Logos are an integral part of business branding and marketing. Many small businesses make the mistake of overlooking this very important aspect of owning a business. Your logo speaks volumes about what your business is, what it does, and your commitment to the success of your business. If you’re operating a business that does not have a professionally designed logo, or has no logo at all, your business will not be taken seriously.
Below are a 5 tips for creating a professional logo.
Be consistent with your logo.
Many startups and smaller businesses make the mistake of using totally different logos for their businesses on various types of marketing materials. Please don’t do this. Your logo is the visual representation (face) of your business. Using your logo consistently goes a long way towards building your brand recognition.
Colors are important.
When designing a color logo, consider the messaging that color sends to your customers. Do the colors reinforce the message you’re trying to convey? Never use more than 3 colors in a logo unless, of course, you have a rainbow in your logo. Too many colors will make your logo look amateurish.
Be mindful of the typography used.
Typography is very important. Ask yourself what you’re trying to communicate to your customers/clients. Depending on the type of application; typefaces (fonts) with serifs convey a sense of dignity & power, sans serifs are usually more professional looking and offer a sense of stability. Some fonts should never be used in a professional logo at all. You can always be creative with fonts without looking unprofessional.
Your logo should not be overly complex.
Yes. Simplicity is vital. Many new business owners are so excited about starting a business and obtaining a logo that they want to put way too many images into their logo and it ends up looking cluttered and unprofessional. An overly complex logo with too much going on will be difficult to print and reproduce and may not fully engage your audience. Take a moment and think about brands that are successful and/or famous. Most likely, you’ve thought of companies like Wal Mart, Apple, Ford, Best Buy, McDonald’s, etc. What do they all have in common? They all have logo designs that are simple and easily recognized. You can’t think of one famous logo that is overly complex with images and icons all over the place.
Your logo should be memorable.
Your logo does not always need to have an image of what your business does or sells. But there are always exceptions. Just be mindful of these things when deciding on your logo. Be creative and innovative. Think outside the box.
If you’re really serious about building a legitimate business then you already know that brand recognition is essential to the success of your business no matter what kind of business you’re operating. Think about the Fortune 500 companies and how recognizable their logos are. Any serious business owner understands that without a professionally designed logo your business will look cheap and untrustworthy. People do not do business with companies they don’t trust. Ask yourself this question; what do you want your logo to say about you and your business? You know what they say about first impressions.