When selling our professionally-designed logos to potential new customers, we often hear a lot of this: “Why should I pay hundreds of dollars for a logo from you when I can go to a free logo website and make one myself in five minutes?”
The truth is that you could. There is a chance that you could select the perfect symbol and the perfect text that describes your business, it’s values and it’s products, but this chance is slim at best. In a world filled with entrepreneurs, and millions of new start ups every year can you really afford to chance it? And with so many people having access to the same icons and the sane fonts in the same orientations, in the same colors, how can you ensure that your new business is going to stand out from the rest?
Professional designers, in addition to being professionally trained and/or with years of experience, spend hours learning about your business, studying your competitors and current market trends to ensure that your logo is a real, accurate representation of your company, it’s values, it’s clients and it’s products/services. A well designed, professional logo should speak volumes about your company before your potential customers read or hear a single line about your business. To help you to understand, we’ve compiled a short list of things that a professionally designed logo from us will do for your new business, or rebranding project.
1) Attract New Customers
Before I launched ClearLine Interactive, I was working at a local sign shop doing vinyl application and design. A client of ours dropped off his work van and needed a ride home. Being part of my job description, I jumped in the van and drove him home. He explained his business plan to me which (in short) involved fire proofing systems for restaurants and passed me his business card. Given the nature of his business, I expected something very professional and top of the line looking. To my surprise however, I was greeted with a partially torn punch-out business card adorned with some gorgeous (I apologize for the sarcasm) word art commonly found on a popular word processing program. Needless to say that (while he was a nice guy and seemed to have a strong knowledge of the industry) based on the appearance of his logo and business card alone, if I was ever building a restaurant or commercial kitchen space that needed fireproofing I would look elsewhere. His logo and cards did not communicate the level of organization, professionalism and attention to detail that I thought should be required of a fire proofing business. Is this just because I’m a graphic designer? No. People recognize professionalism when they see it. Your business needs to look professional from the start to avoid any potential situations like the one I just described.
2) Build Trust Before You Even Have a Relationship With Your Client & Hang on to The Loyal Ones
Good logo design communicates the level professionalism and organization people can expect from your business before they ever contact you. If your logo looks a mess, potential customers will assume your business is run the same way. If your logo looks old, customers might assume you’re not up to date on the latest technology or trends. Customers should know without a shadow of doubt they have found a reputable business that is going to be organized, run professionally and will produce for them the best possible product or service for their money and a professional business logo can do just that. Your logo could be looked upon as your front-line salesperson.
3) Stand Out, Yet Fit In.
Being too flashy can convey to your customers that you don’t understand your industry, but using over-used, cliche graphics don’t do you any favors either. There is a fine line and your logo designer should be able to help you find it. We believe that a good logo designer will ask the right questions to get an accurate idea of what your company does, what it stands for, who your competitors are most importantly who your target market is. He or she will then use this acquired information to conduct vast research based on the information he/she has received in order to work most effectively toward the final goal: your gorgeous finalized logo.
4) Stand the Test of Time
Look at the history of some of the logos of some of the biggest and best brands in the world. You’ll see that in many cases they have not needed to do any rebranding or modernizing of their logos in the years they have been in business. This is key to keeping your brand memorable throughout generations of successful business. A timeless logo will need very little updating as time goes on. Yes, we do believe that very few logos are truly timeless– but the essence of your logo should never need to change and a good logo designer will be able to help you accomplish that (you’ll never be able to accomplish this with “free logo design” programs on the internet, I promise).
5) Be Memorable
This one is easy to understand, and easy to communicate. Your logo should be easily memorable for your clients. Even if they forget the name of your business, they should be able to remember what your logo looks like so they can find you in the future when and if they need you again, or want to recommend your services to someone else.
So there you have it. 5 Things that a professionally designed business logo from us at Bizign Design will do for your business that free logo designs most likely won’t.
In closing, look at it this way: if your business looks as good as the job you do or product you offer, satisfied clients will tell their friends, who will tell their friends and so on. One lost customer now could mean that you’ve lost out on more in the future. Can you afford to take the risk?
