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Designing a logo can be a tough process. There’s a lot to think about and if you want a successful logo you can’t start today and expect to have one by the weekend. A logo is part of your brand, and you don’t want to mess that up, right? Here are a few things you should tuck under your hat and remember as you’re going through the design process. They’ll help you think more clearly and avoid some common pitfalls.
If the idea of a website redesign has you reaching for your wallet and the aspirin at the same time, I’ve got good news for you. There are a few simple things that you or your developer can do right now to improve your website, boost sales and leads and increase conversions. Try one, then test to see what kind of results you get. When you’re done reading, let me know if you have any other dos or don’ts to share. I bet every single one of us has at least one lesson to share from a really bad website, and if we’re lucky one to share from a good one!
A logo is a fundamental part of any brand’s overall marketing mix. What isn’t usually recognized is that developing a quality logo is not easy or fast. It requires that the business be in tune with itself and have a unified vision of its mission. So how can developing a logo end up in disaster? Here are six things you should know.
In today’s super hyped-up, fast-paced, be-everywhere-or-die business world, there’s a lot of chatter about engaging your audience, building an army of evangelists and creating that holy grail of marketing: brand loyalty. Here are a few things loyalty is not, and a few it is, so that when you start thinking of how to build your band of evangelists and true believers, you can do it on a solid foundation.
“That’s ugly.”
You may have heard this about your marketing materials. You may even have said it about someone else’s. While they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sometimes it’s a cold hard truth that your website, letterhead or brochure got slapped upside the head with an ugly stick.
If you run a business or are an entrepreneur, marketing yourself and your business requires some level of design. The fact is that when it comes to building a brand and making a good impression, good design is better than poor design. Good design can go a long way towards getting your audience to feel what you want them to feel or persuading them to do what you want them to do. So it’s that word, ugly, that I want to focus on because defining ugly is important if you want to turn your marketing materials into powerful tools for business growth and profit.
It’s not uncommon for a fellow business owner to look at my logo and say, “That’s a great brand!” What they were really saying was, “I like your logo!” You really can’t create a brand in Photoshop, even if you add a slogan. Both can be valuable parts of your overall image, but your brand is something entirely different. Find out what your brand is (and isn’t) and what it can mean to your business if you develop it correctly.
DonnaLyn Giegerich gives paid speeches nationally as well as locally, and is “one of Monmouth County’s most sought after speakers,” says the president of the Eastern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. She’s also a producing partner in two insurance agencies that generate more business than she can handle.
Sometimes, a product is only as good as its design. Therefore, if you aren’t portraying your product in the right way or to the right audience, you could be missing out on some serious revenue. When I speak of products I am not only referring to items on a shelf or something you can buy. I am really referring to your brand and everything that goes with it.
Through my experiences managing both corporate Twitter accounts and helping local businesses improve their social media engagement, one thing has become exceedingly clear: people want to connect with other people. If your potential customers only see a nameless corporate entity, they’ll be wary of doing business with you.
Willi Kunz, world renowned designer and theorist, has found that modern typography has evolved into a powerful medium for visual experimentation and personal expression. He believes typographic design begins with a concept as well as a set of information. The designer faces a blank sheet of paper or a computer screen, and is anxious to take the first step.
Read our editor's delicious interview with The Word Chef!
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