After coming up with a good name for your business, creating a logo is the natural next step. Many take this part for granted and fail to give it much importance. What they don’t realize is that when it comes to branding and marketing your products and services, a great business logo will really help create a memorable impression and easy recognition to your business from your target market.

A visual impression can sometimes be more powerful than your business name. I’ve seen a lot of babies who obviously doesn’t know how to read yet but could easily recognize the golden arches of McDonald’s as a place to eat. Similarly, consumers may not always remember your business name after seeing it the first time but the colors and the design of your logo should give them a more vivid memory of your business. These are just a few reasons why you should invest on a good, effective and memorable design for your business logo. Below are some guidelines on how to achieve this:

Types of Business Logos

1. Your business name and initials designed through a text font
2. An illustrative logo that is representative of your business
3. An abstract logo that will create a brand for your company

Using your business name and initials as your logo is one of the most common yet still effective way to brand your business. Just make sure that you use a font that is uncommon but easy to read. This can usually be difficult because font families don’t really differ much from each other. However, an illustrative logo that reflects the nature of your business can give you more design freedom and at the same time provide your target market a visual idea of what your business does. Lastly, an abstract design, when complemented with a strong marketing campaign to give it meaning and association, will give branding to your business that is more powerful than the first two.

Steps In Designing A Good Business Logo

1. If you have the budget, consider employing a professional designer. Your business logo can be as permanent as you business name. So doing it correctly the first time through the creative hands of a professional will save you time and effort. However, if you don’t have enough resources, asking help from a friend who is artistically inclined can likewise produce good results.
2. Always keep in mind that your business logo is a reflection of your business. Write down your mission and vision for your company and consider your target market. Use them as your inspiration when thinking of your design. Furthermore, consider the message that you want to send out with your logo. When a stranger sees your logo, what do you want them to think in their minds?
3. Brainstorm for business logo ideas and come up with conceptual drawings. Avoid discussing about colors first and concentrate more on the design. Your goal here is to come up with a black and white version of your logo. Moreover, a simple design is recommended. In most cases, the easier you can draw it, the better.
4. Narrow your choices to a few designs and add color. Using only one or two colors (excluding white) is recommended. Start with the primary colors and then adjust each hue until you are satisfied with the overall visual effect of your logo.
5. If possible, ask the opinion of your target market which business logo they prefer among your final candidates. These are your consumers so knowing which design appeals to them will be a marketing advantage in the end.
6. Print out your choices and see how each logo will look on a letterhead, a calling card, on your computer screen, in a fax message, when photocopied and other different formats and mediums.
7. Lastly, whatever you choose to be your business logo. Make sure that it appeals to you. Don’t let the artist or other external factors push you to decide on a design that you don’t like. After all, it is your business and your logo will represent you.

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Photo courtesy of Golgotha