Your logo is the graphic representation of your company. It gives your website visitors and storefront customers an impression of what your business is all about. It will help build loyalty with clients and establish your company brand. It also gives your company a sense of establishment and respectability. Creating a good logo is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating a holistic internet marketing plan. Therefore, it’s critical that your logo, one, represents your brand honestly, and two, is attractive and aesthetically pleasing.
What Kind of Logo Can I Make?
Logos come in three categories:
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Font-based - Think of IBM's big blue letters.
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Illustrative - Think of a plumber's wrench for a plumbing contractor.
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Abstract - Think of the Nike swoosh.
Font-based logos express your company's name clearly. Yet, they really don't tell what you do. Illustrative logos show what you do, but can be cliché in some cases. Abstract logos are the most difficult for consumers to grasp.
What Do I Need to Create Before Creating My Logo?
Before you start creating a logo, do some homework first.
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Take a look at your competitors' logos. Are they conservative or modern? Are they logo-based, illustrative, or abstract? How can you differentiate your company's logo from theirs?
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Decide what message you want to convey with your logo. Is it going to be serious or light-hearted? How is going to relate to your target audience?
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Articulate the message you want to convey. Create a sentence that captures your idea and stick with that during the design process.
After you do this homework, you will have a better idea of what direction you want to take your logo in.
Next, brainstorm some ideas. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
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Does your company name offer ideas? Bell Printing's logo can include a bell and a printing press.
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If your company name has initials, can those become your logo? ABC Jewelers could use the ABC in a distinctive font and integrate it with a jewelry piece.
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What does your company do? This goes back to the illustrative type. If you sell shoes, your logo could incorporate some sort of shoe.
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Can you integrate a character? KFC would not be the same without Colonel Sanders somewhere in the mix.
Once you have a few logo ideas, think about colors. Colors play a big role in how people perceive your company. For example, black is a symbol of power while blue is calming. White symbolizes innocence while red gives a feeling of intensity. Select one main color and one or two accent colors.
Finally, bring in a professional logo designer or graphic designer you trust and whose work you admire. Work with that person to refine your ideas and to create the logo that will represent your company. Be open to any suggestions the designer might have.
There will likely be several tweaks along the way, but with proper planning, collaboration and imagination, you will have a logo that can represent your company for years to come.
Questions and Final Thoughts
What inspired your business’s or organization’s logo?
