Why does your company need a logo? The reason is that a logo makes your company look more professional to the consumers. It immediately identifies your brand. And over time, it establishes a sense of quality and confidence people can expect whenever they see it.

When you understand the importance of having a logo for your business, you may think: what makes a good logo? Here are 5 tips :

1) Stay away from stock photography or canned looking images. You want to look different. Get it custom made, create it or make it yourself.

2) Select a color which is opposite from your major competitors. Standardize your logo color on all communications and media. (e.g. Studies have shown, if the color on box of cereal or soda is even slightly off, consumers won’t by it. It just sites there with shelf rot.)

3) Make sure the font is very legible, easy to read from a distance.

4) Keep your logo consistent, not changing it every year or two. Logo recognition - like success - is built over time.

5) According to a branding expert “Logos should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes. For maximum visual impact, a logotype should have the same shape as a windshield of an automobile, roughly two and one-fourth units wide by one unit high.” (2.25×1)

Take these 5 tips into consideration before you design your logo, or hand them to your logo designer, and build that logo. Stake your claim in your category, along with the competition. Your market share will grow, and so will your brand awareness.

Small business owners are often uneducated when it comes to logo designs and their role and importance in the operation of their business. Why do you need a logo design for your small business?

There are mainly 3 reasons that your small business must have a logo.

1. The internet logo design is more affordable and cheaper than it ever has been. There are dozens of companies that will design quality logos for your small business for under $100. You might even know someone that does logo design that would be willing to design a logo for your small business for even less. Don’t let high costs be an excuse for not having a logo. The return you will get from having a logo over the long run will far exceed the cost to create it.

2. Many small business owners don’t want to settle for anything less than the perfect logo design for their business. Almost every logo goes through revisions over time and this is all part of the process. Get a logo that is professionally designed and represents your company well and start using it. As time goes on and your business grows, you can have your logo further revised to fit your business better.

3. Just about every business starts small. Microsoft started with just one person: Bill Gates. McDonald’s started with one restaurant. Many of the companies you recognize today started small and could have used the excuse that they didn’t need a logo but what would McDonald’s be without the golden arches? What would Nike be without the swoosh? As stated before, you can always revise your logo as time goes on, but at least start with something.

Logo is one piece of your branding strategy. Your logo is a symbol that can provide consumers with instant and powerful brand recognition of your business and the services or products that you offer.

Before beginning the process of logo creation be sure that you have developed your brand strategy. Why? Your logo is like a small ad for your company, without the strategy behind it a logo can put across the wrong message and in return weaken your strategy. You want to keep your brand message consistent to help increase consumer recognition?

Here are 4 tips in the process of having your logo created:

1. The mission of your logo is to portray the values and goals of your company.

2. Be clear about the message you want your brand to convey so that your logo can clearly reflect that message. You must have a strong association between your brand and your logo.

3. Your logo should reflect professionalism and growth no matter how small your company is.

4. Make sure that the logo you select is not dated but can be used effectively year after year. Keep in mind it is how consumers will recognize your company.

The role your logo plays in your branding strategy is to communicate a message that attracts the target audience that you want to attract - a message that creates confidence in your brand while differentiating between you and your competitors. Does your logo fulfill this mission? If your answer is no it may be time to consider strengthening your brand strategy and looking at a new logo to re-position your company.