A logo is the first impression the customer gets from a business.  It can impact their perception, buying decisions and attitude of a company from the first glance.

Designing a logo for your business is not easy and must be carefully planned out and executed. Here are some tips to follow when designing a new logo:

1. Make it original and unique

Imitation is the best form of flattery – except when it comes to logo design. A logo distinguishes a brand from its competitors, so it’s important that the logo is out-of-the-box and original — something many businesses struggle with. Keep in mind, that the Apple logo isn’t a computer, the McDonald’s logo isn’t a hamburger – so don’t just throw an industry icon on the page along with your name and call it a logo.

2. Understand your brand before you color

Your logo is an image, but it introduces your brand. Before you create a logo, you must decide the mood of your brand, and then color your logo to match your mood.

Your logo should have personality, but be careful about what colors you choose. Research the meaning of each color.  For instance, the color red signifies energy and love; the color purple means arrogance and mystery; and the color white represents clean and simple.

3. What’s in a name?

Most logos consist of two elements – a name and a symbol.  If you have a unique name, you may be able to get away with just a Logotype (think Coca-Cola); but in most cases you’ll need to use your name and a symbol.

Very few companies can get away with using just a symbol as their logo (think Starbucks).  It requires years of marketing and advertising and it may never catch on.

When you’re creating your word type, avoid using crazy fonts. Don’t shy away from using a basic font such as Helvetica.  It’s simple and has worked wonders for Target, Crate & Barrel and JCPenney.

4. Use social media to your benefit

Once you have a few logo designs developed, turn to social media to have followers vote on their favorites and give you feedback. You may be surprised to learn others don’t like the logo design you were leaning towards.

5. Success takes time

Your logo won’t become an instant icon, it will take time to catch on.  But be patient. Don’t change your logo design because you haven’t gotten the immediate attention you were hoping for.

If you are interested in creating a new logo design or social media marketing campaign, consider working with Fasturtle. Fasturtle, an online marketing and small business custom website design firm in Scottsdale, AZ, can handle all your digital marketing needs, from social media marketing campaigns, to Search Engine Optimization, small business custom website design, and logo design. To learn more about developing a new logo design, or a small business custom website, contact Fasturtle at (888) 468-8785 or contact us online.