Stimulate Repeat Traffic with Bookmarks

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When someone visits your site, how do you get them to return? Two ways: The most important is to get them to sign up for your free e-mail newsletter and remind them via e-mail. But the easiest is to ask them to bookmark your site or add it to their "favorites" list.

It's amazing how few sites actually remind their visitors to bookmark their site! If you ask for a bookmark, I'm sure you increase your chances of being bookmarked at least 100%. We use a small graphic on several of main gateways to our site. As a result a huge slice of the traffic to our site is by means other than hyperlinks -- a healthy balance.

Bookmark Icons

As a long-time Netscape fan, it's hard for me to admit that I've switched to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 as my main browser. As a site designer I need to see it as others do, now that MSIE has at least 60% of the browser share.

But let's make lemonade out of lemons. In a few months, most users will have upgraded to MSIE 5.0 which adds a new feature -- a small icon in front of the bookmark, if you set up your site properly. Bookmarks with an icon will stand out from the rest, at least until every site adopts them.

The favorites icon is small, only 16 pixels by 16 pixels, but it stands out.

Making an Icon

First, find a simple shape. Most logos are designed to be seen large, but when you reduce the size to 16 x 16 pixels they turn to mush. Simple shapes and bright colors work best. Once you've designed it, reduce the size to a square 16 x 16 pixel size.

Second, download an icon editor such as IconEdit Pro.

Third, open your file in the icon editor and tweak it until it is perfect. Save with 16 colors as favicon.ico and upload it to each of the directories in your website.

Now every time an MSIE 5.0+ user bookmarks a webpage in a directory containing favicon.ico your icon will show up in their bookmark file.

Is creating a favicon.ico icon a site marketing activity? You bet!