With all the other complicated steps involved in running a successful business, it’s easy to set aside the importance of a logo. While it’s not the most crucial facet of your brand, a well-designed logo plays a vital role in recognition. Before a potential customer knows anything about you or the services you provide, your logo will likely be the first thing they experience. A solid first impression could be the initial step to creating a new loyal client.
Consider, for instance, the stores and retailers that you frequent. What was the first item that prompted you to buy from them on a regular? Perhaps it was word of mouth, or maybe it was a random internet search, but, either way, a good logo would linger in your mind, creating a connection between their image and the service they provide.
Below, we’ve provided a handy guide that will help you better understand the purpose of a logo and assist you in creating your own.
What is a logo, and why is it good for your business?
A logo is a combination of words and images used to deliver as much information about a business as quickly as possible. Life moves pretty fast, and most people simply don’t have the time to deliberate over where they want to shop. While a nice good logo will not persuade a potential customer to shop at your store, they will associate it with your exemplary services and core values.
Something that doesn’t bring customers in may not seem like a worthwhile investment of your time and money, but having no design leaves your store “faceless” in the client’s eyes. Believe it or not, anonymity is better than having a poorly designed logo. Since they represent your company, an unprofessional logo will signal to the customer that they can expect the same quality from the services you provide.
Even if your company provides an excellent product, people often make hasty judgments made based on appearances. If their first impression of your store is negative, it’s hard to prove them wrong before moving on to a competitor.
On the other hand, putting time and attention into your logo distinguishes you from different stores. Additionally, your logo will build brand loyalty, and as your business grows, customers will seek out your brand in particular because you’ve worked to associate it with quality.
What goes into a good logo?
Given all the benefits a logo may provide, it stands to reason that creating one isn’t so simple as drawing whatever comes to mind. Because the images and the words surrounding it will represent your company for years to come, you should choose something that represents your brand down to the color palette. If you’re a small business, careful consideration is critical because you don’t benefit from larger companies devoted to brand recognition.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid complexity. Your logo should be easily recognizable, even from a distance. The time the customer spends interpreting the image is time they don’t spend absorbing its message. Think of some of the most famous logos you know, like McDonald’s golden arches or the Nike “swoosh.” It’s clear from their success that there is power in simplicity.
Aligned with that idea, you’ll find that virtually every logo boils down to three elements: typography, colors, and one noteworthy trait. Of course, this can differ depending on the brand, but these are the things you should generally focus on when making a logo.
Typography
In everyday conversation, how you say a word helps the listener determine its intent more than the word’s definition. The words you put on your logo share the same sentiment: customers can interpret a different meaning depending on the typeface you use.
The typography you pick for your logo gives it personality and delivers a specific tone of voice that will entice your audience to respond. If done correctly, a properly chosen typeface can go a long way in persuading customers to use your services.
Your typeface is pulling double-duty as a written and visual medium, so you’ll need to pick something aesthetically pleasing as well as legible. Additionally, several different types of lettering you can choose from inspires different feelings in your target audience. It’s best to pick typography that subtly invokes interest, trust, and optimism to maximize your chances of getting someone through the door.
Coloring
Your logo’s colors may seem like a simple decision, but the right combination of hues has a powerful effect on purchasing decisions. The right colors in your logo can produce an emotional response in your audience based on psychology, culture, fads, and context. These colors will represent your brand in the customer’s mind, so choosing a palette that promotes certain feelings or actions is essential to your business’s continued growth.
Picking the right colors for your brand can be tricky, but you can follow a few simple rules to stand out from the crowd.
- Choose colors based on what your company represents as a whole. Research your competition so that your logo doesn’t become confused with other companies.
- Stick to simple color palettes and patterns. If you look at some of the biggest companies’ logos, you’ll notice that their logos often stick with palettes with less than three colors. Additionally, those colors tend to be solid, as opposed to gradients.
- Pick a color already associated with your industry. For example, financial institutions are commonly represented with the color blue because blue itself represents security. Other examples of the color association include restaurants using red, apparel stores using black, and real estate businesses using green in their logos.
Iconography
While typography and color both work to make your brand stand out to the consumer, they’re not entirely effective on their own. Remember, potential customers have short attention spans, so your logo must convince them to check out your store in ten seconds or less, or you might not get another chance.
Using images in your logo provides a nice visual shorthand for what your company represents that, in turn, can lead consumers to read the rest of the text. Over time, customers associate the image with your quality products or services and seek your company before your competitors.
Conclusion
A personal logo may not work to entice customers by itself, but it works to represent your company in the consumer’s eyes overall. Having a professionally designed logo that hits all the right notes facilitates loyalty to your products, ensuring that a selection of customers will continue to support you and help your brand thrive.
Everything You Need To Know
Frequently asked questions
- Abstract logos that have no specific shape (Pepsi).
- Mascot logos that use a person’s likeness (KFC).
- Letter logs that use a stylized acronym (NASA).
- Image logos that solely use a picture to represent their brand (Apple).
- Font logos that use strong typography enhance their company names (Google).
- Emblem logos that have more traditionally grandiose appearances (most colleges).
- Combination logo, which combines elements from the other categories.
Before creating a particular image, the most important thing you need to represent your brand is to know yourself. You have the freedom to create a logo that represents your skills, interests, and backgrounds. But remember not to ignore the business side of your brand; while your logo can and should represent you, it should also demonstrate what you can do for your customers.
Yes, your logo can quickly illustrate your services or products to undecided customers. The more professional your logo looks, the more likely it is to attract new business. Additionally, as the increased clientele helps your business grow, customers will associate your logo with the excellent consumer experience you provide for them.
The positive interactions that your business and logo create also promote loyalty to your brand.
The cost of creating a logo can vary depending upon your resources. It’s possible to design a logo yourself, in which case you’d only have to pay for a license for good editing software and print services. However, there’s a reason that big companies devote entire divisions to logo design. It’s a complex process that requires large amounts of research into customer behavior and knowledge of psychology.
If you want a better chance to attain a successful logo, hiring a freelance logo designer is another option. While hiring a designer costs significantly more than a yearly software license, they recognize what an audience likes and how a brand can be appealing. However, freelancers can be a risky investment when it comes to quality.
Hiring a firm to do the heavy lifting will guarantee that you receive a stellar logo. A freelancer’s training, skill, and experience come with a much higher price tag. An agency, however, can cost you thousands of dollars. Your budget will drive your choice of designer.
A modern logo design should be a timeless sign of your brand. Design Shack says, “modern logos combine classic and trending elements to create an identifiable mark that feels fresh.” The key for designers is creating sleek lines, simple lettering, color accents with highly defined shapes.
An effective logo design can be a powerful tool for building trust and brand recognition. A successful designer will do three things: Create an identifier or signifier, stand out from the competition in your industry, and visually represent you company’s values to create long-lasting success that is uniquely yours.
Inspired by the design experts at Vexels, a logo should only contain 3 colors. Though it may be tempting to use more than three hues in your branding and promotional materials, you will have less control over how they look with different backgrounds – not mention that having too many colors just takes away from other elements of your website or business cards. With their easy-to-use color palettes and crisp contrast between each hue, these templates are perfect for any company looking for maximum visibility without sacrificing quality!
