When it comes to setting up an e-commerce site, forum, blog or an Internet startup website one of your first considerations will be getting a logo design. In this article we look at some of the features of logo design for web based businesses and look at how you should go about getting the best design for your new venture.
Your website developer may offer to put something together for you but if you really want to create and grow an online brand then it is best to approach designers who specialize in logo design.
There are many options to get a free logo design online but these should be avoided as they use mostly 'do it yourself' templates that allow you to combine clip-art with a customized text logo. Results are amateurish to say the least and you risk being sued for infringing on the trademarks of other firms.
The best option is to go for a custom logo design as the designer will tailor-make their product to suit your business needs, incorporating your ideas with their good design and branding sense. A customized logo can be cheaper than you think and some companies do web logos at lower prices than all purpose logos.
There are no rules really when it comes to designing logos for the Internet. Simplicity still works well, high tech logos that can be almost three dimensional in appearance are popular and characters, cartoon images and mascots also work well online.
Most niche websites go for images and coloring that are not unlike their offline counterparts. Business models that are unique to the internet often go for images that express connectivity and communication between people. Among Web 2.0 sites, blogs and forums it is now almost a cliche to have MySpace style outlines of people positioned in a way that highlights human interaction.
Ask your website developer about the format that they prefer to receive the file in so that you can put in a request to the designer. Vector based formats offer the most flexibility.
You may also consider having your logo designer put together some banner designs as well so that you can promote your site.
Make sure that you shop around and don't make a decision based solely on price. Try to find out how many designers will work on your logo, how many rounds of revisions are permitted, how many unique concepts will be presented to you, delivery time and guarantee policies.
A lot of your brand reputation can be lost if you later realize that you don't have the best logo for your website and have to re-brand. It is therefore important that you put a little time and investment into getting a great logo design for your Internet Startup.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Re-Branding - Updating a Business Logo
As companies mature and take different directions it is sometime necessary for them to update or redesign their business logos to improve them and make them more modern or relevant.
Businesses evolve with time, enter new markets, offer new products or change the entire way that they do business. Sometimes a businesses logo design is no longer relevant to what the company does and a new logo, or a major redesign of the existing logo becomes essential.
Design trends change over time too and some logos, which were poorly thought through at the time, go out of fashion and just start to look tired or ugly.
However, a lot of value has been built up in a brand over time and to just 'dump it' risks losing a lot of customer recognition and trust that is so valuable. And a logo change can be expensive when you consider that all your company stationary and promotional materials will have to be scrapped and replaced. For these reasons it is best to avoid a complete change of logo if possible.
If you feel that a change is necessary you should seriously think about the reasons why it is necessary and the effects of a change. Try to get some honest opinions from colleagues and customers before deciding. As the business owner, the logo is your baby and maybe you have just seen it so much that you, and only you have tired of it.
A better option than a completely new logo is to look at only having it redesigned or refreshed. Keep some of the basic design elements such as color and shape. If done well, customers should immediately be able to recognize your new logo as being an improved version of the old one.
Informing your customers about any change to your logo is a good idea though to avoid confusion.
And if you are scrapping your logo make sure that you let your designer know that you are looking for something timeless or classic so that you won't have to make any changes again for a very long time.
Businesses evolve with time, enter new markets, offer new products or change the entire way that they do business. Sometimes a businesses logo design is no longer relevant to what the company does and a new logo, or a major redesign of the existing logo becomes essential.
Design trends change over time too and some logos, which were poorly thought through at the time, go out of fashion and just start to look tired or ugly.
However, a lot of value has been built up in a brand over time and to just 'dump it' risks losing a lot of customer recognition and trust that is so valuable. And a logo change can be expensive when you consider that all your company stationary and promotional materials will have to be scrapped and replaced. For these reasons it is best to avoid a complete change of logo if possible.
If you feel that a change is necessary you should seriously think about the reasons why it is necessary and the effects of a change. Try to get some honest opinions from colleagues and customers before deciding. As the business owner, the logo is your baby and maybe you have just seen it so much that you, and only you have tired of it.
A better option than a completely new logo is to look at only having it redesigned or refreshed. Keep some of the basic design elements such as color and shape. If done well, customers should immediately be able to recognize your new logo as being an improved version of the old one.
Informing your customers about any change to your logo is a good idea though to avoid confusion.
And if you are scrapping your logo make sure that you let your designer know that you are looking for something timeless or classic so that you won't have to make any changes again for a very long time.
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