7 Tips to Create a Logo That Best Represents Your Business

The online marketplace has always been competitive and being a new business owner, it’s important to get all things right in order to stand among the market leaders. Important things should be kept in mind such as the platform where you can start building your business or finding your unique branding.

While there are other important details to start off with in building your business, creating a logo is a task that most business owners miss or place at the end of their priority list. Why? Because they think that it’s just a logo. What the logo does is create a mindset to your potential clients and make you to top of mind when talking about certain products and services. The importance of having a logo speaks for what you are, what you stand for, and what your goals are.

We have rounded up seven tips to create a logo that best represents your business.

Research on the Competition

Before creating your brand logo, research on what the other competitors have. Don’t know who the competition is? Well, determine what you have and who your target market is then, fill the gap between demand and supply. Research on similar brands that can supply that demand. By researching on your competition, you have a knowledge of the marketplace.

Make sure that you study their design as well as their identities such as colors, fonts, and images. Your competitors might show that they follow a trend or they might be doing something different. Logos have been dependent on trends most of the time but the truly popular ones stand out from the rest by being unique and going against the grain

Keep It Simple and Memorable

The logo is always top of the mind when discussing brands, so, it’s easier to create a logo where it can be simple and easily remembered. Create a logo that can be noticed even from afar. It’s important to have an inspiration for your logo. It’s understandable if you don’t know where to start and it will be helpful to research on the variety of free online logo makers. Simplicity doesn’t mean boring and plain.

Show your logo to family and friends and ask them what they think about it. Ask them if they have seen anything like it to ensure uniqueness. Aside from looking at competitors, it’s also essential to be aware if there are any other businesses similar to your logo. After a day or two, ask them if they remember your logo. Ask details on the color, font, and design. Put up several copies of your logo at home or at your office just to keep it on top of mind of the people around you. After several days, put down the logo and ask them if they remember the details. This way, you’ll know if your logo was memorable especially when you promote it to different sites.

Know Your Colors

Color is a very big part of your logo and can make or break your business. The colors of your logo should be able to tap into the mind of those who see it. Having the right color synergy can do great for your brand as it becomes memorable. Although following trends can possibly spell success for your business, it’s worth considering if you make your logo timeless especially if you see your business flourishing in the next five to ten years.

It has been a common practice to choose 1 or 2 colors for your brand logo. It helps the association of your brand with your color scheme such as Mcdonald’s. On the other hand, modern color trends break free from the common practice and fully utilize the color wheel by using a variety of colors such as the logo of Google. There are also brands that have been successful by using white and/or black such as Nike and Adidas. The key is to make your logo work well on different background colors.

Use Easy to Read Fonts

There are a lot of options for fonts but it is essential to match it with the personality of your brand. Don’t use fonts you fancy just because they look nice. Go for fonts that are direct and readable. Also, ensure that your fonts are target market friendly. If your target market is old people, have a font that is readable (avoid cursives!) and with enough spacing for easier reading.

There has been a trend on simplicity and brand logos have been using the font Sans Serif. But explore other fonts that relate to your brand. If you offer luxury, have a font that is classy such as cursives. If you offer products for tools and hardware, choose a font that is thick or bold. But always choose a font that is licensed for commercial use. Your options are endless which makes this process one of the hardest.

Make it Fun and Quirky

After choosing a font that fits your brand, add personality to your logo such as using negative space. Negative space is the space around a subject that forms a relevant shape which is used as an effect by showing the real subject of the image. Smart logos have been the trend for quite some time as it makes people stop and stare. One of the popular smart logos is the hidden arrow in the logo of FedEx.

People like sharing information and your logo might be the word of mouth just by making it fun and quirky. Try exploring different fonts and you might discover a hidden symbol for your brand. You can even point it out yourself by mentioning it on your website or social media accounts. Who knows, it might be the next trending logo!

The Logo Shape

This is one of the concerns that go unnoticed especially when it’s time to use your logo. There are concerns about certain shapes being cut off when being used as a thumbnail. To avoid this, have your logo available in different forms. The common shapes for logos are square, rectangle, and round. Consider two or all versions depending on where you will use it to accommodate ease of use. It’s better to have more options for flexibility. To better promote your brand, introduce it to social media. Ensure that you have a balance of the vertical and horizontal ratios on your logo for it to be displayed properly in your social media accounts.

There is even a study on the psychology of shapes. Circles represent marriage, commitment, friendship, relationship, and unity. Circles and other curved shapes are considered feminine. Square and rectangle shapes are considered gender neutral and exude stability and strength. Although perceived as professional and efficient, it’s also seen as something boring and expected. The trend right now is exploring geometrical shapes. It’s so popular because of the elegance and timelessness it exudes. Popularity aside, it’s worth noting that if it does not translate into your brand then it might come off as indistinct and unremarkable.

Be Flexible

When creating a logo for your business, it’s important to research a lot and to keep an open mind. Remember that there are thousands of possibilities and options for you and it’s essential to narrow it down to a logo that will point to your brand. Create a checklist or a process flow to follow so you won’t lose sight of what you want to achieve. Make sure that you’re flexible enough to scratch your idea if a better one pops out.

Aside from being flexible, patience is also needed. As what was mentioned, there are a whole lot of ideas waiting to come to life and focusing on what you want to achieve will definitely help. You can also create a process for creating your logo. Ask the right questions and provide the answers through thorough researching.