

This is the standard code for inclusion of the favicon file. Replace “” with the domain name and directory of the favicon saved earlier. After you add the code to the web page, save the file to your website.

Advantages of a Favicon

The ultimate advantage of a favicon is your brand on the customer’s computer with better opportunities for sales. When a customer has a good experience on your website, a favicon reminds them of the experience. It also spreads your brand name as a familiar logo on desktops. The favicon is the basic way to brand your website with little effort.

Branding your website can cost a lot of money in marketing and resources. A favicon is a simple, inexpensive way to give a logo and an image to your corporate website. The Internet is filled with billions of websites, so standing out is a difficult part of marketing. This little addition to a corporate website gives it a little more recognition over all the others.

You have probably heard or Tissa Godavitarne and his Affiliatize Program and may be wondering if this is a legitimate program to start a business with. I know that I had the same thoughts about his program as well.

I have been in and out of different online businesses for the last three years and have grown weary of most of them. When I stumbled across this one through a recommendation of a friend I thought it sounded too good to be true. So I started slowly and found out it is as good as the promises say it is.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money and time to make this program work; in fact, Tissa Godavitarne will set you up for free and give you a month of advertising without cost just to see the potential in making money. The only thing you would have to provide is a domain name and a hosting account. Of course with Tissa’s Afffiliatize Program you have been given three ways you can choose. Either to put your web page on your own existing hosting account or pay for a hosting account that he provides you with and the third choose is the GDI plan.

Another great money making potential is in having an account with GDI [Global Domains International] which after the free trial is ten dollars a month that won’t break the bank. For the ten dollars a month you receive free hosting and a free domain name. Take a look at what your potential could be with this plan like if you introduce a couple of new recruits then your hosting and domain name are free. Of course, there is a lot more you can achieve with GDI as Tissa has but that is not the scope of this short post.

No matter how you look at it Tissa Godavitarne and GDI is a win win situation for you and your future business.

Your capital gains tax rate will be figured out depending on the holding period and the type of investment asset. You will be taxed federally on your capital gains and may also be subject to being taxed by your state as well. You will be taxed much higher on short term than long term.

This schedule displays the current long term and short term Federal capital gains tax rates:

• Long Term Capital Gain longer than one year… 5% for taxpayers in the 10% & 15% bracket, 15% if you are in the 25%, 28%, 33%, & 35% bracket
• Small Business Stock Gains at least five year… 28%
• Real Estate longer than one year… 5% or 15% after any exclusion amount
• Collectibles longer than one year… 28%
• Collectibles longer than five years… 28%

Beginning in 2008 you will see a change if you are in the 10% or 15% tax bracket. To qualify for this new tax break your income must be below $32,550.00 if you are filing single and less than $65,100.00 if you are married. The new tax rate will be zero for long term capital gains and short term capital gains.

Long term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than what your regular income will be taxed at. Depending on your income for that tax year you may be pushed in to a higher tax bracket if you received capital gains. This could result in a combination of rates for your income and capital gains. To learn more about capital gains tax visit TurboTax Online.