How to Make a Logo – for Cheap

Get a Great Logo Without Paying Lots of Money

A picture is worth a thousand words – right? Well, you could say the same thing about your logo – except a good logo can generate some money for you.

A great logo not only gives consumers a memorable first impression of your company – it can convey a message in seconds, demonstrate professionalism, build trust and advertise your business when you’re not around.

That’s a lot. It’s no wonder that logos are a hot commodity, but that doesn’t mean that you should pay more than you have to for a logo design.

There are a few key factors that go into good logo design, as with any graphic design project. There are also inexpensive tools that you can use online to provide images, fonts and layout for you.

Follow these 3 Steps:

1. Learn the key design factors using the step-by-step plan explained below.

2. Use inexpensive online tools to create and customize your design using your newly-learned knowledge

3. Finalize your design and obtain files that can be used on print materials, online media and promotional items.

Logo Design Tips: 3 Things Your Logo Needs to Be

Before getting started, there are a few things to keep in mind. It’s a good idea to come back to these ideas as you go through the design process.

1. Simple
Keep the design simple. Think of it more as a symbol rather than a picture. Too much clutter makes it difficult for people to understand and simplicity helps keep the design look clean and professional.

2. Versatile
Make sure the design in versatile. Most likely, you’ll be using your logo in a variety of mediums: business cards, signs, web pages, advertisements, clothing, etc.. Being able to use your logo in more places enables you to increase your company’s exposure and build your brand. Again, simplicity is your friend here.

3. Memorable
Be different and memorable. These go hand in hand because if your logo looks too much like everyone else’s, it will not stand out and no one will remember you. You want your design to be unique enough that when consumers repeatedly see your signs, ads, brochures and vehicles that they will recognize your business. Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes and think about logos you see everyday. What stands out to you?

How to Create a Logo

Your logo is comprised of 4 basic factors:

1. The image
2. The Font
3. The Color
4. The Layout

With so many combinations and options to choose from, this process can seem overwhelming. What you want to do first is ask yourself a few questions. Then this process suddenly becomes a lot easier.

When you ask yourself these questions, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. It’s not black and white, and you’ll want to do some brainstorming.

Why?

Because you want your logo to be unique and memorable. Most likely, some of the first ideas that come into your head will be images or designs that you have seen before – and that’s not the direction you want to go.

1. What are the benefits your company offers to customers?
You know what your product or service does – but what is the benefit to customers? Fast? Simple? Convenient? Reliable? Fun? Exciting? Use images, fonts and colors to help convey your benefits as much as possible. If you use an online logo design program to create your logo yourself, they generally provide hundreds if not thousands of graphics you can use – you simply pick and choose.

2. How would you define your target customer?
Ideally, you want your prospect to see your log and connect with your business because they understand, like and can relate to your logo.
Are they conservative? Wild and crazy? Social? Eclectic? Animal lovers? Computer geeks? Adventurous? Family-oriented? Athletic? Write down a list and keep your target customer in mind when you are choosing graphics, colors and fonts.

3. What is the personality of your company?
This can be a great way to let prospects know what you are like without them ever meeting you. Are you funny? Serious? Silly? Professional? Sometimes the type of business you operate will help you determine the message you want to convey.

Logo Design Software & Free Logo Makers

These days, there are several choices when it comes to designing your own logo online. The main differences are price, image selection and variety of layout options. Programs that offer more versatility in design will enable you to create a more unique logo.

You’ve probably heard of VistaPrint – the online printing company with the “250 free business cards” offer. Well, they now have free business logo templates too. Use their free logo template and then order anything you want the logo printed on. (Look under the “Services” section on their site for the free stuff).

And no – you don’t have buy any of their stuff to get your logo. You can either get your logo for free imprinted on their products – or you can get just the logo alone for a small fee.

FreeLogoServices.com (free to design, $39 to download and use)
Design your own logo in 3 steps:

1. Choose your logo text font
2. Choose your logo image from the large graphic library
3. Customize your logo

The drawback to using a do-it-yourself logo design service is that even though you can customize your design, there are limits. For advanced graphics and fonts, you’ll want to hire a designer or use graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

Tip: If you have graphic design software like Photoshop, you can use your software to design your own logo and free logo makers to practice with different design layouts for free. FontSquirrel has commercial-use fonts available for free and Clker.comhas royalty-free public domain clip art.

You can also use a service called The Logo Company where you are assigned a 5-person logo design team who can create your logo for you in 3 days for $149.

Article: Free Business Logo Templates

Uses for Company Logos

The great thing about logos is that once you have one – you can use it all over the place. You don’t have to pay to use it over and over again. The standard places you might think of using a logo would be:

- Business cards
- Stationary, invoices
- Shipping materials and return address labels
- Brochures and flyers
- Ads in newspapers, magazines or direct mail postcards
- Your website
- A company sign, yard signs or banner
- Vehicle signage
- Promotional gadgets like pens, magnets or mugs
- Clothing or uniforms

But don’t forget about…

- The signature file in all of your emails
- Your email newsletter template
- Advertising when you sponsor an event
- Coupons and gift certificate you offer
- Included with press releases you submit
- And of course – the products themselves!

We see logos all the time – more often than we are aware of actually. A good example is cars and clothing. We usually know who made the product simply by seeing the logo – and every time we see that logo, we are reminded of the company.

A great logo can stand out and get people’s attention. Put it everywhere, and your prospects will start thinking about you even when you’re not selling to them. Don’t underestimate the power of these inexpensive marketing tool that you make yourself!

For more new business ideas for small and home-based companies, visit The New Business Idea. You can also get over 200 business start-up guides and download the Home Business Start-Up Checklist free from www.HomeBusinessCenter.com.