A business logo is designed to communicate your brand message to your customers and prospects regarding what your company represents. It’s also aimed at differentiating your business from your competitors.

This is why logo design should not be taken lightly. As a business owner you basically have two options; do you settle for the cheaper or more expensive logo? In other words, what kind of logo do you expect to get if you pay $5 or $5000 for that matter?

No need to guess. We’ll answer the above questions and more in this article. You’ll learn about:

  • Originality matters in logo design
  • Types of logos that grab attention and make impressions
  • Why are some logos worth just $5
  • What should you expect from a $5000 logo
  • The best option for a startup or small business logo

Never underestimate the power of a business logo. It has the ability to make your business stand out in either a pleasant or bad way. How is that? Your business logo is part of your brand and its importance far exceeds the pretty colors or design.

According to a LogoDesign.net article, “A well designed logo should speak to your audience. A logo should communicate a message about your company, and clearly indicate the tone and personality of your brand. It should also be memorable, unique, and visually appealing.”

Before we delve deeper into the subject of logo design, let’s first explain what the right logo entails. The ideal logo must at least have the following characteristics.

Is it Original?

Granted, your business may provide a service or product that’s being offered by countless companies. But that’s why you need a logo that’ll make your business stand out. Your products may be similar to your competitors’, but your story as a business is different. This means your values, mission and principles differ—and that’s what you want your logo to communicate.

When designing a logo, authenticity is crucial. And you can only design an authentic logo if you incorporate and stay true to what your business represents.

Does it Grab Attention?

You want a logo that’ll immediately grab your target audience’s attention. Is it catchy? Know this: it takes approximately three seconds for a viewer to scan a web page. You need to create a company logo that’s captivating enough to grab the consumer’s attention or they’ll simply move on to the next company’s website.

What First Impressions Does Your Logo Give?

First impressions are indeed crucial in any scenario—including the business world. You want a logo that will create a strong first impression. Ask yourself this: does your logo look professional or sloppy?

Answering the above questions is crucial and should determine the logo designer you’ll approach. Let’s discuss what you’re likely to get from the two extremes.

If you’re a small business or start-up, it’s no secret that you may have financial restrictions. In the same vein, some large businesses may not view a logo as a priority. In both scenarios, the respective companies may decide to go for a cheap logo. But you’re likely to end up with the following.

Quite frankly, an authentic and original logo goes straight out the window if you go the $5 route. Proper designing takes time and in most cases, designing is inspired by creativity. Chances of finding a designer who’ll take the time to create a worthy logo only to charge $5 is next to impossible. A true designer knows his or her worth and will charge accordingly.

The easy option here is to simply pass off someone’s work as his or her own; that doesn’t take much time, you’ll agree. Either that or they’ll simply copy and paste something off the internet. Where is the creativity and originality in that?

For argument’s sake, let’s give the designer the benefit of the doubt. What if the designer actually gives you original content? While the logo isn’t someone else’s we strongly doubt that the logo will be of high quality. You can expect a slapdash job that looks nothing near professional.

In this case, the logo is less likely to grab consumers’ attention or make a positive first impression.

Amateur Work

For $5 you can expect amateurish work that’s compromised in quality and lacks originality. Chances are the designer isn’t established or experienced in the graphic designing industry. As a result, they may not be well versed with the software or textures that must be used to create a high-quality image.

The end result is a low-quality image that may be set on a textured background. And unfortunately, it’s impossible to reuse that kind of logos on many platforms.

No Options

True designers will give you options. They will give you two or three logos to pick from depending on your tastes and preferences. We can’t promise the same with the $5 logo company. Sure, you might get it quick—maybe even on the same day. But that’s only because no effort was put into the “designing” of the logo.

Reputable designers may take longer to give you your logo because they invest time in designing quality examples. After all, their reputation is at stake.

Who Designs $5000 Logos?

Let’s quickly discuss the opposite end of the spectrum. Does it then mean that if you pay $5000 for a logo you’ll get the best one yet? Maybe and maybe not.

Some designers simply overprice their products especially if they’re from well-known and reputable designing companies. In such cases, you’re likely to be paying for the brand rather than the actual product itself.

On the other hand, companies that charge more for logo design are highly professional. They probably have a team of marketers and designers on their payroll. These experts take logo design very seriously and invest their time into creating logos that are of high quality and unique.

They spend hours researching to ensure the final product is a success. In some cases, you may have two or three designers working on your logo. With a company of this magnitude, it may take up to several months before you see the final product. And with such companies, you can expect a well thought out logo that you’re likely to be impressed with.

If you’re dealing with such a company, then a $5000 price is definitely justified because the final price is influenced by costs related to:

– Research

– Remuneration of the different designers

– Creativity and talent used

– Rental expenses that these large companies pay

– Resources that go into the designing of the logo

With that said, what can you expect from a high-end logo design company? You’re guaranteed:

– Multiple logo variations

– A comprehensive guide detailing the graphics you will need

– Possibly a brand name and brand strategy

– A catchy tagline to go with the logo

– Additional graphics

Which is the Best Option?

We understand how the design company you opt for is determined by your marketing budget. But we strongly advise against settling for the low budget logo. Sure, you may have spent next to nothing for the logo, but you may incur additional costs in future as you attempt to rebrand and rectify what’s not working.

Our advice: if your financial resources are limited, save up till you can afford the services of a reputable designer.

From the above, it’s evident that the price of a logo varies considerably in today’s market. But whether you opt for a $5 or $5000 logo, make sure that it’s memorable, simple and catchy. Your business brand and future reputation depend on it so make the right decision today.

Feature image: istock.com/scyther5