How to Get a Professional Logo—Without Paying the Big Bucks
What are some of your favorite brands? Think about a few of them right now. Now ask yourself: Do they have a logo?
Of course they do!
A professional logo is a must-have in today’s competitive market.
But don’t take our word for it. Can you think of any big brands that don’t have a logo? Probably not.
That’s because the right logo can make people remember you—just as the wrong logo can make your business forgettable.
If you’re starting your own business right now, you’re in the perfect position to think about how to get your hands on a professional logo that wins clients and market share.
But before you start looking for a designer, you should know what it takes to design a professional logo.
Let’s start with the most important point:
A Professional Logo Is Clean and Simple
One big mistake a lot of new business owners make is trying to cram a lot of information and imagery into their tiny logo.
The result? A messy blob of pictures and words that are hard to read and easy to forget.
You don’t want that. Instead, a powerful logo is clean and simple, making it easily distinguishable from other brands.
Think of Nike’s logo. It’s just a checkmark, right? But you could probably identify that unique checkmark anywhere. That’s because it’s just different enough to stand apart from the crowd yet simple enough to stick in your mind.
What about Apple’s logo? Or McDonald’s? Or Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, Microsoft, Toyota and countless others?
One thing they have in common is that the designs are clean and simple. That’s your first step in crafting a professional logo that gets remembered.
Make Sure Your Logo Matches Your Brand
Next, you need to make sure your logo fits your business brand.
If you sell outdoor equipment and your brand is more rugged and masculine, then having a scripted font probably isn’t the best way to go.
Choose fonts and visual elements that match your style—that is, your brand’s personality.
How do you do this? Start by setting aside time to think through what you want your brand to convey. What words would you use to describe your business? What emotions do you want people to feel when they see or experience your brand?
Look at this list of words and write down the ones that match your business. Then add to that list words of your own.
- Elegant
- Classic
- Simple
- Geeky
- Adventurous
- Funny
- Flirtatious
- Serious
- Peaceful
- Wild
- Adorable
- Modern
- Honest
- Mature
- Fun
- Smart
- Romantic
- Confident
- Practical
- Spiritual
Again, these words are just to get you started. Go further by adding words of your own. Use your list as a guide when creating a logo or paying someone to do it for you.
Inexpensive Options for a Professional Logo
Now that you know the feel you want your logo to have, it’s time to figure out how you’ll get it.
As a business owner just starting out, you probably can’t afford a logo design that costs thousands of dollars.
If that’s true for you, then you have three options:
1. Find a professional freelancer to design a logo for around $300.
There are several sites where you can find a designer to create your logo for a few hundred dollars instead of a few thousand.
99designs is a good place to start.
They have over 400,000 logo designers on their platform! But don’t worry, the process for getting a logo from 99designs is pretty simple. You simply choose your niche, describe your ideal logo, and then you receive dozens of logo ideas from designers.
All you have to do then is choose the one you like best.
There are other freelancer sites like Upwork and Fiverr you could peruse for lower prices, but these platforms don’t have as professional a reputation as 99designs does.
2. Hire a college student or a friend to design your professional logo.
If you can’t even afford $300-$500, then you could try asking a college student majoring in graphic design to create one for you. You might be able to find one who’s willing to charge around $100.
Or, if you know a friend or family member who does design work, perhaps they’d be willing to give you a discount.
3. Sign up for Canva and design it yourself.
The cheapest option is to design your professional logo yourself. Thankfully there are sites like Canva that make this easy to do.
If you create a free account with Canva, you can click “Create a design” in the top-right corner and then select “Logo.”
Once the editor opens in a new tab, you can browse countless free and premium templates. Then, simply tweak and edit the logo to match your brand’s personality and colors.
You can also use FreeLogo Design’s editing tool, which over 2 million entrepreneurs have used to create their own logos.
What to Do With Your New Professional Logo
Once you get a logo you’re thrilled with, don’t let it sit unused in a computer folder. Put your logo to work by placing it on your website, on branded merchandise and business cards.
Other great places to put your logo are thank-you notes, cards, and envelopes. How? Simply purchase our self-inking custom rubber stamps!
Our rubber stamps are an easy way to make your business seem even more professional. You don’t have to worry about messy ink or smudged designs. Our stamps are premium quality and easy to take care of.
To get your own logo stamp today, click here to choose what size you want. Then simply upload your logo and select the color ink you prefer.
Enjoy your new logo!