A logo must be versatile.
Remember, your logo will be used across the board and must be versatile. Store signage, business cards, packaging, and documents are only a few of the items you’ll find a company’s logo on. Your logo should look as good as a thumbnail as it does on a store sign, but a DIYer will unlikely have the skill set to create a logo that is scalable. This results in a logo that is too busy for small print or too simple for large print.
The logo on the left is too busy at this size. But, Airbnb’s logo appears professional as a thumbnail as well as on a larger scale.
DIY logos don’t translate well.
At a glance, your logo should let people know what your company does and represents. If your logo doesn’t immediately translate this, you risk losing customers before you’ve had a chance to tell them about your awesome product. An inexperienced designer will miss the mark when it comes to communicating their message – even if that person owns the business and knows the company like the back of their hand. What a DIYer associates a business with may not necessarily match the general public’s idea of the industry. Knowing how to brand and market a company’s message into a compelling logo is part of a professional designer’s job! Take a look at the logo Old City Web Services designed for Rodbender Fishing Charters, pictured below.
Rodbender is a fishing charter business; their logo is fused with a bent fishing rod, and the font mimics a wave-like motion.
They aren’t timeless.
Although Google and Best Western have made minor adjustments to their original logos, their formats are timeless and will be used for years to come.
The finished product looks amateurish.
One of the most common DIY mistakes is ending up with an amateurish logo. Logo design is artistic, technical and scientific, making it very easy for a first-time logo designer to create a sub-par logo. Along with color, size, and brand identity, professional designers consider how balanced and overall appealing a design is – with an unbiased eye. DIYers run the risk of creating a logo with a partial view that is based on what they find appealing. This is a critical mistake for two reasons; a DIYer uses their favorite colors, symbols or shapes that are generally unpopular with their customers; the logo doesn’t parallel the company’s brand. A logo should be more than acceptable or good. Keep in mind, it needs to be unbiased, professional, and as polished as your product.
The logos above are examples of amateur mistakes newbies make when they create a logo; Bodega is offensive and inappropriate; Flightning is too similar to the logos of Facebook and Twitter; Look is unbalanced and boring!
Creating content for your website can be difficult – especially if writing isn’t your cup of tea! The best way to grab the attention of potential customers as well as appear in search engine results is to STAY ON TRACK and have a purpose. This process is easiest when you do the following:
- Use analytics to guide your content creation.
- Ask yourself, who is your audience?
- Keep an editorial calendar!
- Use one voice – your “brand’s voice.”
- Add value. Focus on being useful, not on being the next Shakespeare.
Mission Statement
Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – manage their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at (904) 829-2772 or contact us today.
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Photo credits: Rodbender Fishing Charters, Eric De los Santos of treestrategies.com, www.startups.co
Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog.