A question that we hear asked a lot around here is how to make a professional small business logo. Because a logo is an important part of your website, not having a professional logo prepared stymies a lot of people and delays their progress toward getting online and growing their business.
If you find yourself in that position right now, we have some helpful resources for you!
We talked awhile back about the process of designing a logo here on the blog. That article is definitely worth a thorough read. It details the steps involved in logo creation, the types of logos you might want to create, and how to protect the finished product with a trademark.
You should also take a look at the 5 Principles of Effective Logo Design, found in an excellent Smashing Magazine article. The graphic below outlines it well:
Fast Company shared a wonderful post recently about making a great logo, which addresses the elements in the graphic above from a different angle. (The article talks about designing a brand and a logo somewhat interchangeably, but we won't get into the difference between a brand and a logo, right now.) The article offers six questions to ask yourself when you're in the process of dreaming up your new logo:
1. What emotions does the logo evoke?
2. What's the meaning behind the logo?
3. Will the logo stand the test of time?
4. Is it unique? Can it be instantly recognized?
5. How does it look in black and white?
6. Is it clear and distinct in small dimensions?
There are a number of different routes to take when it comes to actually putting proverbial pen to paper. If you have it in the budget, working with a professional designer can definitely be worthwhile. Even finding someone finishing up a design degree at your local college is a great option. If you are more of a DIY-type with some design skills, Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard when it comes to logo design. If you're not terribly computer savvy and have a limited budget, an online logo-building tool like DesignMantic or Vistaprint's logo design tool can provide everything you need without a bunch of stuff you don't.
Good luck! If you want to show off the small business logo you created for yourself, post a link to your website in the comments below.