There are many things you can do to get attention. But start by asking, attention to what? What will people see and instantly recognize as being your business? It’s all about your logo, the first-and-always visual ambassador of your brand. In that sense, it’s the foundation and future of your entire business. What makes a great logo, a great ambassador? Here are five keys to ensure that your logo will match the “look and feel” of your business.
1. Simplicity is your friend.
Day in and day out, you constantly see incredible amounts of visuals and colors. But just because something sticks out visually, doesn’t mean you’ll remember it or feel good about it. Clean design is key. Graphics professionals spend years in training to consistently translate ideas into clean design: the right shape, size and proportions without distracting bells and whistles. “Civilians” like us can get professional-looking results by using a make-it-yourself website like LogoGarden.com. Often these sites are free, so you can experiment and get a finished, clean-design logo quickly with no risk.
2. Your color is the means, not the end.
You’ve heard, “less is more.” Well, take it to heart! Color is a powerful part of your logo, but like any good thing, don’t overdo it! Stick with one or two colors, not a jumble of rainbow hues. Keep it simple because simple is usually more memorable. Your finished logo will stick in people’s minds more readily. And that’s what you want, right?
3. If you want followers, stay loyal to your own logo.
Once you’ve settled on a logo, stick with it. Don’t keep changing. It would be like introducing yourself by one name today, and changing your name tomorrow and again the day after that. It would either confuse people, or they’d simply never remember who you are. Your logo’s like that. Once people remember it, that’s who you are! You can change later, but it will cost you in terms of customer recognition and how comfortable people feel about your brand and business. So if you want people to stay loyal to you, then you need to stay loyal to your own brand appearance!
Following these tips will give you a strong boost toward a brand that people will remember. It will help you attract customers and sales. That’s what it’s all about!
LogoGarden.com founder and president John Williams is a leading logo design expert who literally wrote the book on brand standards for companies like Hewlett-Packard and Mitsubishi. An entrepreneur and former owner of award-winning studio Logic Design, John served as Entrepreneur.com‘s branding columnist for over 5 years and has written for the Kauffman Foundation.
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Looking to make a logo for my new business that I am working on. Real Estate signs are hard to make stand apart and I do want to stand apart from the others in my area.
All excellent suggestions! Thank you!
I agree on all the points concerning LOGOS. Think of a restaurant that has always been known & counted on for a specific menu, [ let's say steak & potatoes w/ a cream asparagus sauce], and one day you show up starving & they have changed the menu to sushi. ====== You have just killed your business! Most people get this thinking ----- however, it's when first starting out, that people lose faith in their selections and are trying to catch peoples' attention & drum up business! That's when change occurs.
I have a LOGO in your files, [i believe], & have an affinity [ i'm thinking], in creating them. --- I think that the LOGO starts to appear in your creative mind, when you study the words / and / or actual business being done, [ some business names say or tell nothing about their product], so, you have to state it somehow in your LOGO. Simple & Bold.
My LOGO w/ you is about Recycling ---- not just because i believe in Recycling, also i'm throwing out a line to see if there are others w/ whom i can trade & make it viable. As of now, this is at the smallest scale imaginable, & maybe I sell an article now & then. ------ A home hobby, w/ a happy ending once in a while! ------ My challenge is finding a platform that can appreciate an intuitive mind, better than average eye, and a willingness to trade w/ someone that is not middle of the road, can get things done, ----- an didn't go to Harvard!
Thanks, J lamarine