Logo Design Can Make or Break Your Business
At first glance, logos and logo design seems easy enough. You find a mark or font treatment, and you’re ready to go. Because they often appear so simple to design, a lot of business owners think they can create one themselves. They’ll download an image from the internet and pick out a font. “I can do that,” they say. “Why waste money on a designer?”
The problem is, logos only appear simple. In truth, they are strategically conjured representations of your brand. They are one of the first things a consumer sees when they encounter your business. And they go on everything. So if your logo looks amateur, so will your company. That’s bad for business. But if your logo entices people to check you out, it can lead to potential profits.
You are not a logo designer.
The chances of designing a quality logo yourself when you are not a professional graphic designer are about the same as successfully performing your own appendectomy. Graphic designers understand how hard it is to create something simple and iconic. They know what colors and fonts appeal to your target audience, and they are skilled at developing logos that are scalable, meaning they work both small and big.
Plus, graphic designers are creative. While you might be creative too, chances are you are not creative for a living. Graphic designers are professional creatives. They’ve spent years in schools and at agencies honing their craft. There’s a lot more that goes into designing a logo than meets the eye.
Multiple ideas for one price.
When you hire a professional logo design agency, you will get options. They will show you different potential designs and color palettes. They will walk you through the benefits of each option and provide their recommendation. You will get to confer with knowledgeable experts, who can help you drive more revenue by creating a professional logo to represent your brand. So you are getting way more than a design. You will be able to harness the expertise of an agency that does this day in and day out.
Speaking of an agency….
Alternatively, you could hire a freelancer to create you logo. The drawbacks: that freelancer may or may not have the strategic expertise to design an effective logo—though it will look nice. The advantage of going with a bona fide agency is that you get to collaborate with several folks who excel at various disciplines and are all working together to help your business grow. An agency is also less likely to disappear overnight when you need another version of your logo or want to make a change. Freelancers are more difficult to count on.
Get all the logo versions you need.
When you hire a professional logo design agency, you’ll also get that logo in a variety of versions like eps, ai, jpeg and png. Each of these file types serves a unique purpose. Some are better for large print, while others offer transparent backgrounds.
For example, if you only create a jpeg for yourself, you will be hard pressed to put it on a billboard. Jpegs don’t scale well. But a jpeg will work great for Facebook and other social media applications. Your design agency will be able to show you which file to use where.
Got software?
Per industry best practices, logos are designed in Adobe, specifically Adobe Illustrator. Most people don’t own Adobe products—and the ones that do only have Photoshop. These programs are intricate. They are mostly intended for professional creatives.
If you don’t own Illustrator or don’t know how to use it, your logo won’t be professional. It may also not meet industry print standards. So even if you design something yourself that ain’t too bad, it’s not likely going to print well. And a blurry logo is just as bad as an amateur one. Both convey the idea that your company is not of high quality.
It’s a whole branding package.
An agency will also provide more than just a logo. You will get brand standards that list out your font choices and color palette, as well as instruction for how to use and not use your logo. Brand standards are important because they serve as a blueprint for you company’s appearance. You can send them to all your vendors to create consistency among your different consumer touch points.
Hiring a professional designer should be a no brainer.
Basically, we believe every company big or small should hire a professional design agency to create their logo. The benefits are too good to pass up, and the risks of not doing so are too great. After all, your bottom line depends on the first impression you make with consumers. Ensure it’s a good one.