These days, business owners have so many more options for getting a logo than they did before.
With gig-worker platforms like Fiverr you can get a ‘professional’ logo designed by a ‘professional’ for just a few dollars, and a few days. And yes, there are some Sellers on Fiverr who really do offer logos for $5.
Or you can turn to higher-end gig-worker platforms like Upwork and pay hundreds to thousands for a professional logo.
And if none of that appeals to you, you can always just try a Do-It-Yourself online logo creator! Yes, these websites do exist, and you can slap together your own logo all by yourself! Simply by typing out the company name, adjusting the color, font, size and by choosing from their library of generic symbols, and BAM you’ve got a logo, for free.
Which is the right choice?
Ultimately, it comes down to what you can afford, the more you can spend the better the result will be, which is true of most things. However, whatever path you choose, you need to be educated as a customer to ensure you really get a quality product and are not taken advantage of.
With that said, let’s discuss some things you should look out for when getting a logo created.
Qualities of a good logo
Simple
Complexity is an enemy to the mind and to your marketing. If you search on Google for the best logos of all time, they are simple, without too many elements, lines, flourishes, etc. Simple doesn’t have to mean boring either, there is beauty in simplicity.
Distinct
A logo that is a plain square may be simple, but it is not distinct, and by extension, not memorable. A forgettable logo is like a screen door on a submarine; it is completely contrary to the purpose of the logo. They call it ‘branding’ for a reason. The logo must brand itself into the mind of the viewer.
Scalable
Logos don’t just appear on door shingles anymore. They have to fit websites, tablets, smart phones, and internet browsers. Our digital world is shrinking the size of content, so a logo that cannot be recognized when shrunk down is not acceptable.
A word on fonts
The font is nearly everything when it comes to your logo. Here are some examples:
- Tech companies typically use sans-serif fonts, and all lower-case, to seem unimposing, clean and modern.
- Governments use serif fonts because they look venerable and respected.
- Fashion or beauty brands use thin, light fonts because they look pretty.
- Brands targeted at children will use informal, free-style fonts.
How does this translate to your brand?
If you’re a construction company, you want to appear reliable and strong. (Because people expect strong construction), therefore fonts should be bold and sturdy looking.
If you’re in financial services, you want to appear professional, serious and with tenure. In which case a lower-case sans-serif font is totally the opposite of what you want. An appropriate font would be a moderate weight serif.
What do I choose?
How do you know what your ‘image’ should be?
Before you can choose what type of logo you should have, you need to decide the identity of your business, and its qualities. This is entirely up to you. Determine what industry you’re in and examine the qualities of those types of businesses and then make sure the style of the font is representative of that.
Need help?
Clear Imaging has been designing killer logos for American small businesses since the early 2000’s, and we can help you. Just click here to see some of them.
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