Starting a new business requires you to manage a full plate of tasks that often fall outside of your core area of expertise. Whether you’re providing an individual service such as tax preparation or opening a retail store, your business must go through a series of steps to get up and running. The legal phases include registering with state government, getting a tax ID number, and obtaining any licenses or permits you need to operate a business. Then there’s a business plan to develop, detailing what you intend to sell and how it can help customers. Another key component of a reputable business is the logo —the centerpiece of your visual brand identity.

6 Identity Traits A Great Logo Design Can Offer Your Business

An effective company logo can be just as essential to your success as that business plan or state registration. If graphic design, branding and marketing aren’t necessarily in your wheelhouse, think about hiring a professional logo design firm to help with this critical aspect of your identity. If you’re worried about the cost, rest assured that affordable design services are available to help you get a terrific logo — and other brand support. And investing in pro services can easily pay off quickly by attracting target customers to your business and motivating them to buy what you’re selling. On the flip side, bad logos can actually hurt business by implying that you’re less than professional.

Here are 6 benefits of a well-designed company logo:

  • Versatile:

Your logo should appear on your website, printed materials (such as business cards, envelopes, receipts and invoices) and social media profiles. A consistent, cohesive visual brand builds trust and enhances credibility.

  • Memorable:

A simple and compelling logo is easily recognizable, and improves brand awareness and recall. One glance at the most famous logos can remind people how much they enjoyed their last experience with a company or its products — and trigger them to repeat the purchase.

  • Descriptive:

Great company logos tell consumers what a business does and cares about. With appropriate use of color, shapes and font styling, a logo can convey important information about your company.

  • Stable:

Operating with a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude is great for summer break, but an amateur logo design may send the message that you’re not serious enough about being in business to invest adequately in business branding.

  • Enticing:

If a logo design can attract customers and evoke positive feelings, it’s likely to motivate them to take a closer look at your company and its offerings. Great logos imprint on the brain and trigger action.

  • Current:

A polished and visually appealing logo design, based on current cultural preferences and tastes, can make it easy to support messaging that resonates with today’s marketplace. Out-of-fashion design elements may send very wrong messages to the folks you’re hoping to impress.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your brand identity efforts. The costs of an ill-considered company logo design can become painful, especially if you’re losing business to competitors who appear more credible due to a polished visual identity.

Ultimately, the quality of your logo says a lot about your company, and a professional logo design tells people that you’re serious about what you do. Work with an experienced logo designer that understands best practices and can translate your business plan into a strong visual brand identity.