We all know the Nike logo, but did you know that its well-recognized swoosh cost just $35?
Or that the first logo of Twitter cost just $15?
Think about all the most recognizable brands. Now visualize their logos. It’s easy, right?
That’s because logos go way back to the start of the marketing era. Consider Apple without the apple or Nike without its swoosh.
A small business logo is probably the most critical tool in your product promotion arsenal. It’s not just a random mark. It provides your small business with an identity that represents your core values and your mission.
If executed properly, that identity can immediately sell your brand to prospective customers. A poor small business logo design will turn your customers off. Having none at all is even a bigger marketing mistake.
Your Logo Isn’t Your Brand
Before we look at 10 reasons why it’s vital to design a logo for your business, let’s get one thing straight: Your logo represents your brand but it’s not your brand.
Through color, business logo fonts, and logo design, it portrays your business’ personality–just like the attire you’re wearing conveys who you are.
The clothes you wear aren’t you, but they reveal your character and personality to others.
Therefore, developing your logo should take a bit of thought and time. It’s a strategic effort that’ll be pivotal to all of your advertising in the future. It shouldn’t be treated lightly.
So Who Are You?
Even if your business is very small, it needs an identity. Your target market should know who you are. A great logo is one of the best ways to achieve that.
It can attract your target audience and differentiate you from competitors. Without further ado, here are 10 reasons why your small business should have a logo.
First Impressions can Make or Break Your Business
Your logo is the face of your company and as they say, “You only have one chance to create a first impression.”
Do you want your business name rendered in plain text rather than an eye-catching design? You wouldn’t want that to be the first thing potential customers see, would you?
Nope. You probably want your customers wowed instantly.
A logo is a great way to make an impression on your potential customers from the beginning. They’ll have ages to know you better in the future. In the beginning, having a logo says a lot about your business.
Gets You Recognized
A business logo should be easy to recognize in small and large print.
You want your customers to recognize your business with ease, whether it’s in a digital advert on someone’s phone, it’s embroidered on a tee, or it’s on a billboard.
Your logo should have a simple design and shouldn’t compete with the logos of other businesses. You don’t want to launch an advertising campaign with something that customers might confuse with a trademarked logo.
And you should know that having a logo that looks like a trademarked one could land your new business in legal hot soup. Popular logos are known the world over, no matter the message around it.
Fosters Brand Loyalty
Apart from boosting brand recognition, your logo can also be an effective tool for cultivating brand loyalty. Your logo can give consumers something to cling to, both physically and mentally, if they follow your business.
Based on your brand, it’s possible to distribute promotional items or merchandise that display your logo.
Lots of businesses give away free pens and business shirts with the logo prominently displayed on them. Although this can be useful for getting new customers, it also can be an amazing way to build appreciation and loyalty to your brand.
Builds Trust in Your Business
As far brand identity is concerned, logos do almost all the running. You can create trust among your customers with a logo that positively communicates with them.
For instance, if your target customer is an ice skating young person, your logo should not look like it’s selling to older adults.
Senior citizens might prefer a logo with a more conventional serif font. On the other hand, the more modern sans-serif fonts might appeal to the youth. Serif fonts are amazing if you want to convey strength and longevity but sans-serif fonts are friendlier.
The same case applies to your choice of color. Blue stirs up trust. Excess yellow might make your customers anxious.
The emotions provoked by color are an entire science, and you can capitalize on this information to create a logo design that makes customers feel great about your business even before they’ve talked to you.
Proof of Your Professionalism
News just in! There’s no real business without a logo. The truth of the matter is that although logos are simply a small part of your business’ day-to-day operations, they’re still critically important.
In the society we live in, potential consumers have acquired certain expectations. They imagine that a reliable and professional business must have a logo that stands out.
By having your logo professionally designed, you automatically stand out from the rest of the competitors that might have developed their design in a hurried fashion, failing to fully appreciate the value of brand development.
Reveals Your Identity
One of the reasons why the Nike logo is so successful is the fact that it reflects Nike’s business.
The Greek goddess of victory is behind the Nike name, and the swoosh symbolizes the pace and flight-like ability one might have while wearing Nike shoes.
Other logos of well-known brands clearly communicate what the business does, which helps customers know what they can expect from the company immediately. The logo of Swirl frozen yogurt is a little yogurt swirl. This prevents customer confusion.
And there is a good reason why most top logos feature a certain image.
Creates an Emotional Connection
Again, visualize all the most famous logos. How do they make you feel? Logos are often the first thing that builds the emotional connection you’ve got with your favorite brands.
Consider this data from Marketing and Entrepreneurship:
- 80 percent of consumers think that colors boost brand recognition
- 93 percent of purchasing decisions are made based on visual perceptions
- 7% of customers say they buy a product because of color
This is why your small business needs a logo that’s specially designed to draw a positive reaction from customers.
If customers connect with your logo, they’re unlikely to forget your company. And if they’ve got good memories of your business, they’re more likely to buy your products or services.
On the other hand, if your logo is poorly designed, this can be bad news for your bottom line. Again, you create your first impression with your logo and as the saying goes, “You’ve only got one chance to impress.”
Set Yourself Apart with Your Small Business Logo
No matter the product or service you sell, you’ll have lots of competitors. That a fact.
So how can stand out from your competitors? Well, a logo is one effective tool that will help you do that.
You only have so many chances to prove yourself. A logo represents your business visually and is a strong way to leave an impression and foster your brand identity.
A logo shows your consumers that you care about them and want to be the best in your area.
Creates Consistency
We’re now in an era where businesses exist on various platforms, including websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, leaflets, info packs, business cards, etc.
This means your brand identity should be rubber-stamped everywhere. Here, some sort of consistency is critical, ensuring that your business is clearly and properly represented wherever it appears.
This kind of consistency will ensure you keep up that professional image and enhance the value of that strong brand loyalty that you need to build.
Raises Expectations
After being used to the Apples and the IBMs and Nikes of this world, we’ve come to expect any business to have some kind of professional look in the shape of a proper logo at the very least.
If a business does not have this essential asset, why would anyone do business with them? Without a logo, all these points have been cast aside, and no real effort yet has been put towards the design, development, and maintenance of a business’ front-facing visuals.
You may not actively think about this (unless perhaps you’re a logo designer) but something like this attitude is certainly happening, and it’ll ultimately have a huge impact on the choice to either sign up with your business, or a competitor.
The Bottom Line
While you might have various other matters to attend to when building your business, don’t overlook the importance of investing in a strong logo.
A professional small business logo is a worthwhile investment and it’ll be worth it in the long run. The sooner you build one the better off will be your business.
If your business has no logo yet, or even it’s got one but needs changes or improvements, visit FreeLogoServices to find the best logo design for your business.
